A Europe-wide Life-Cycle Assessment—commissioned by SIG Combibloc—analyzing disposable PET bottles, disposable glass bottles, and carton packs as packaging for noncarbonated soft drinks (NCSD) claims that in all format sizes, compared to the commercially available packaging alternatives, carton packs have an environmental profile that offers significant benefits, particularly with respect to CO2 emission, use of fossil resources, and consumption of primary energy.

According to the study, in the 1-L format—the package size said to have the greatest market relevance—carton packs generate 28% less CO2, use 51% less fossil resources, and consume 24% less primary energy compared to monolayer PET bottles. The study, which was independently verified by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IFEU), attributes the carton pack’s positive environmental profile largely to the positive environmental performance of the main raw material, wood fiber, including its renewability, and the resource-efficient use of materials. Carton packs are manufactured with up to 75% wood fiber, a natural, completely renewable and bio-based resource.

SIG Combibloc commissioned the IFEU with carrying out the comparative LCA to analyze the environmental impacts of a range of different packaging systems for NCSDs and evaluate them according to ISO 14040ff, the ISO standard for LCAs.

Environmental profile throughout the product life cycle
The extraction and refining of the raw materials used to make the packaging were taken into consideration, as were the processes of manufacturing the packaging, transporting the packaging, packaging the beverage, distribution up to the retailing stage, and the recycling or disposal of the packaging after use. At each stage of the product life cycle, the key environmental impact categories relevant to the resource and emission-related categories were investigated and evaluated. In terms of resource consumption, factors such as the consumption of fossil resources, the amount of primary energy used, and the use of nature were evaluated. With respect to emissions, it is the CO2 output and the associated climate change, the particulate loading of the air, and the eutrophication and acidification of soils and watercourses that are of interest.

The current study verifies that the material and the quantity of material used are the key factors determining the environmental impact of a packaging system for NCSD products during the life cycle of the packaging. In all three sizes evaluated—small size: PET/carton pack 250 mL, glass 200 ml; medium size: all three packaging systems 1,000 mL; and large size: PET/carton pack 1,500 mL—the comparative analysis showed that the carton pack offers significant advantages, with respect to CO2 emissions and to use of fossil resources.

In the medium format, which has the greatest market relevance in the juices, nectars, and juice drinks sector, compared with monolayer PET bottles, the study indicates that carton packs generate 28% less CO2 emissions, use 51% less fossil resources, and consume 24% less primary energy. In the small format, compared to PET monolayer bottles, the carton pack generates 64% less CO2, uses 75% less fossil resources, and consumes 61% less primary energy. And in the large format, compared to PET monolayer bottles, the study shows that the carton pack saves 18% on CO2 emissions, 47% on fossil resources, and 14% on primary energy. Due to a lack of market relevance, glass bottles were not considered in this format size.

The resource-efficient use of renewable raw material, which is manufactured using a high fraction of renewable energy, and the low weight contribute significantly to the positive environmental performance of the carton pack, the study notes.

According to SIG Combibloc, the results of the LCA conducted by the IFEU have been monitored, critically reviewed, and confirmed by independent LCA and packaging experts Prof. Dr. Walter Klöpffer, Hans-Jürgen Garvens, and Dr. Fredy Dinkel.