A new, Europe-wide life-cycle assessment (LCA) for metal cans, glass jars, cartons, and pouches used for ambient food applications has shown that using cartons saves CO2 emissions and fossil resource consumption by up to 60%. The recent, independently reviewed study was conducted by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (Ifeu) and was commissioned by SIG Combibloc

The results of the study show that the overall weight and the material of the packaging are the key factors to consider when assessing the environmental impact of an ambient food packaging system. They are the main factors that determine the environmental impact of a packaging solution along its entire life cycle.

According to SIG Combibloc, in the study, the aseptic and the retortable carton packaging systems show the best results in all environmental impact categories (with the exception of the category “use of nature”), in terms of resource consumption and substance emissions. The most striking outcomes are the positive results in the impact categories “consumption of fossil resources,” “use of primary energy,” and “CO2 emission/climate change.” The study shows that in the impact category “consumption of fossil resources” and “CO2 emission,” carton packaging causes up to 60% less environmental impact than the comparative types of packaging considered in the LCA.

The study notes that the reason for these significant results is the light weight of the carton, which is due to the resource-efficient use of raw materials. Reports SIG Combibloc, cartons use significantly fewer fossil resources than metal cans, glass jars, and pouches because they contain a high share of paperboard, which is obtained from the renewable raw material wood. At around 70%, this raw material is the main component of cartons. Consequently, in the impact category “use of nature,” the carton lies behind the packaging systems that are manufactured mainly using fossil resources. Wood used for the unprocessed paperboard to produce cartons is a renewable resource. Unlike nonrenewable fossil resources, the availability of wood is virtually unlimited when coming from sustainably managed forests.

Says Tim Kirchen, global food manager at SIG Combibloc, “World-wide, reducing CO2 emissions and saving fossil resources in packaging are becoming increasingly vital. For the international food and retail industry, it is becoming more and more important that decisions on packaging portfolio are made on the basis of facts and substantiated analyses that consider the environmental impacts of packaging along the entire life cycle. Only in this way can comprehensive conclusions be drawn about the environmental performance of the packaging. The current life-cycle assessment clearly shows that specifically with respect to environmental aspects, carton packs are the ideal packaging solution.”

SIG Combibloc seeks solid facts
According to SIG Combibloc, the environmental performance of packaging has become a key factor in evaluation and decision-making for policymakers, the food industry, retailers, and consumers alike. Properly substantiated assertions relating to the impact of a packaging solution on the environment can only be made on the basis of valid facts. SIG Combibloc therefore commissioned the Ifeu Institute in Heidelberg, Germany, to analyze and assess the environmental impact of different ambient food packaging systems in a comparative LCA.

Says Michael Hecker, head of Group Environment, Health & Safety at SIG Combibloc, “Our objective was to gain well-founded information on the environmental performance of the most commonly used packaging for ambient food products. In addition to our aseptic and retortable carton packs, the analysis looked at food metal cans, glass jars, and retortable pouches.”

Relevant environmental impact categories
In this new LCA, all the factors and processes that have an impact on the environment along the product life cycle related to these packaging systems were critically examined and assessed. This included the extraction and processing of the raw materials, the package manufacturing process, transport, the filling process, distribution to the point of sale, and recovery or disposal of the packaging after use.

The LCA investigated and assessed all relevant key environmental impact categories relating to resource consumption and substance emissions. With respect to resource consumption, the study covers the use of fossil raw materials, primary energy, and the use of nature. With respect to emissions, it is the CO2 output and the associated climate change, particulate matter emission, and the eutrophication and acidification of soil and water that were investigated. CO2 emission in particular is categorized as a significant issue in today’s environmental policy.

SIG Combibloc adds that the results of the LCA carried out by the Ifeu have been monitored, critically reviewed, and confirmed by independent LCA and packaging experts Professor Dr. Walter Klöpffer, Hans-Jürgen Garvens, and Dr Rolf Frischknecht.