Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 5.2
Effect of substituting plastic packaging materials with other
packaging that provides the same functionality. Unfilled bars are for plastic
packaging, and the filled bars are for a mix of other packaging. Life cycle
energy consumption (scale on left) and life cycle GHG emissions (scale on
right).
Source: Redrawn from Brandt and Pilz (2011).
A similar US study in 2014 (Franklin Associates, Ltd., 2014) estimated that
substitutionofthe14.4MMTofplasticpackagingintheUnitedStateswould
require 64.4 MMT of alternative packaging materials. The substitution
wouldresultin80%increaseincumulativeenergydemandand130%higher
GWP.
