Latest IFEU comparative analysis for PET, glass and carton packs - Europe-wide life-cycle assessment for NCSD packaging: carton packs are top ...
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Title Latest IFEU comparative analysis for PET, glass and carton packs Europe-wide life-cycle assessment for NCSD packaging: carton packs are top performers in the categories CO2 emission and fossil resource consumption. sig.biz / combibloc 02/11
Title 8/9
An Europe-wide life-cycle assessment In the 1-litre format, the packaging size In politics, economics and consumer
analysing disposable PET bottles, disposable with the greatest market relevance, carton interest circles, environmental issues play an
glass bottles and carton packs as packaging packs generate 28 per cent less CO2, use 51 important role. And increasingly, the focus
for non-carbonated soft drinks has confirmed per cent less fossil resources, and consume is moving on to food packaging. Throughout
that in all format sizes, compared to the com 24 per cent less primary energy compared to their entire product life cycle, packaging
mercially available packaging alternatives, monolayer PET bottles. The current, inde forms have different environmental impacts.
carton packs have an environmental profile pendently verified study carried out by the In order to produce valid, scientifically sound
that offers significant benefits particularly Institute for Energy and Environmental Re and reliable facts on the environmental im
with respect to CO2 emission, use of fossil search (IFEU) attributes the carton pack’s pacts generated by carton packaging for non-
resources and consumption of primary energy. positive environmental profile largely to the carbonated soft drinks (NCSD) in compari
good environmental performance of the main son with packaging alternatives such as glass
raw material, including its renewability and and PET bottles, SIG Combibloc commis-
the resource-efficient use of materials. Al- sioned the IFEU in Heidelberg (Germany)
ready today, carton packs are manufactured
up to 75 per cent from wood fibre, a natural,
completely renewable and bio-based resource.
Beverage carton PET bottle Glass bottle
250 ml 250 ml 200 ml
1,000 ml 1,000 ml 1,000 ml
1,500 ml 1,500 ml
sig.biz / combibloc 02/11Title
with carrying out a comparative, Europe ministries, international environmental and includes first and foremost monolayer PET
wide lifecycle assessment. The objective of conservation organisations, Germany’s Federal bottles. For the sake of completeness, in the
the study was to analyse the environmental Environmental Agency, and various companies 1litre bracket multilayer PET bottles, which
impacts of a range of different packaging sys and corporations. have comparable product protection and bar
tems for noncarbonated soft drinks and rier characteristics to carton packs, and dis
evaluate them according to ISO 14040 et Environmental profile throughout posable glass bottles were also included in
seqq., the ISO standard for lifecycle assess the product life-cycle the lifecycle assessment, although both have
ments. The independent IFEU institute is one Michael Hecker, Head of Group Envi considerably lower market significance in this
of the most reputable environmental research ronment, Health & Safety at SIG Combibloc: product sector. The study made a thorough
institutes in Europe, also carrying out studies “The current comparative analysis focused evaluation of all key factors and processes of
and analyses for, among others, government on the marketrelevant types of packaging for environmental relevance that come into play
noncarbonated juices, nectars and juice
drinks. In addition to our carton packs, this
Overview LCA results
Beverage carton vs. PET bottle
Small size Medium size Large size
Fossil resource
consumption
(in kg crude oil equivalent)*
Resource-related
impact categories
Non-renewable
primary energy
(in giga joule)*
Total primary energy
consumption
(in giga joule)*
Use of nature
(in m 2 )*
Climate change
(in kg CO 2 equivalent)*
impact categories
Emission-related
Acidification
(in g SO 2 equivalent)*
Eutrophication
(in g PO 4 equivalent)*
Human toxicity PM10
(in g PM 10 equivalent)*
* per packaging required for 1,000 L non-carbonated soft drinks
significantly better1 significantly "worse"1
sig.biz / combibloc 02/11Title 10/11
throughout the life cycles of the different factors such as the consumption of fossil re Material and quantity are the
types of packaging”. The extraction and re sources, the amount of primary energy used decisive factors
fining of the raw materials used to make the and the use of nature are looked at. With re The current study, carried out in accor
packaging were taken into consideration, as spect to emissions, it is the CO2 output and dance with the internationally binding ISO
were the process of manufacturing the pack the associated climate change, the particulate standards for lifecycle assessments, verifies
aging, transport, the process of packaging the loading of the air and the eutrophication and that the material and the quantity of materi
beverage, distribution up to the retailing acidification of soils and watercourses that al used are the key factors determining the
stage, and the recycling or disposal of the are of interest. At present, the key environ environmental impact of a packaging system
packaging after use. At each stage of the prod mental impact categories are emission of for NCSD products during the life cycle of
uct life cycle, the key environmental impact greenhouse gases, consumption of fossil re the packaging. In all three sizes evaluated
categories relevant to the resource and emis sources and use of primary energy sources. (small size: PET/carton pack 250 ml, glass
sionrelated categories were investigated and 200 ml; medium size: all three packaging sys
evaluated. In terms of resource consumption,
Overview LCA results
Beverage carton vs. glass bottle
Small size Medium size
Fossil resource
consumption -77% -68%
(in kg crude oil equivalent)*
Resource-related
impact categories
Non-renewable
primary energy -76% -65%
(in giga joule)*
Total primary energy
consumption -69% -56%
(in giga joule)*
Use of nature
+61% +60%
(in m 2 )*
Climate change
(in kg CO 2 equivalent)* -80% -70%
impact categories
Emission-related
Acidification -80% -70%
(in g SO 2 equivalent)*
Eutrophication
-80% -71%
(in g PO 4 equivalent)*
Human toxicity PM10
-84% -79%
(in g PM 10 equivalent)*
* per packaging required for 1,000 L non-carbonated soft drinks
No significant difference1 1
at a 10% significance level
sig.biz / combibloc 02/11Title
tems 1,000 ml; large size: PET/carton pack nectars & juice drinks sector, compared with
1,500 ml), the comparative analysis showed monolayer PET bottles, carton packs generate
that the carton pack offers significant advan 28 per cent less CO2 emissions, use 51 per
tages − with respect to CO2 emissions and to cent less fossil resources and consume 24 per
use of fossil resources. The properties of the cent less primary energy (Reduction com
carton packs have a beneficial effect in the pared to glass: CO2: 70 per cent; fossil re
environmental impact categories ‘Consump sources: 68 per cent; primary energy: 56 per
tion of fossil resources’, ‘Use of primary cent. Reduction compared to multilayer PET
energy sources’, and ‘CO2 output/climate bottles: CO2: 39 per cent; fossil resources:
change’. In the medium format, which has the 58 per cent; primary energy: 34 per cent).
greatest market relevance in the juices, In the small format, compared to PET mono
layer bottles the carton pack generates 64 per
Small size
Fossil resource consumption Climate change
(in kg crude oil equivalent; per packaging required (in kg CO2 equivalent; per packaing required for
for packaging 1,000 L non-carbonated soft drinks) packaging 1,000 L non-carbonated soft drinks)
28.47 114.07 126.03 115.1 321.26 585.87
-80 %
-77 %
-75 %
-64 %
Beverage carton PET bottle Glass bottle Beverage carton PET bottle Glass bottle
sig.biz / combibloc 02/11Title 12/13
cent less CO2, uses 75 per cent less fossil re The resourceefficient use of renewable Consequently, in the impact category ‘Use of
sources, and consumes 61 per cent less pri raw material – which moreover is manufac nature’ the carton pack lags behind the pack
mary energy (Reduction compared to glass: tured using a high fraction of renewable en aging forms manufactured from fossil re
CO2: 80 per cent; fossil resources: 77 per ergy – and the low weight contribute signi sourcebased raw materials; but in contrast
cent; primary energy: 69 per cent). And in ficantly to the positive environmental to finite resources, with responsible forest
the large format too, compared to PET mono performance of the carton pack. Carton packs management there can be a constant supply
layer bottles, the carton pack saves 18 per cent use significantly fewer fossil resources than of this renewable raw material. Added to this
on CO2 emissions, 47 per cent on fossil re PET and glass bottles, because they are man is the fact that wood is carbonneutral and
sources and 14 per cent on primary energy. ufactured up to 75 per cent from pulp fibres therefore does not alter the CO2 balance of
Due to a lack of market relevance, glass bottles obtained from wood, a renewable resource. the atmosphere. The reason for this CO2 neu
were not considered in this format size. trality is that while they are growing, trees
Total primary energy consumption
(in giga joule; per packaging required for
packaging 1,000 L non-carbonated soft drinks)
2.86 7.26 9.13
-69 %
-61 %
Beverage carton PET bottle Glass bottle
sig.biz / combibloc 02/11Title
extract carbon dioxide from the atmosphere Michael Hecker: “The packaging indus development, we’re not resting on our laurels
and store it. When they later burn or decay, try is very dynamic. The results of the most either – we’re hard at work on innovations
they release only the same quantity of CO2 recent, critically reviewed life-cycle assessment to further minimise the environmental foot
that they absorbed during their lifespan. for soft drinks packaging solutions show very print of our carton packs for NCSD products,
clearly that even with planned enhancements so that they continue to be one of the most
The results of the life-cycle assessment to the packaging alternatives – such as the use environmentally friendly packaging solutions
conducted by the IFEU have been monitored, of PET recyclates – the carton pack in its cur around. For instance, in the juices, nectars and
critically reviewed and confirmed by indepen rent composite structure will continue to show juice drinks sector, we’re looking into a new
dent LCA and packaging experts Prof. Dr. clear advantages when it comes to environ type of paperboard composite that will poten
Walter Klöpffer, Hans-Jürgen Garvens and mental life-cycle assessments. But in terms of tially generate around 20 per cent less CO2”.
Dr. Fredy Dinkel.
Medium size
Fossil resource consumption Climate change
(in kg crude oil equivalent; per packaing required (in kg CO2 equivalent; per packaing required for
for packaging 1,000 L non-carbonated soft drinks) packaging 1,000 L non-carbonated soft drinks)
20.58 42.18 49.91 65.07 87.72 121.18 144.67 295.24
-68 % -70 %
-59 %
-51 % -39 %
-28 %
Monolayer Multilayer Monolayer Multilayer
Beverage carton PET bottle Glass bottle Beverage carton PET bottle Glass bottle
Total primary energy consumption
(in giga joule; per packaging required for
packaging 1,000 L non-carbonated soft drinks)
2.05 2.68 3.11 4.64
-56 %
-34 %
-24 %
Monolayer Multilayer
Beverage carton PET bottle Glass bottle
sig.biz / combibloc 02/11Title 14/15
Large size
Fossil resource consumption
(in kg crude oil equivalent; per packaing required
for packaging 1,000 L non-carbonated soft drinks)
18.65 35.19
-47 %
Beverage carton PET bottle
Climate change
(in kg CO2 equivalent; per packaing required for
packaging 1,000 L non-carbonated soft drinks)
81.29 98.75
-18 %
Beverage carton PET bottle
Total primary energy consumption
(in giga joule; per packaging required for
packaging 1,000 L non-carbonated soft drinks)
1.92 2.23
-14 %
Beverage carton PET bottle
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