Life cycle assessment of end-of-life options for two biodegradable packaging materials

Researchers at EPFL Science Park in Switzerland assessed whether for dry biodegradable packaging without food contamination, a detailed life cycle assessment (LCA) supports the priorities suggested by the 5-level hierarchy, as described by the European Waste Directive. They found that, for most impact categories, mechanical recycling is the most interesting option. Landfill and industrial composting of dry packaging generate the highest environmental impacts. The hypothesis that composting is by default environmentally preferable over energy recovery because it is a form of recycling is not confirmed by this study. An article about the research is published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.
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