Life cycle assessment of example packaging systems for milk
In this study Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has assessed the potential environmental impact of different milk container examples for pasteurised milk available on the UK market.
The study also shows the environmental benefits that can be achieved through recycling initiatives and lightweighting.
The extraction or growing of raw material and the processing of these into packaging formats is found to contribute the most to the environmental profile of the milk container systems. This means that the largest relative environmental savings are to be achieved through the improvement of these elements of the packaging life cycle. Furthermore, the results indicate that significant relative environmental savings can be achieved through minimisation, i.e. lightweighting. This, of course, is dependent on lightweighting being achievable without compromising the functionality of the milk container.