US study finds PE packaging has lower environmental impact than alternatives

A recent study conducted by researchers from Michigan State University, US, has revealed that PE packaging — commonly used for bags, films, and containers — may have a lower environmental impact than alternative packaging materials such as paper, glass, aluminum, and steel.

The study carried out in collaboration with sustainability software solution provider Trayak and multinational oil and gas giant ExxonMobil, assessed the life cycle impacts of PE packaging in five applications: collation shrink films, stretch films for pallet wraps, heavy-duty sacks, non-food bottles, and flexible food pouches. Packaging products for pet food, shampoo, water bottles, and cosmetics were used as examples.

Elizabeth Avery, the lead author of the paper and sustainability consultant manager at Trayak, says: “Life cycle assessments are valuable to understanding the environmental trade-offs associated with product elimination or material switching. Our study examines a wide range of PE packaging applications and provides insights where there has not been a PE-specific study done before.”

Policy implications

Published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, the findings suggest that substituting PE for other packaging materials can lead to an average life cycle global warming potential (GWP) emissions decrease of approximately 70%. PE packaging also demonstrated lower impacts in other key environmental categories, including fossil energy use, mineral resource consumption, and water scarcity.

Across 19 different product applications, researchers explained that PE-based packaging used less fossil resources than alternatives in 14 products. In 16 of the 19 packaged product comparisons, PE yielded a lower GWP, consumed less water, and used fewer mineral resources than alternative materials.

By incorporating life cycle impact assessments, researchers expect that the study results will spark policy discussions, including the next round of negotiations for a UN Global Plastic Treaty, where policymakers are considering different measures ranging from banning single-use plastics to implementing EPR programs.

EPR programs, which require producers to contribute to the collection, sorting, and recycling of their products, are being implemented in several US states, including California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, and Oregon.