Comparison of Three-Phase Environmental Protection of Folding Containers

Is reusable secondary packaging better than disposable packaging?

Reusable secondary packaging is preferable in many of the studies, both when disposable packaging is made of fibre-based materials or plastic and when reusable is made of plastic. Take-away and tableware packaging is either preferable in reusable packaging or lacks an environmental impact difference between disposable and reusable packaging.

Are disposable and reusable packaging environmentally preferable?

The review of these studies provides some indicative suggestions for when disposable and reusable packaging is environmentally preferable, but the number of LCA studies is too limited, and their content too fragmented to draw general conclusions about this.

Does reusable packaging reduce environmental impact?

Circular economy versus minimal environmental impact. Some studies indicated that the environmental impact was lower for disposable packaging, whereas the reusable packaging option was preferable in terms of circularity. Future research should examine links between environmental sustainability (LCA in particular) and circular economy.

Can reusable and disposable packaging improve material handling and warehousing?

Future research should capture that reusable and disposable packaging may facilitate efficient material handling and warehousing to different extents. Reusable packaging may, for instance, be easier to stack and handle as a unit than disposable. This may enable reduced need for both warehouse space and forklift handling.