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Social and environmental impacts of packaging (LCA and assessment of packaging functions)
Author(s) -
Oki Yoshio,
Sasaki Haruo
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
packaging technology and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.365
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1099-1522
pISSN - 0894-3214
DOI - 10.1002/1099-1522(200003/04)13:2<45::aid-pts496>3.0.co;2-#
Subject(s) - life cycle assessment , environmental impact assessment , packaging and labeling , food packaging , business , engineering , environmental science , forensic engineering , marketing , mechanical engineering , economics , production (economics) , political science , macroeconomics , law
This paper reviews the functions of packaging materials and the social and environmental impacts that packaging has, reflecting our changing lifestyle. The functions of some packaging materials, such as prevention of food contamination, protection against spoilage, preservation of contents and communications linking the food manufacturer to the customer, are many and varied in extent and complexity. The current life cycle assessment (LCA) can not easily be applied to the assessment of environmental impacts of packaging materials, taking packaging functions into consideration, but attempts at such application are being made experimentally. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.