Choice of materials for takeaway beverage cups towards a circular economy

Changwichan, Kunnika; Gheewala, Shabbir H.

doi:10.1016/j.spc.2020.02.004

Cited by 61 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…The pollution derived from the plastics has become one of the most important environmental issue nowadays, since the disposable of these products overwhelms the world's ability to deal with them. It affects the biodiversity, accumulates at sea and is consumed by animals and organisms 1 . In that sense, many petroleum‐based products are starting to be produced from renewable feedstocks or residues 2–9 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recycling of polyurethane wastes using different carboxylic acids via acidolysis to produce wood adhesives

Godinho

Gama

Barros‐Timmons

et al. 2021

Journal of Polymer Science

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This study aims to provide further understanding on the depolymerization of polyurethanes (PU) via acidolysis. Therefore, polyurethane foams scraps are chemical recycled using different dicarboxylic acids, namely succinic and phthalic dicarboxylic acids, being the reaction products identified using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance and gel permeation chromatography. The results obtained show that succinic acid has higher efficiency as cleavage agent, as a result, the succinic acid ensuing recovered polyol (RP) presents higher hydroxyl value and lower viscosity. Additionally, from the oxidative‐induction time measurements, it is observed that the RP is considerably more thermally stable, than the petroleum‐based polyol, due to the higher content of aromatic moieties. Afterwards, the RP is used as substitute of petroleum‐based polyol in the production of polyurethane adhesives (PUA) and compared with conventional polyol based PUA. Due to the higher content of aromatic moieties, higher bonding strength is achieved using the RP. Overall, further understanding on the acidolysis is obtained, proving the suitability of this method for the recycling of PU.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recycling of polyurethane wastes using different carboxylic acids via acidolysis to produce wood adhesives

Godinho

Gama

Barros‐Timmons

et al. 2021

Journal of Polymer Science

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“…From a cost perspective, there is a premium in-use cost associated with compostable and biodegradable coffee cups. As a result, manufacturers need to fully understand the available technology options so that they can make informed decisions about materials selection, while brand owners need to consider the full life cycle cost of products they use (Changwichan and Gheewala 2020). A recent life cycle study showed that current methods for disposing paper cups has the global environmental footprint of 1.5 million Europeans and that recycling could reduce this impact by 40 percent (Foteinis 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The future of single-use paper coffee cups: Current progress and outlook

Triantafillopoulos¹,

Koukoulas²

2020

BioRes

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The expanded use of environmentally friendly and sustainable foodservice packaging continues to be a prime focus of stakeholders across the foodservice value chain. Paper-based coffee cups is one product segment where effective recycling of waste cups remains elusive. As a result, material substitutes for polyethylene liners are emerging to solve the problem of waste cups. In this paper, current and emerging commercial material technologies used in the production of paper-based coffee cups that are readily recyclable with other paper grades are reviewed. Many of these material solutions are also compostable. Special attention is paid to the rapidly evolving, alternative large-scale production of bioplastics. Multiple efforts to effectively develop a more environmentally friendly paper cup are also examined. It is clear that broad adoption of proposed solutions will require an integrated commitment and approach to circular economics. Specifically, this includes: changes in consumer behavior; brand owner initiatives to meet sustainability goals; governmental policies that limit or forbid use of fossil-based cups; and easily accessible infrastructures at the consumer level for the collection, separation, and processing of biodegradable cups.

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“…LCA studies on the impacts of reusable products compared to single-use and disposable products are receiving increasing attention in the literature. For example, in an LCA study on beverage cups, Changwichan et al [38] found that multi-use stainless steel cups used for more than 140 times have less adverse environmental impact than single-use take-away cups. A study by Hoffmann et al [39] showed that cloth diapers have a better environmental performance than disposable diapers, and they can be further improved by optimised reuse enabling services.…”

Section: Environmental Value Of Reusementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Reuse models rely on infrastructure that allows FMCGs to be used recurrently by the same consumer (exclusive reuse) or to be recalled, reconditioned, and reinstated in the market (sequential reuse). Therefore, in reusable products, the use of durable components reduces the requirement for energy and water in comparison to manufacturing frequently and from "scratch" [3,38,40,42,43]. For example, in exclusive reuse models, the availability of food dispensers (e.g., London Unpackaged) enables the consumer to use reusable vessels multiple times, thereby reducing the overall energy required to manufacture them compared to single-use packaging.…”

Section: F2 Minimised Overall Energy and Water Usementioning

confidence: 99%

Characterisation and Environmental Value Proposition of Reuse Models for Fast-Moving Consumer Goods: Reusable Packaging and Products

et al. 2021

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Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) are products that are purchased and consumed frequently to satisfy continuous consumer demand. In a linear economy, FMCGs are typically offered as single-use and disposable products. Limitations in product design, insufficient collection systems, and inefficient recovery processes prevent high recycling rates. As a result, FMCGs often end up in landfill or the environment, contributing to waste accumulation, and pollution. Whilst recycling is the most common waste prevention strategy practiced by the industry, the process is limited to addressing only the final stage of the product life cycle, omitting the overproduction and consumption of materials typical of FMCGs. Instead, reuse is a strategy that is capable of extending the value of resources by slowing material flows. Novel reuse models that require the consumer to interact with durable primary packaging and products are emerging in the FMCG industry. However, the constituent elements and operation principles of such reuse models are not fully understood. The aim of this research is to develop a comprehensive characterisation of reuse models and to evaluate their potential to deliver environmental value. Method: Ninety-two reuse offerings were selected and analysed to identify their reuse system elements. The analysis led to the identification of a framework including five reuse models, which were also evaluated to establish their capability to deliver environmental value when compared to conventional single-use and disposable FMCGs. Results: Currently in the FMCG sector, reusable products are mostly durable packaging, such as bottles and containers for beverages, foods, personal and home care goods, and are infrequently durable products, such as personal and baby care goods, including razors and nappies. Three reuse models involve exclusive reuse, a behaviour by which a reusable product is used and kept by a single user throughout the product lifetime. In exclusive reuse models, users are provided with either a reusable product (model 1), a reusable product with preparation for reuse infrastructure (model 2), or access to preparation for reuse infrastructure (model 3). Two reuse models involve sequential reuse, a behaviour by which a reusable product is used by multiple users throughout the product lifetime and returned after each use to a provider. In sequential reuse models, users are provided with either a reusable product with preparation for reuse infrastructure and provider-operated recovery services (model 4), or a reusable product and provider-operated services for recovery and preparation for reuse (model 5). Whilst the five reuse models can operate standalone, some offerings were found to embed a multi-model approach. Both exclusive and sequential reuse models are capable of delivering environmental value by reducing the use of natural resources and retaining their value in the economy. In particular, sequential reuse models were found to have a greater capability to increase the share of recyclable resources by offering access to infrastructure for the closure of material loops. Conclusions: Consumers can currently access five reuse models and choose between exclusive and sequential reuse behaviours. When adopted in conjunction with recycling, reuse models can enable a more efficient consumption of FMCGs. Providing the infrastructure necessary to enable reuse and recycling is key to the successful and sustainable deployment of the reuse models.

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Choice of materials for takeaway beverage cups towards a circular economy

Cited by 61 publications

References 26 publications

Recycling of polyurethane wastes using different carboxylic acids via acidolysis to produce wood adhesives

Recycling of polyurethane wastes using different carboxylic acids via acidolysis to produce wood adhesives

The future of single-use paper coffee cups: Current progress and outlook

Characterisation and Environmental Value Proposition of Reuse Models for Fast-Moving Consumer Goods: Reusable Packaging and Products

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