Multi-dimensional sustainability assessment of product-packaging combinations : MuDiSa: a calculation tool to assess the sustainability of product-packaging combinations in multiple dimensions of sustainability

Abstract

This report is part of a public-private partnership project "Wrap or waste" . In this project the goal is to quantify the relationship between alternative preservation techniques and packaging materials on the one hand, and quality of perishable food products on the other hand, thereby helping the industry make optimal, well-founded and sustainable choices. Packaging and especially plastic packaging is increasingly under scrutiny from politicians, NGO's and various other stakeholders, for its role in climate change and planetary pollution. This calls for a re-evaluation of the currently applied packaging formats. A change in packaging methods, however, has major ramifications on product quality, the product supply chain organisation and the packaging materials themselves. Via case studies on specific product-packaging combinations, quantitative data is collected and tools are developed that help to provide concrete answers that companies can use for their packaging choices. This public report describes MuDiSa, a calculation tool for multi-dimensional sustainability assessment, that is developed in this project. The results of the case studies are described in separate public summaries.