Bio-derived Polymers for Sustainable Packaging Design

Start - Finish:

2009-2011

Research Conducted by:

James Colwill and Eileen Wright

Keywords:

Renewable polymers, bio-derived polymers, sustainable packaging, life cycle assessment, design tool

Industrial collaborators:

Pira International

Aims & Objectives:

The overall aim of the project is to support reduction of the carbon and ecological footprint of plastic packaging by investigating the environmental advantages and disadvantages associated with bio-derived polymer (BDP) materials.  In order to achieve this aim the following research objectives have been identified:

· Analysis of the drivers, barriers and challenges influencing the uptake of BDPs in commercial packaging applications, including the effects of the regulatory framework in the UK and beyond.

· Identification of key opportunities for further utilisation of BDPs in packaging applications, based on their physical and chemical properties and the impact of these properties on existing manufacturing and waste management processes.

· Application of life cycle assessment (LCA) and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) models to quantify the ecological and economic performance of BDPs relative to traditional fossil-derived plastics (FDPs), with a focus on alternative packaging applications and end-of-life scenarios.

· Development of a design tool to support the selection and application of BDPs in sustainable packaging design.

Brief Description:

Mass industrialisation has caused a serious depletion in non-renewable resources.  Plastics are made from the rapidly diminishing fossil fuel oil resource, and hence the development of polymers made from renewable agricultural materials is gaining momentum in both research and industry.  

It is generally accepted that bio-derived polymers (BDPs) offer environmental advantages over traditional fossil-derived polymers (FDPs), based on the renewable nature of the feedstocks used and the biodegradable nature of post-consumer wastes.  However, the scientific evidence supporting this view is not definitive and many uncertainties remain regarding the true environmental effects of substituting FDPs with BDPs in packaging.  This project will further investigate some of the uncertainties apparent in the existing literature, in order to provide greater confidence in decision making with regard to materials selection and the development of waste management strategies throughout the packaging supply chain.

For More information please contact James Colwill

j.a.colwill@lboro.ac.uk