Relationship between food shelf life and environmental impact of Tetra Pak packages

Abstract: Food packaging has long been recognized as a potential environmental burden within the food supply chain, with packaging production and waste often considered as key contributors to the overall environmental impact. However, there is a growing recognition of the need for a more holistic approach to assess the environmental performance of food packaging, taking into account various factors that influence sustainability. This Master's Thesis aims to theoretically investigate the potential environmental impact of three different barrier materials for current and future potential use in Tetra Brik Aseptic packaging. The study focuses on examining the relationship between direct environmental impact, assessed through a life cycle assessment (LCA) analysis with a specific emphasis on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the indirect environmental impact resulting from the performance of barrier properties, which can influence the shelf-life length and potentially contribute to food waste. To assess the environmental impacts of the packaging structures, SimaPro 9.3 software was employed, considering the raw materials and processing stages. The barrier properties were evaluated using the Norner calculator. The direct environmental assessment revealed a significant 25% reduction in CO2 emissions for the new barrier structures compared to the existing one. However, the new barrier structures had higher oxygen permeability, which affected the packaging’s ability to protect and maintain product quality, reducing its shelf-life. Moreover, the study identified a strong correlation between GHG emissions, barrier properties, and shelf-life length. These findings provide valuable insights for the company by presenting a preliminary environmental evaluation of a new barrier material structures, while also contributing to the academic knowledge in this field.