Green packaging

Abstract

Design of green packaging systems begins with consideration of packaging functions, including product needs and distribution system requirements. Sustainability of packaging systems is a useful concept in evaluating whether a package is “green,” and a number of somewhat different definitions of sustainability have been presented. Similarly, various tools exist for quantifying the environmental impacts of packaging systems. The source of packaging materials and what happens to packages at the end of life are often of special concern, but certainly should not be the only considerations. Principles for green packaging design include maintaining required functionality, minimizing the amount of material used, using recycled content and recyclable materials, avoiding potentially toxic constituents, and using life cycle analysis as a tool in evaluating tradeoffs between alternative packaging systems.