Sustainability in Beverage Packaging Technology: Life Cycle Analysis and Waste Management Scenarios

Patrycja Walichnowska (), Andrzej Tomporowski, Zbigniew Kłos, Anna Rudawska and Michał Bembenek
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Patrycja Walichnowska: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Kaliskiego 7, 85-796 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Andrzej Tomporowski: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Kaliskiego 7, 85-796 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Zbigniew Kłos: Institute of Machines and Motor Vehicles, Faculty of Transport Engineering, Poznan University of Technology, 60-965 Poznan, Poland
Anna Rudawska: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Production Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, 36 Nadbystrzycka Str., 20-618 Lublin, Poland
Michał Bembenek: Department of Manufacturing Systems, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics, AGH University of Krakow, 30-059 Krakow, Poland

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-13

Abstract: Due to increasing environmental concerns and the constant development of the bottling industry, research into the environmental impact of beverage packaging processes is crucial. The aim of this article is to determine the environmental impact, in selected aspects, of automated beverage bottling and packaging processes using life cycle analysis (LCA). The analysis covers key process stages, such as filling, packaging and internal transport, in the context of raw material consumption, but also energy and waste generation. This work focuses primarily on the impact of changing the raw material used for bottle and shrink film production on the environmental impact of the studied technical facility within the adopted system boundaries and on analyzing scenarios for the management of these post-consumer materials. This research has shown that the stage associated with the greatest negative environmental impact is the shrinking of the film around the bottles. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that recycling plastic film and bottle waste is a more environmentally friendly solution than landfill disposal. The analysis shows that using recycled materials in the tested production line allows for the reduction of harmful emissions and a reduction in the overall environmental footprint of the tested system.

Keywords: LCA; recycling; landfill; waste management; technological process (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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