Is reusable beverage packaging better than single–use plastic
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6455409 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ibrahim Issifu (0000-0002-0568-0098), U Rashid Sumaila (0000-0002-1851-1621) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Pages | 101275-101275 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-11 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sustainable Futures (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2666-1888 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.sftr.2025.101275 |
| OpenAlex | W4414143735 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 22 |
We assessed the environmental impacts of seven beverage packaging types—reusable glass bottles, reusable PET bottles, reusable PP cups, and single-use PET bottles and cups (with and without recycled content)—in the European context. We identified key emission drivers, including recycling rates, recycled content, electricity carbon intensity, reuse cycles, and transport distances. Our findings show that reusable systems, particularly PP cups, yield the lowest impacts on the environment. In contrast, single–use PET options, especially those without recycled content, generate the highest emissions, though incorporating recycled materials significantly mitigates these impacts. Using Monte Carlo simulation with ±15 % variability in return rates, we confirmed that reuse systems maintain environmental superiority despite behavioral uncertainty. These results highlight an urgent need to invest in reuse infrastructure, which remains underdeveloped despite growing global attention, including at recent forums such as the Busan reuse summit
Green IT and Sustainability · Microplastics and Plastic Pollution · Recycling and Waste Management Techniques
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |