Reuse and recycling are the two key strategies to move towards circularity, as reported last month. But several issues arise when assessing the environmental impacts or benefits of applying these strategies. How do these burdens or benefits can be shared between the product being recycled and the next product that will use the recycled material for its manufacturing? What is…
Plastic is a synthetic material, made from organic polymers, that has become essential in current supply chains due to its beneficial properties – light weight, durable and easily shaped – and low cost. Since the 1960s, plastic production has increased by 20 times, with a global manufacture of 360 million tonnes in 2018, 40% of which were used for packaging…
Fresh fruit and vegetables (F&V) is a key sector in the Spanish agriculture. With an annual production of around 20 million tons, it has an economic value of 14 million Euros, contributing to 47% of the value of the Spanish plant production and 29% of the whole agricultural production (MAPA). However, inefficiencies within the F&V supply chains appear in the…
The environmental impact study based on the Life Cycle Analysis carried out by the UNESCO Chair of ESCI-UPF and published in the scientific journal Resources, Conservation and Recycling revealed the advantages of this system. The life cycle analysis of the boxes will allow further improvement of their environmental performance.
