Packaging Waste Management Research Articles

Supply Chain Management Construction: The Role of IoT in Human Resource Management and Green Logistics

Environmental practices are incorporated into the supply chain management and logistic process of human resource management. It is referred to as a green logistics supply chain. To reduce the negative effects of logistical activities on the environment, sustainable transportation, eco-friendly packaging, and effective waste management techniques are used. Adopting environmentally conscious supply chain practices can improve a company's environmental reputation while lowering carbon emissions, increasing operational effectiveness, and saving money on human resource management. In order to adopt sustainable practices across every aspect of the value chain, from acquiring raw materials to delivering completed items to clients, this strategy necessitates coordination across stakeholders in the supply chain management and logistic process. In general, using a green logistic supply chain is a crucial approach for companies looking to grow sustainability while reducing their environmental impact. Using IoT in human resource management can boost operational effectiveness, cut down on transportation expenses, and boost customer satisfaction. For instance, current information on inventory levels, the quality of goods, and shipment status can be provided by smart sensors and devices, allowing businesses to optimize the way they manage their supply chains and reduce waste in human resource management.

Achieving the sustainable waste management of medical plastic packaging using a life cycle assessment approach

Hospital waste management often classifies all waste, including uncontaminated plastic packaging, as hazardous, leading to incineration as the primary treatment method. While effective for safe treatment, incineration incurs high costs and significant environmental impacts. This study explores an alternative approach through the segregation and sustainable management of plastic packaging waste derived from medical device use to mitigate these environmental consequences. Using a Life Cycle Assessment, this research evaluates and compares the environmental impacts of three waste disposal scenarios of plastic packaging: hazardous waste incineration, general waste landfill, and plastic recycling. The analysis focuses on 1 kg of plastic packaging waste generated from medical devices at the Limb Vascular Center, Konkuk University Hospital, South Korea. The results show that general waste landfill has an environmental impact of 79.7 % and plastic recycling has an impact of just 11.8 %, highlighting their significantly lower environmental impacts compared to hazardous waste incineration. These findings underscore the significant benefits of adopting more sustainable waste management practices in healthcare and offering valuable insights for enhancing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices within hospitals.

Deep learning implementation using convolutional neural network in inorganic packaging waste sorting

Municipal solid waste is a significant issue that causes environmental contamination. One of the most prevalent wastes that is difficult to decompose is waste from inorganic packaging. Inorganic packaging waste management can be done by sorting waste as the first step before going through subsequent processing. However, waste sorting is currently still difficult to do by human power in waste management facilities, so it is necessary to design a system that can assist the waste sorting process. This research aims to develop a model that can classify inorganic packaging at waste processing sites. To develop the model, we used five pre-trained Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architectures, namely Xception, Inception V3, ResNet-50, Resnet-50 V2, and DenseNet-201. Then, the best architecture based on some metric performances will be tuned. The result displayed that the CNN model with Densenet 201 architecture, accompanied by tuning, achieved the best performance to classify the waste. The accuracy for the validation dataset is 95.31 %, the accuracy for the testing dataset is 95.6 %, precision is 0.96, recall is 0.96, and the F1-score is 0.96. The results of those performance metrics show that the model can predict the image of inorganic packaging waste well for further application to an automated waste sorting system.

Risk Assessment Framework for Reverse Logistics in Waste Plastic Recycle Industry: A Hybrid Approach Incorporating FMEA Decision Model with AHP-LOPCOW- ARAS Under Trapezoidal Fuzzy Set

In this study, a novel risk assessment framework designed for evaluating the challenges of plastic packaging waste management in the context of reverse logistics is introduced. The framework leverages Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) to address decision-making in a fuzzy environment. To augment the traditional FMEA risk criteria, encompassing severity (S), occurrence (O), and detection (D), three additional essential risk criteria are introduced: cost of failure (C), complexity of failure resolution (H), and impact on business (I). These newly incorporated criteria significantly enhance the capacity to convey the multifaceted risks inherent in reverse logistics for the plastic recycling sector. Furthermore, a comprehensive literature review and expert validation are conducted to identify ten distinct failure modes. To subjectively and objectively determine the risk criteria weightings, a combination of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and LOgarithmic Percentage Change-driven Objective Weighting (LOPCOW) is employed. Finally, the Additive Ratio Assessment (ARAS) approach is applied to prioritize such failure modes. Recognizing the inherent imprecision and uncertainty associated with human decision-making, the trapezoidal fuzzy set (TrFS) is adopted throughout all decision-making processes. To showcase the proposed framework effectiveness, the framework is applied as a case study to a waste plastic recycling manufacturer in Thailand.

Discussion on plastic waste management hierarchy

Although recycling is one of the main solutions proposed in the waste hierarchy established by the Waste Framework Directive, the effective recycling of plastic packaging waste in Italy is still insufficient. Through a review of European Union and Italian legislation, recycling strategies and technological innovations, such as the use of bioplastics and chemical recycling, this work aims to help fill possible knowledge gaps and guide decisions in both, the public sector and the private sector, in the development of policies that enhance the management of plastic packaging waste. Among the results it was found that the low recycling rate of plastic packaging is in partly due to the technical and regulatory limitations that exist at European level for the growth of innovative solutions in the plastic industry. These limitations include the complexity of plastic packaging waste streams and the lack of a single European Union Directive that harmonizes the laws of the Member States regarding the use of bioplastics, chemical recycling technologies and value-added products obtained.

Управління відходами упаковки: європейські стандарти та законодавство України

The article is devoted to the study of the current state and prospects of implementation into national legislation of the normative provisions of the European Union in the field of waste management, in particular the Directive of the European Parliament and the Council “On packaging and packaging waste” (1994, December 20) No. 94/62/EU. Ukraine undertook to implement a number of Directives in the field of waste management. After the enactment of the Law of Ukraine “On Waste Management”, which takes into account European approaches based, in particular, on the provisions of the Framework Directive of the European Parliament and the Council No. 2008/98/EU of November 19, 2008 “On Waste and Repeal of Certain Directives”, a draft law on packaging and packaging waste has been developed. This draft law is aimed at determining the legal, economic and organizational principles in the field of handling packaging and packaging waste. The main European approaches involve significantly reducing packaging waste, adopting mandatory re-use targets, limiting unnecessary packaging and minimizing packaging, restricting certain types of packaging and using reusable packaging etc. Compliance with European standards in the field of packaging and packaging waste management means not only the adoption of a special law, but also the implementation of an effective mechanism, tools that ensure the organization of the system for preventing the generation of packaging waste, their processing and reuse. Packaging waste management is an important and complex area of waste management that requires the implementation of various measures, including development of infrastructure for separate collection of packaging waste, carrying out information and educational campaigns to raise public awareness of handling packaging waste, implementation of scientific research work in the field of progressive technologies of processing and production of products from secondary raw materials, introduction of a system of obligations and incentives for business entities and citizens that contribute to the prevention and minimization of packaging waste generation, prosecution for violations of packaging waste management rules.

Plastic Packaging Waste Management: A Case in Implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility Policies in Minnesota

The plastic pollution crisis is a global challenge affecting governments, private citizens, and the environment. Plastic packaging, which makes up approximately 40% of all plastic material produced globally, accounts for less than 10% of recycled material. This discrepancy highlights the rapid growth of various plastic types and difficulty for local governments to implement needed waste management practices or meet required capacities. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a model for multiple waste streams that places the post-consumer responsibility of a product on the producer. As governments seek to develop legislation to better manage plastic waste, EPR is a policy tool that will promote circularity. This paper discusses the successes and challenges of EPR policies in the European Union (EU), and in states that have enacted them, particularly in California. Many states have introduced or are seeking to introduce legislation on EPR for plastic packaging in the next few years. The Packaging Waste and Cost Reduction Act, a bill for a product stewardship program for plastic and paper packaging materials was recently introduced in the Minnesota state legislature in 2024. This policy paper discusses several EPR policy options and recommendations to improve transparency and success of future EPR bills in states seeking to enact legislation, including Minnesota.

Achieving sustainable development with sustainable packaging: A natural‐resource‐based view perspective

AbstractSustainable packaging is a pivotal aspect of sustainable development, involving multi‐faceted issues such as stakeholder management and environmental policy compliance. Despite the efforts to find packaging solutions, the extant literature is largely fragmented, featuring a high level of heterogeneity among studies that spread across different disciplines, with the majority examining important packaging issues in isolation. A study that systematically consolidates findings of different important areas of sustainable packaging implementation is lacking. This challenges companies' adoption of research findings in business strategy development. Thus, this paper conducts a systematic literature review combining keyword co‐occurrence analysis, thematic analysis and qualitative content analysis to uncover major research domains, consolidate important findings and reveal unsolved research gaps, which are crucial to advancing sustainable packaging management. The findings reveal four major research domains: (1) sustainable packaging materials and properties, (2) management practices of sustainable packaging, (3) consumer behaviours towards sustainable packaging and (4) packaging waste management. Drawing on the natural‐resource‐based view (NRBV) theory and the review findings, this study proposes four future research directions: (1) identifying ways to enhance the commercialisation of sustainable packaging technological innovations, (2) uncovering reasons for insufficient social aspect investigation in sustainable packaging research, (3) exploring strategies to enhance stakeholder integration in sustainable packaging management and (4) examining contingency factors of packaging waste management effectiveness. The research agenda is important to provide practical and managerial insights for business strategy development in sustainable packaging to achieve pollution prevention, product stewardship and sustainable development capabilities to gain future growth and competitive advantage.

Socio-cultural dynamics in community support in post-consumtion plastik waste management: a case study of DKI Jakarta region

Introduction: Population growth in urban areas, fuelled by migration from rural areas, has changed lifestyles and socio-cultural dynamics. The dynamic lifestyle of urban communities changes consumption behaviour so that people prefer practical and economical products. There are fundamental issues that arise in the waste management system in Indonesia, including limited waste management capacity in the regions, inadequate infrastructure, implementation of regulations, and lack of public awareness including the consumer goods manufacturing industry on post-consumption waste management issues. This study aims to understand the perception and level of community participation as well as the role of the informal sector in post-consumption plastic waste management, with a focus on the implementation of the extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme. Methods: Data was collected through a questionnaire survey and literature study in five areas of DKI Jakarta. Through the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the manufacturing industry is encouraged to contribute to the management of plastic packaging waste produced. This research uses quantitative and qualitative methods with data analysis using descriptive statistics. Finding: The results show that the community supports EPR-related regulations and is ready to participate in plastic waste management schemes. This positive perception reflects changes in socio-cultural values that prioritise environmental concerns. The informal sector also makes an important contribution to plastic waste reduction, especially through collection, distribution, and processing activities in stalls and waste banks. Community support and the role of the informal sector in plastic waste management reflect changes in social attitudes and behaviours that are increasingly concerned about the environment. Conclusion: Therefore, active involvement in plastic waste reduction initiatives also reflects a cultural change that is increasingly integrated in urban communities.

POTATO STARCH AND OTHER BIOPOLYMERS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO PLASTICS – LEGAL REGULATIONS, OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE PACKAGING INDUSTRY

Background: Food packaging plays a crucial role throughout the product life-cycle, serving protec tive, informational and marketing functions. It should be durable, functional, safe and cost-effective. Non biodegradable synthetic materials, primarily derived from petroleum, dominate the global production of food packaging. In recent years, intensive research has been focused on the development and improvement of both biodegradable and non-biodegradable packaging made from polymers derived from renewable resources. These so-called bioplastics exhibit properties similar to synthetic materials, but offer additional benefits, including improved functionality and compostability. Starch which is used particularly as a base for producing edible films and thermoplastic starch (TPS) appears particularly promising in this regard. Results and Conclusions: The aim of the study was to discuss the latest legal regulations regarding packaging and the management of packaging waste in Poland and Europe. An overview of previous re search achievements was presented concerning the development of new, competitive materials for packag ing derived from renewable resources, with a specific focus on starch as a promising substrate for innova tive biopackaging. The limitations arising from the use of natural polymers as substitutes for synthetic materials were also discussed, along with potential challenges for the packaging industry. Attempts to produce innovative multilayer materials, composites with polyolefins, materials with nanostructures, active and intelligent packaging and packaging based on waste products from food industry were outlined. Based on literature reports, it can be concluded that bioplastics derived from renewable polymers offer an interesting alternative to traditional synthetic packaging, with starch being a promising substrate for the production of edible films and composite materials.

PLASTIC PACKAGING WASTE MANAGEMENT THROUGH FILLING MACHINE WITH AGILE REENGINEERING PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH

In Indonesia, the number of plastic wastes has reached 66 million tons per year in which 50% of them come from plastic packaging waste. Meanwhile, the recycling of plastic packaging waste only reaches 14%. Hence, it is highly urgent to be aware of plastic packaging waste management in order to tackle this issue. The research discussed the capability and potential of applying digitalization and automation to Smart Retail Technology which focuses on filling machines to manage plastic packaging waste management and increase the competitive advantage. This research uses two main approaches, namely Business Process Reengineering and Agile Project Management to recommend a new business process on ongoing project. The result of the study suggests the urgency to take advantage of the QR Code and Human Machine Interface to maximize the effectiveness and results of implementing the business process. By using simulation, this effort is expected to reach up to 334 consumers each day with up to 42.14% of machine utilization.

Analysis of Regulations and Systems of Packaging Waste Management under Circular Economy in Africa

Analysis of Regulations and Systems of Packaging Waste Management under Circular Economy in Africa

Sustainable plastic packaging waste management strategy based on a circular economy

Indonesia’s waste volume produced 71 thousand tons in 2022 and reached 26 million tonnes/year. Waste plastic is in second position at 18.37%. With a growth rate of 5%, the worldwide packaged food market is valued at 1.9 trillion in 2020 and is expected to reach 3.4 trillion by 2030. The growth of the packaging industry is predicted to grow by 6% - 8% annually, with the most considerable contribution from flexible plastic packaging, paperboard packaging and rigid plastic packaging. The potential of this packaging makes manufacturers confident in producing because of the rapid growth of the digital market, which makes product mobility even higher. From an economic and durability point of view, this type of packaging makes it a better choice. Flexible plastic packaging was the most produced of the total packaging products (46.73%). The goal of this study is based on a review of literature, analysis of data, and demonstration research, and it is necessary to collect and analyse a large amount of data to develop further accuracy in managing waste plastic in a circular economy to minimise waste generation and improve the environment with an interpretative structural modelling (ISM).

Establishing best practices for E-commerce transport packaging waste management in Canada: A systematic review

The growth in online retail purchases has increased significantly, especially through the COVID-19 pandemic, yet causes more packaging waste than brick-and-mortar retail. Free and easy returns further exacerbate the problem. Current research addressing post-consumer packaging waste has focused on packaging design and material choices. Yet, effective guidelines, policies, strategies, and practices for e-commerce packaging waste management must be determined (Escursell et al., 2021). Therefore, this research identifies global best practices to address transport packaging waste in e-commerce, focusing on Canada. A systematic review of the extant literature (2011–2020) revealed five key objectives of packaging sustainability guidelines: Optimizing Resources, Responsible Sourcing, Resource Recovery, Material Health, and Consumer Engagement. The analysis showed that Responsible Sourcing and Resources Recovery were highlighted in 41% of publications, Optimizing Resources in 31%, and Consumer Engagement in 23% of the studies. The most popular waste reduction strategy was Design for Environment under the Optimizing Resources guideline. This work is the first to identify and articulate clear guidelines, policies, and practices to support industry and policy decision-makers in addressing the transport packaging waste problem in e-commerce.

Management analysis and environmental monitoring of evaluation quality environment at Surabaya Islamic Hospital

Background: Law No. 32 of the year 2009 and the government regulation of Indonesian Republic No. 27 of the year 2012 concerning "Environmental Permits" emphasizes that every business and activity that has impacts on the environment needs to be analyzed from the beginning in order to measures and to control negative impacts as early as possible. Assessment of environmental quality in the Surabaya Islamic Hospital environment is necessary to fulfill several assessment indicators. This study aims to analyze requirements related to existing environmental quality. Methods: This cross-sectional study processes secondary data in the health unit environment of the Surabaya Islamic Hospital in semester 1 of 2021. Results: Surabaya Islamic Hospital in Semester I of 2021 becomes a class B private hospital operating with a capacity of 188 beds. Electricity and monthly water usage are 81,574.83 kWh/month and 5,695.5 m3/month, respectively. The number of workers available at the Surabaya Islamic Hospital is as many as 614 workers. Laboratory test results for wastewater and ambient air quality at the Surabaya Islamic Hospital Semester I of 2021 meet the raw quality score. Transportation of toxic and hazardous medical waste materials at the Surabaya Islamic Hospital Semester I of 2021 is taken almost every day (around 4 times a week), and B3 packaging waste management using B3/HD bottles and infusion bottles during the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be carried out every month/according to schedule. There is accumulation due to PPKM, and during the first semester of 2021, only 2x transportation can be carried out, namely in March and April 2021. Conclusion: Several feasibility parameters for ambient air quality, emission air quality, and physical and chemical examination of liquid and solid wastewater have met the requirements of the evaluation structure set by the Surabaya Islamic Hospital.

From Trash to Profit: How Packaging Waste Management Has Driven the Circular Economy—An Integrative Literature Review

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the need to adopt a restorative and regenerative model proposed by circular economy (CE). Methods: This article aims to identify the current status of packaging waste management in the CE context through an integrative literature review using Scopus and Web of Science databases. Using the Bibliometrix package, 162 articles were analyzed. Results: A bibliometric overview is presented, including the prominent authors and journals, and most cited articles, techniques and research methods used. Most of the analyzed articles are of the theoretical–empirical, quali–quantitative type, and plastic is the most studied material when a paper focused on one waste item. The contribution of packaging waste management for the transition to CE is discussed, highlighting important actions such as the replacement of materials to increase recyclability, the installation of voluntary delivery points associated with education programs focusing on the environment and support for cooperatives of waste pickers. In addition, a research agenda was developed that highlights the main gaps identified to guide future studies. Conclusion: Finally, the managerial contributions of the study are emphasized in particular by providing insight into the implementation of this model of growing international interest.

Consumer perceptions and behaviors toward take-out food plastic packaging reduction: A case study of college students in China

With the prevalence of online take-out food, the increasingly generated single-use plastic packaging waste has aroused public concern in the context of combating plastic pollution globally. The majority of present studies have focused on product design and policy design to influence the corporate behaviors in packaging waste management. Few attentions have been concentrated on consumer perceptions, a neglected vital factor in commercial practices, which determines whether the proposed measures can be effectively applied. This study takes college students, the main consumer group of take-out who are most likely to receive new environmental protection concepts, as a case study and employs the contingent valuation method to investigate their perceptions and behaviors toward emerging plastic packaging reduction approaches and taxation mechanisms. It was found that packaging circulation was preferred mostly with a proportion of 73.20% of the respondents, while taxation mechanism was more favored by those who have higher daily expenditure on meals. Gender, living costs and ordering frequency could significantly influence the acceptance levels. Therefore, a circulation mechanism using cabinet near take-out food hot spots and third-party cleaning services could target students and officers as pioneers. Regarding the taxation approach, it was suggested that the payment that most of the respondents could accept is 1.5 CNY. This study serves as a reference for the reduction of plastic waste from take-out packaging on campus, and provides a possible model that could reduce the environmental impacts of take-out food packaging through both taxation and circulation measures. The findings are expected to bring primary insights for take-out food plastic packaging reduction in China. For future studies, the methodology of this study was also well-prepared to investigate a larger scale of consumers and develop a more universal policy.

Sustainability analysis of packaging waste management systems: A case study in the Romanian context

Packaging waste is an important waste stream being directly linked to any product or good that consumers buy, use and then discard. Beyond policies setting recycling and recovery targets and the usual waste indicators in terms of generation, collection and treatment, packaging waste should be analyzed from the sustainability perspective. For countries in which municipal solid waste management has modest performances and packaging waste is organized solely based on Extended Producer Responsibility principle, such as Romania, this type of analysis is even more significant. Starting with 2018 onwards, the legislative European framework have set stringent packaging waste recovery and recycling targets, however beyond their achievement, it is important to also check what is the mid-term impact on sustainability at the member states level. Firstly, the study investigates multiple data sources (Environmental Fund Administration-EFA, Eurostat and National Waste Management Plan) to have a complete overview on the packaging waste generation and technical performances. Secondly, the US EPA WARM methodology was selected to perform the analysis. The indicators set within the methodology are the main indicatives for the environmental impacts and the socio-economic aspects in the end of life management operations, namely: greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, together with number of full-time jobs, wages and taxes. Throughout 5 proposed scenarios, the impact of packaging waste quantities variations on the sustainability results could be observed. Irrespective of the scenario, when the overall packaging waste generated quantities are within 1.88 up to 2.14 million tons, the sustainability profile limits give results for environmental indicators within the following ranges: greenhouse gas emissions −3.75 × 106 ÷ −1.4 × 106 tons CO2e/year, energy use −2.9 × 107 ÷ −1.1 × 107 GJ/year, social indicator: 5823–14368 full time jobs and economic indicators: 328 × 106 ÷ 692 × 106 US $/year in wages and 56.7 × 106 ÷ 136.7 × 106 US $/year in taxes. Beside the overall packaging waste sustainability profiles, specific packaging waste material streams, namely polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and aluminium sustainability profiles were obtained. For the entire packaging waste system, compared with the other scenarios, the sustainability profile for the EFA scenario has indicated the lowest environmental impact and the highest positive impact for the socio-economic indicators (with 2018 registering the best results). For both PET and aluminium packaging waste systems, in the EFA scenario, 2019 has been the year with the lowest performance (highest environmental impact and lowest values for the socio-economic indicators).

Management practices for compostable plastic packaging waste: Impacts, challenges and recommendations

The EU Green Deal aims at solving the challenges related to plastic production, (mis-)use, and pollution. While the bioplastic industry is identified as one of the possible avenues to tackle the problem, bioplastic waste collection and management practices are still far from full-development and harmonisation. To inform policy makers on the best practices and their feasibility, this study quantifies environmental and economic impacts of compostable plastic packaging (CPP) waste management schemes by means of Life Cycle Assessment and Costing. Results show that, with respect to climate change and financial costs, the scheme leading to the highest benefits is collecting CPP with conventional plastic waste followed by mechanical sorting and recycling (saving ca. 306 kg CO2eq. t−1 at a net income of 3.7 EUR t−1). The second best option is collecting CPP with bio-waste followed by biological treatment (saving ca. 69 kg CO2eq. t−1 at a cost of 197 EUR t−1). Collecting CPP with conventional plastics followed by sorting and biological treatment is to be avoided. The trend on the other impact categories generally follows climate change. Ideally, closed loop is therefore preferred, but conditioned by (i) having high share of CPP in municipal waste (else sorting is economically unfeasible), (ii) good citizen’s behaviour at source-segregation, and (iii) an established market for secondary material. Currently, overall benefits are limited by the low amounts, suggesting that the management choice could ultimately be based on rather simple technical and economic feasibility criteria while regulatory and management efforts should be focused on other waste streams with greater implications on environment.

Investigation of greenhouse gas emissions from municipal solid waste management practices using an economic input-output life cycle analysis approach

The urban solid waste management is gaining attention due to ecological, economic, and demographic factors, emphasizing the importance of sustainable practices and infrastructure development. There are two main objectives of this work: developing an effective framework to predict the environmental impacts of alternative packaging waste collection rates and estimating the associated environmental emissions, energy consumption, and the materials required for goods and services for the case of Avcilar Municipality in Istanbul City, Türkiye. To achieve these objectives, an Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Assessment model was implemented to assess the impacts of all associated industrial sectors. The results showed that as the amount of packaging waste collection increases, the top two sectors that are responsible for the most emissions are Oil and Gasoline Production and Electricity Production and Supply sectors. In addition, the economic analysis results of the study show that as the packaging waste collection rate increases, the unit packaging waste collection cost decreases. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the environmental emissions of packaging waste management strategies. Moreover, this study highlights the importance of packaging waste management in reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions and promoting more sustainable waste management practices. Policymakers and waste management stakeholders can utilize this framework to identify strategies that minimize environmental impacts and carbon footprints, thereby fostering a transition towards more sustainable waste management options.