Reusable beverages packaging: A life cycle assessment of glass bottles for wine packaging

Bottle production constitutes up to 70% of the greenhouse gas emissions of wine consumption. However, a reuse system comes along with additional environmental burdens, namely via the impact of cleaning processes and increased transport distances for the return of packaging. Hence, the objective of t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Justus Caspers, Pauline Bade, Matthias Finkbeiner
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:Cleaner Engineering and Technology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666790825000370
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850035184797220864
author Justus Caspers
Pauline Bade
Matthias Finkbeiner
author_facet Justus Caspers
Pauline Bade
Matthias Finkbeiner
author_sort Justus Caspers
collection DOAJ
description Bottle production constitutes up to 70% of the greenhouse gas emissions of wine consumption. However, a reuse system comes along with additional environmental burdens, namely via the impact of cleaning processes and increased transport distances for the return of packaging. Hence, the objective of this study is to assess the potential environmental implications associated with both reuse and single-use for wine bottles, by means of life cycle assessment (LCA).Under the assumption based on wine consumption in Germany, the reusable bottle exhibits a reduced environmental impact in four out of five considered impact categories (climate change, fossil depletion, freshwater consumption, and freshwater ecotoxicity). Sensitivity analysis indicates that even one reuse cycle for wine bottles offers environmental benefit compared over single-use.It is noteworthy that other studies, which also assess reusable beverage packaging, have reported smaller break-even points for the transport distances. This distinction arises from the study's exclusive focus on glass bottles, which dominate the wine market. In conclusion, a reusable wine bottle system holds the potential would significantly decrease the environmental footprint of wine consumption.
format Article
id doaj-art-e57fb2f82d48402fa2e6143882f96627
institution DOAJ
issn 2666-7908
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Cleaner Engineering and Technology
spelling doaj-art-e57fb2f82d48402fa2e6143882f966272025-08-20T02:57:33ZengElsevierCleaner Engineering and Technology2666-79082025-03-012510091410.1016/j.clet.2025.100914Reusable beverages packaging: A life cycle assessment of glass bottles for wine packagingJustus Caspers0Pauline Bade1Matthias Finkbeiner2Corresponding author.; Chair of Sustainable Engineering, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623, Berlin, GermanyChair of Sustainable Engineering, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623, Berlin, GermanyChair of Sustainable Engineering, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623, Berlin, GermanyBottle production constitutes up to 70% of the greenhouse gas emissions of wine consumption. However, a reuse system comes along with additional environmental burdens, namely via the impact of cleaning processes and increased transport distances for the return of packaging. Hence, the objective of this study is to assess the potential environmental implications associated with both reuse and single-use for wine bottles, by means of life cycle assessment (LCA).Under the assumption based on wine consumption in Germany, the reusable bottle exhibits a reduced environmental impact in four out of five considered impact categories (climate change, fossil depletion, freshwater consumption, and freshwater ecotoxicity). Sensitivity analysis indicates that even one reuse cycle for wine bottles offers environmental benefit compared over single-use.It is noteworthy that other studies, which also assess reusable beverage packaging, have reported smaller break-even points for the transport distances. This distinction arises from the study's exclusive focus on glass bottles, which dominate the wine market. In conclusion, a reusable wine bottle system holds the potential would significantly decrease the environmental footprint of wine consumption.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666790825000370Single-useReusableLife cycle assessmentWine packagingGlass bottle
spellingShingle Justus Caspers
Pauline Bade
Matthias Finkbeiner
Reusable beverages packaging: A life cycle assessment of glass bottles for wine packaging
Cleaner Engineering and Technology
Single-use
Reusable
Life cycle assessment
Wine packaging
Glass bottle
title Reusable beverages packaging: A life cycle assessment of glass bottles for wine packaging
title_full Reusable beverages packaging: A life cycle assessment of glass bottles for wine packaging
title_fullStr Reusable beverages packaging: A life cycle assessment of glass bottles for wine packaging
title_full_unstemmed Reusable beverages packaging: A life cycle assessment of glass bottles for wine packaging
title_short Reusable beverages packaging: A life cycle assessment of glass bottles for wine packaging
title_sort reusable beverages packaging a life cycle assessment of glass bottles for wine packaging
topic Single-use
Reusable
Life cycle assessment
Wine packaging
Glass bottle
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666790825000370
work_keys_str_mv AT justuscaspers reusablebeveragespackagingalifecycleassessmentofglassbottlesforwinepackaging
AT paulinebade reusablebeveragespackagingalifecycleassessmentofglassbottlesforwinepackaging
AT matthiasfinkbeiner reusablebeveragespackagingalifecycleassessmentofglassbottlesforwinepackaging