The packaging of the billions of pints of milk consumed in the UK each year could be affected by the results of a major lifecycle analysis being led by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap).The project, which is in its early stages and aims to publish results next spring, has the support of the dairy industry and will assess the environmental impact of using a range of virgin and recycled materials.
It will look at fresh and long-life milk and take into account primary, secondary and tertiary packaging.
Industry body Dairy UK hopes that a "joined-up, lifecycle approach" will provide the "best long-term sustainability" for milk packaging systems. Sustainability and environmental manager Will Clark said it was important to consider the full range of variables, such as durability and recyclability, as well as commercial issues.
Clark said the situation was complicated by "uncertainty over recycling and recovery options" and consumer perceptions of new products and technologies.
The project comes after increased interest in 'green' materials for milk bottles in recent months, with trials of containers such as the "Greenbottle", which uses recycled pulp with a plastic liner, and Calon Wen's PLA pouch.
Source: packagingnews
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