Search the EPA Research Database

Project title

Environmental Assessment & Techno-economic feasibility of edible Packaging

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University of Limerick (UL)

Lead Applicant

David Styles

Project Abstract

EAT-Packaging will apply cutting-edge life cycle thinking and value chain analysis, in combination with stakeholder engagement, to review potential deployment of edible packaging in terms of environmental sustainability and techno-economic feasibility. The project will address the following objectives: Review state-of-the-art regarding edible packaging use in Ireland and internationally. Evaluate the lifecycle environmental performance of edible packaging production and use compared with conventional packaging production, use and disposal. Identify barriers, enablers and data gaps pertaining to best-practise edible packaging deployment in Ireland. EAT-Packaging will engage with national stakeholders throughout the project to design appropriate scenarios for assessment, obtain relevant data (case studies and national statistics), and disseminate results, in a transdisciplinary manner. Scientific excellence and academic impact will be generated and demonstrated through publication of two peer-review articles the first summarising state-of-the-art with respect to edible packaging deployment and sustainability assessment; the second applying (beyond) state-of-the-art prospective, consequential life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental consequences of edible packaging deployment. Building on recent bioplastic packaging LCA undertaken in the PI's research group, EAT-Plastic will carefully frame technology deployment in the context of scenarios representing interactions across technology (i.e. edible packaging formats), consumer behaviour, and prospective processing (e.g. energy generation) and avoided, counterfactual (e.g. waste management) practises. Through two stakeholder workshops, a final report and a policy briefing note, EAT-Packaging will leverage knowledge advances generated during the project to drive industry and societal impact. Knowledge exchange will harness stakeholder experience and insight to identify key barriers and enablers to edible packaging deployment, whilst feeding back new evidence on the environmental sustainability credentials of such packaging. Important knowledge gaps and directions for future strategic R&D will be identified.

Grant Approved

�91,490.39

Research Hub

Green and Circular Economy

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

01/03/2022

Initial Projected Completion Date

28/02/2023