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Parameters for Environmental Impact Assessment of Product Packaging: A Delphi Study

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Abstract

With the growing concern for environmental sustainability, it is necessary to address the environmental damages caused by our present consumption approach. The packaging of products is one of the contributors to environmental damages, as these product packages often pose harm to the environment during production, use and when discarded. Most of the modern artefacts that are consumed on a daily basis come in packaging situation and there is a need for environmental impact assessment of such packaging situation. However, the available environmental impact assessment tools are not able to facilitate the packaging designer and users to create and assess the environmental sustainability of a product package. Growing awareness amongst users of products and packaging across the globe has created a need for environmentally sustainable products. Due to user’s awareness and subsequent demand, manufacturers are likely to cater to such needs for a better acceptance of their products in the market. Therefore, there is a need for developing an inclusive assessment system that measures the environmental impact of product packaging. This paper reports a study aimed to identify, validate and establish a detailed list of parameters which can be used for environmental impact assessment of product packaging. Furthermore, the paper ranks the established parameters for environmental impact assessment of product packaging.

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Acknowledgement

The authors acknowledge the inputs of 15 anonymous packaging experts participating from different packaging industries. The authors extend their gratitude to the experts for participating in the “Delphi study”; the experts who shared their pearls of wisdom and experience with a concern for environmental betterment, without which the study would not have been fruitful. The experts were also kind enough to be reached frequently and were patient enough to address the issue of environmental impact assessment of product packaging.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ws142, IDDC, IITD, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India

    Sumer Singh

  2. Ws 139, IDDC, IITD, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India

    Jyoti Kumar

  3. Mechanical Engineering, IITD, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India

    P. V. M. Rao

Authors
  1. Sumer Singh
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  2. Jyoti Kumar
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  3. P. V. M. Rao
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Correspondence to Sumer Singh.

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Singh, S., Kumar, J. & Rao, P.V.M. Parameters for Environmental Impact Assessment of Product Packaging: A Delphi Study. J Package Technol Res 2, 3–15 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41783-018-0027-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41783-018-0027-4

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