Methods for determining an environmental impact level

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for determining an environmental impact value associated with packaging, comprising the following method steps: Determining the types of materials the packaging is made of, Determining the weight of the material used for packaging for each specific type of material, Providing a list encompassing the identified material types, containing for each identified material type an environmental impact relative value obtained by assigning the same types of environmental impact relative values ​​to each material type with an equal weighting for all material types and then summing them up, wherein the environmental impact relative values ​​are values ​​indicating the contribution of a specific weight of the respective material type to a specific environmental impact effect. Determining an absolute environmental impact sum value for each identified material type by multiplying each relative environmental impact sum value by the determined material weight of the respective identified material type and Determining the environmental impact value as a function of all determined total environmental impact values. In this way, a method is provided for determining an environmental impact value associated with packaging, which delivers a quantifiable environmental impact value that describes the actual circumstances and is easy to apply.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for determining an environmental impact value associated with a packaging.

[0002] Every packaging imposes a burden on the environment, namely through its production, use, and disposal. The present invention is intended to serve the holistic sustainability assessment of consumer packaging, specifically in the form of a value that makes the sustainability of the packaging quantifiable.

[0003] Against this background, the object of the invention is to provide a method for determining an environmental impact value associated with a packaging, which provides a quantifiable environmental impact value describing the actual circumstances and is easy to apply.

[0004] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a method for determining an environmental impact value associated with a packaging, which can be obtained by means of the following method steps: Determine the types of materials the packaging is made of, Determine the material weight used for packaging for each specific material type, Providing a list comprising the identified material types, which contains a total relative environmental impact value for each identified material type, which has been obtained by assigning the same types of relative environmental impact values ​​for each material type with a respective weighting that is the same for all material types and then summing them up, whereby the relative environmental impact values ​​are values ​​that indicate how large the contribution of a certain weight of the respective material type is to a certain environmental impact effect, Determining an absolute environmental impact value for each identified material type by multiplying each relative environmental impact value by the determined material weight of the respective identified material type and Determination of the environmental impact value as a function of all determined environmental impact total absolute values, where a majority of the environmental impacts are selected from the following list: Acidification of the environment, climate change, ecotoxicity for freshwater in the environment, consumption of non-renewable energy sources, eutrophication of freshwater in the environment, eutrophication of saltwater in the environment, terrestrial eutrophication, carcinogenic effects on humans, toxic effects on humans, generation of ionizing radiation, land use, consumption of metals, consumption of minerals, impact on the ozone layer, generation of particulate matter, global warming, soil depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, photochemical formation of ozone and water consumption.

[0005] It is obvious that in the calculations shown above within the framework of the associative law, the order of calculation in the multiplications can also be changed.

[0006] It is crucial for the invention that total relative environmental impact values ​​are provided, which have been obtained by assigning the same types of relative environmental impact values ​​for each material type, each with a respective weighting that is the same for all material types, and then summing them. The relative environmental impact values ​​are values ​​that indicate the magnitude of the contribution of a specific weight of the respective material type to a specific environmental impact effect. The relative environmental impact values ​​and the weightings are determined in advance, based on physical and / or chemical measurements. The principle of the Product Environmental Footprint is discussed further below.The invention is therefore based on the fact that corresponding values ​​have been determined in advance, so that the environmental impact value in question for a particular packaging can be determined in the manner described, which indicates how strongly a packaging impacts the environment in comparison with another packaging.

[0007] In order to make the procedure according to the invention even clearer, it is explained below using formulas: There are n material types MA i (i = 1, ..., n) and m environmental pollution effects UBE j (j = 1, ..., m). The relative environmental impact value UBRW, which depends on the material type i and the environmental impact effect j, i,j is then calculated as the contribution of a certain weight of material i to the environmental impact effect j. In addition, each environmental impact effect j is assigned an individual weighting GW j where the values ​​GW j are the same for all material types i.

[0008] This is how the environmental pollution sum relative value UBSRW is calculated i for a material type i as follows: UBSRWi=UBRWi,1⋅GW1+UBREWi,2⋅GW2+…+UBRWi,n⋅GWm

[0009] This results in a list of environmental impact sum relative values ​​for material types 1 to n as follows: UBSRW1UBSRW2…UBSRWn

[0010] For a determined material weight MG i For material type i, the environmental impact total absolute value UBSAW is then calculated i for material i as follows: UBSRWi=UBSRWi⋅MGi

[0011] Finally, the environmental impact value UBW assigned to the packaging examined is determined as a function of all the determined total absolute environmental impact values: UBW=UBW(UBSAW1,UBSAW2,…,UBSAWn).

[0012] According to the invention, a material type list is thus provided that contains environmental impact data for preferably all conventional as well as for new, innovative material types, such as bio-based plastics. These environmental impact data are based on relative environmental impact values, which indicate the contribution of a specific weight of the respective material type to a specific environmental impact effect. These relative environmental impact values ​​are weighted to take into account how strongly a specific environmental impact effect contributes to the overall environmental impact relative to other environmental impact effects. The absolute total environmental impact values ​​for each environmental impact effect and for each determined material type are determined by multiplying each relative total environmental impact value by the determined material weight of the respective determined material type.

[0013] The total absolute environmental impact values ​​of a specific environmental impact effect for a specific material type generally result in a dimensionless relative value that indicates the contribution of the respective quantity of the material in question to the respective environmental impact effect.

[0014] This approach preferably uses the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) principle, but the data can also be determined from other data sets or obtained by interpolation between comparable materials, e.g. because no PEF data is known for it. The PEF is a measure of the environmental impacts of a product throughout its entire life cycle. It is a measure of a product's impact on the environment that takes into account various environmental impacts, such as climate change, resource depletion, land use, air pollution, water pollution and biodiversity. The PEF concept was developed by the European Commission to harmonize the different methods for assessing the ecological footprint and to find a common way of measuring and communicating the environmental performance of products and organizations.The PEF considers the entire life cycle of a product, from raw material extraction through production, distribution, and use. The PEF is typically calculated using a life cycle analysis, which systematically assesses the environmental impacts of a product, taking into account all phases of its life cycle.

[0015] The environmental impacts are explained below using greenhouse gas emissions as an example: Greenhouse gases are gases in Earth's atmosphere that have the ability to absorb and release heat energy. They play a key role in the greenhouse effect, a natural phenomenon that keeps the Earth warm enough to support life. Some of the most important greenhouse gases are the following: Carbon dioxide (CO2): It is released by the combustion of fossil fuels, the decomposition of organic matter, the respiration of organisms and other processes. Methane (CH4): Methane is released by the decomposition of waste in landfills, digestion in the stomachs of ruminants such as cows and sheep, and other natural and human activities.

[0016] Nitrous oxide (N2O): This gas is released by agricultural and industrial activities, as well as by the combustion of fossil fuels and solids.

[0017] Fluorinated gases: These include a range of industrially produced gases such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), which are used as replacements for ozone-depleting substances in refrigerants, fire extinguishing agents, and other applications.

[0018] The greenhouse effect is amplified by human activities, primarily through increased CO2 emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels. In this context, it is also referred to as the anthropogenic greenhouse effect. This leads to global warming and associated changes in the climate system. This climate change has far-reaching impacts on ecosystems, weather extremes, sea levels, and other aspects of life on Earth.

[0019] The aforementioned environmental impact, "greenhouse gas emissions," is thus a value that provides a measure of how strongly a packaging contributes to the anthropogenic greenhouse effect, for example, through its production, use, and disposal. Greenhouse gas emissions thus indicate how strongly a particular material type contributes to the anthropogenic greenhouse effect compared to other material types.

[0020] As already described above, in the final step of the method according to the invention, the environmental impact value is determined as a function of all determined absolute environmental impact values. This can be achieved, for example, by simply summing the absolute environmental impact values.Preferably, however, the environmental impact value is determined by relating all the absolute values ​​of the total environmental impact to one another and assigning an absolute value between a predetermined maximum value and a predetermined minimum value to each absolute value of the total environmental impact in such a way that the maximum value is assigned to the absolute value of the total environmental impact of the material with the greatest environmental impact, the minimum value is assigned to the absolute value of the total environmental impact of the material with the lowest environmental impact, and the absolute value of the total environmental impact of the other materials is assigned an absolute value proportional to the maximum value and the minimum value, and the assigned values ​​are then summed up.

[0021] Fundamentally, the PEF concept already considers the environmental impacts resulting from the recycling of a material. However, these effects are always assigned only to a specific material and do not consider the environmental impacts resulting from the recycling of different materials combined in the packaging. Therefore, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the following process steps are provided: Providing a list of recyclability values, which includes a value for each packaging property relevant to recycling, taking into account the extent to which the packaging can be recycled in light of the respective property, Checking the packaging for these properties, Determining a plurality of recyclability values ​​based on the list of recyclability values, Determining an overall recyclability value as a function of the determined majority of recyclability values ​​and Calculating a modified environmental impact value depending on the determined total recyclability value, where the recyclability values ​​comprise a majority of data from the following list: Data depending on whether the material is dyed through, data depending on whether the material is multi-layered, data depending on whether the material has RFID elements, data depending on whether the material is dyed through, and data depending on whether the material has metallization.

[0022] The recyclability values ​​are values ​​that take into account the extent to which the packaging can be recycled, given its respective properties. These recyclability values ​​are previously determined in the laboratory for physical and / or chemical properties.

[0023] Within the scope of the invention, it is preferable that a majority of the material types are selected from the following list: Aluminum, amorphous polyethylene terephthalate, bio-based polyamide, bio-based polybutylene terephthalate, bio-based polyethylene, bio-based polyethylene terephthalate, bio-based polypropylene, bio-based polystyrene, bio-based polytrimethylene terephthalate, bio-based polyurethane, bio-based polyvinyl chloride, cellulose acetate, cellulose butyrate, expanded polystyrene, ethylene-vinyl alcohol, iron, tinplate, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), laminate in the form of a composite of several layers, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), medium-density polyethylene (MDPE), polyamide, cardboard, polybutylene adipate terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polybutylene succinate, polycarbonate, polycaprolactone, polyethylene furanoate, blend of polyethylene and polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, blend of polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene, blend of polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene, Polyethylene terephthalate with glycol,Polyhydroxyalkanoate, polylactic acid, polymethyl methacrylate, polyoxymethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polysulfone, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, recycled paper, recycled polyethylene, recycled polyethylene terephthalate, recycled polypropylene, recycled polystyrene, thermoplastic elastomer, thermoplastic starch, extruded polystyrene, bamboo, banana leaves, cellulose, glass, grass paper, wood fiberboard, plywood, cardboard, cork, palm leaves, paper, siliconized paper, waxed paper, lignin, silphium, potato starch, corn starch, sugar cane, bio-based plastics, bioplastics, fungal mycelium, algae-based materials, hemp, jute, coconut fiber, cotton, water-soluble material and upcycled material.

[0024] Bio-based plastics are made from renewable resources such as corn starch, potatoes, sugarcane, or algae. These materials are biodegradable or compostable and can offer an alternative to conventional plastics. Bioplastics are plastics that are biodegradable or made from biodegradable raw materials. They can be used in a wide variety of applications, including packaging. Fungal mycelium (mycoplasma), the fibrous network of fungi, is increasingly being explored as a packaging material. It is biodegradable, easily manufactured, and can be molded into various shapes. Algae are being researched for the production of bio-based packaging materials and films. Algae are rich in nutrients, grow quickly, and require little water, making them a promising sustainable source.

[0025] Materials such as hemp, jute, coconut fibers, and cotton are increasingly being used as packaging alternatives because of their biodegradability and lower environmental impact. Paper and cardboard are traditional packaging materials, but innovative technologies enable the production of lightweight, robust, and biodegradable alternatives that consume fewer resources. Some research projects are investigating water-soluble packaging that dissolves upon contact with water. These could be particularly relevant for single-use packaging. Upcycling materials—materials made from reused or recycled resources, such as PET bottles that are processed into textile fibers—help reduce waste and use resources more efficiently. Edible packaging, made from edible ingredients such as starch or algae, is a creative and environmentally friendly way to reduce packaging waste.

[0026] As explained above, a key aspect of the invention is that for each material type, the same types of relative environmental impact values ​​are assigned a respective weighting that is the same for all material types and then summed. Thus, a respective weighting is provided for all relative environmental impact values, whereby these weightings are generally different for different relative environmental impact values. The same relative environmental impact value always has the same weighting for each material type. According to a preferred development of the invention, these weightings are determined using a method described in the article by Jafar Rezaei "Best-worst multi-criteria decision-making method" in Omega, Volume 53, 2015, pages 49-57, ISSN 0305-0483, https: / / doi.org / 10.1016 / j.omega.2014.11.009.

[0027] This paper describes a procedure called the best-worst method (BWM) for solving multi-criteria decision problems (MCDM). In an MCDM problem, a number of alternatives are evaluated against a set of criteria in order to select the best alternative(s). According to BWM, the decision maker first identifies the best (e.g., most desirable, most important) and worst (e.g., least desirable, least important) criteria. Pairwise comparisons are then made between each of these two criteria (best and worst) and the other criteria. A maximum order problem is then formulated and solved to determine the weights of the various criteria. The weights of the alternatives with respect to the various criteria are determined using the same procedure.The final scores of the alternatives are derived by aggregating the weights from different groups of criteria and alternatives, based on which the best alternative is selected. The advantages of the weighting method described here compared to previous MCDM methods are that it requires less comparative data and leads to more consistent comparisons, thus providing more reliable results.

[0028] The invention will be explained in more detail below using a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawing. A water bottle is analyzed, the cap of which is made of 5 g of PET and the body of which is made of 20 g of rPET (recycled PET). It is also provided with a paper label weighing 3 g. The total weight of the package is thus 28 g, and the package can hold 500 ml of water.

[0029] A list is provided that assigns a relative environmental impact value (UBRW) to specific environmental impact effects. Such a list is available in Fig. 1. The various environmental impacts are labeled as follows: A Acidification of the environment B Climate change C Ecotoxicity for freshwater in the environment D Consumption of non-renewable energy sources E Eutrophication of freshwater in the environment F Eutrophication of salt water in the environment G terrestrial eutrophication H carcinogenic effect in humans I Toxic effects on humans J Generation of ionizing radiation K Land use L Consumption of metals M Impact on the ozone layer N Generation of fine dust O photochemical formation of ozone P Water consumption

[0030] There are therefore UBRW values ​​for PET, for rPet and for paper. In addition, weightings are given for the relative strength of each environmental impact on the overall environmental impact. For environmental impact A, this is 0.06, for environmental impact B, it is 0.21, and so on. Using these weightings, weighted gUBRW values ​​are derived from the UBRW values. Adding up these gUBRW values ​​for the materials PET, rPET and paper results in the totals of -1.73 for PET, -0.34 for rPET and -0.72 for paper. Multiplying these values ​​by the respective weights for the respective materials results in the UBSAW values. Please note that no units such as grams are given in the table.

[0031] Finally, the environmental impact value UBW assigned to the packaging under investigation is determined as a function of all determined total absolute environmental impact values ​​UBSAW, in the simplest case by summing the UBSAW values. This results in an environmental impact value UBW of -17.67. This value applies to one packaging. A value that represents the environmental impact of a plurality of such packaging is calculated by multiplying this UBW value by the number of packaging items in question. Furthermore, this UBW value applies to a bottle that can hold 500 ml of water. A comparison with the environmental impact of other bottles should therefore always be made by taking into account how much water other bottles can hold in order to obtain a value for the environmental impact of transporting a specific amount of water. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited non-patent literature

[0000] Jafar Rezaei “Best-worst multi-criteria decision-making method” in Omega, Volume 53, 2015, pages 49-57, ISSN 0305-0483, https: / / doi.org / 10.1016 / j.omega.2014.11.009

[0026]

Claims

[1] Method for determining an environmental impact value associated with a packaging, which can be obtained by the following process steps: Determine the types of materials the packaging is made of, Determine the material weight used for packaging for each specific material type, Providing a list comprising the identified material types, which contains a total relative environmental impact value for each identified material type, which has been obtained by assigning the same types of relative environmental impact values for each material type with a respective weighting that is the same for all material types and then summing them up, whereby the relative environmental impact values are values that indicate how large the contribution of a certain weight of the respective material type is to a certain environmental impact effect, Determining an absolute environmental impact value for each identified material type by multiplying each relative environmental impact value by the determined material weight of the respective identified material type and Determination of the environmental impact value as a function of all determined environmental impact total absolute values, where a majority of the environmental impacts are selected from the following list: Acidification of the environment, climate change, ecotoxicity for freshwater in the environment, consumption of non-renewable energy sources, eutrophication of freshwater in the environment, eutrophication of saltwater in the environment, terrestrial eutrophication, carcinogenic effects on humans, toxic effects on humans, generation of ionizing radiation, land use, consumption of metals, consumption of minerals, impact on the ozone layer, generation of particulate matter, global warming, soil depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, photochemical formation of ozone and water consumption. [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein the environmental impact value is determined by relating all the total environmental impact values to one another and assigning an absolute value between a predetermined maximum value and a predetermined minimum value to each total environmental impact value in such a way that the total environmental impact value of the material with the greatest environmental impact is assigned the maximum value, the total environmental impact value of the material with the least environmental impact is assigned the minimum value and the total environmental impact value of the other materials is assigned an absolute value proportional between the maximum value and the minimum value and the assigned values are then summed up. [3] A method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising the following additional method steps: Providing a list of recyclability values, which includes a value for each packaging property relevant to recycling, taking into account the extent to which the packaging can be recycled in light of the respective property, Checking the packaging for these properties, Determining a plurality of recyclability values based on the list of recyclability values, Determining an overall recyclability value as a function of the determined majority of recyclability values and Calculating a modified environmental impact value depending on the determined total recyclability value, where the recyclability values comprise a majority of data from the following list: Data depending on whether the material is dyed through, data depending on whether the material is multi-layered, data depending on whether the material has RFID elements, data depending on whether the material is dyed through, and data depending on whether the material has metallization. [4] Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a plurality of the material types are selected from the following list: Aluminum, amorphous polyethylene terephthalate, bio-based polyamide, bio-based polybutylene terephthalate, bio-based polyethylene, bio-based polyethylene terephthalate, bio-based polypropylene, bio-based polystyrene, bio-based polytrimethylene terephthalate, bio-based polyurethane, bio-based polyvinyl chloride, cellulose acetate, cellulose butyrate, expanded polystyrene, ethylene-vinyl alcohol, iron, tinplate, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), laminate in the form of a composite of several layers, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), medium-density polyethylene (MDPE), polyamide, cardboard, polybutylene adipate terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polybutylene succinate, polycarbonate, polycaprolactone, polyethylene furanoate, blend of polyethylene and polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, blend of polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene, blend of polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene, Polyethylene terephthalate with glycol,Polyhydroxyalkanoate, polylactic acid, polymethyl methacrylate, polyoxymethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polysulfone, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, recycled paper, recycled polyethylene, recycled polyethylene terephthalate, recycled polypropylene, recycled polystyrene, thermoplastic elastomer, thermoplastic starch, extruded polystyrene, bamboo, banana leaves, cellulose, glass, grass paper, wood fiberboard, plywood, cardboard, cork, palm leaves, paper, siliconized paper, waxed paper, lignin, silphium, potato starch, corn starch, sugar cane, bio-based plastics, bioplastics, fungal mycelium, algae-based materials, hemp, jute, coconut fiber, cotton, water-soluble material and upcycled material. [5] Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the weightings are determined using the best-worst method.