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Every package has an environmental impact that goes far beyond its use. Raw materials, transport, production, packaging, distribution, use and end of life all play a part.
To understand and reduce this impact, Gualapack uses Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a recognised method for evaluating the environmental footprint of a product across its entire life cycle.
What Life Cycle Assessment is
LCA analyses each phase of a product’s life and highlights the stages with the greatest environmental impact. This makes it a valuable eco-design tool: it shows where improvements can make the biggest difference and supports more informed choices from the earliest stages of development.
How we carry out our LCAs
Gualapack performs LCAs in line with ISO 14040 and 14044 standards, both for internal eco-design projects and at the request of our customers.
Our studies are based on primary data from our own production processes, including yields, energy consumption and emissions. For purchased materials, we use data provided by our suppliers whenever possible. When these are not available, we rely on data from trade associations or certified commercial databases. Depending on the purpose of the study and the customer’s needs, the analysis can also include the end of life of the packaging.
A dedicated LCA database
All this information is collected in a dedicated LCA database developed with SimaPro software. It covers every stage needed to produce our solutions, from raw materials to company processes and production yields. This primary data is the core of our calculation system.
From this database we built a basic LCA model that can be replicated for each product. Parameters such as the type of laminate and the number of layers can be changed to reflect each specific solution. This lets us assess the impact of new products quickly, without starting from scratch every time.
The results for mono-material pouches
LCA confirms the value of mono-material packaging. Mono-material pouches are designed to be recyclable, but they also have a lower life cycle impact than conventional multi-material structures, mainly because they eliminate high-impact materials such as aluminium and polyester.
With a 50% recycling rate, Pouch5®, our mono-material PP pouch, has a life cycle carbon footprint 29% lower than a non-recyclable pouch while mono-material PE pouches reach a 28% reduction.
In terms of CO₂ equivalent emissions, mono-material solutions deliver around a 25% benefit even when they are not recycled. With 100% recycling, it reaches 39%.
Measuring to improve
For Gualapack, LCA is a concrete tool for designing better packaging and supporting our customers’ sustainability goals. Read more about our approach in our Sustainability Report.
