Packaging in the Environment

This book provides an in-depth appraisal of the key environmental issues for packaging and how these considerations are increasingly affecting trends and developments in the packaging industry. It is aimed al all those concerned with the manufacture, use and distribution of packaging, including raw materials suppliers, packaging convertors, fillers, packers and retailers. In particular, it should be helpful to all management - commercial, technical or those concerned with human resources. It will also be of interest to those involved in the management of waste - local governments, waste management organisations and materials recyclers. <br/> The editor has drawn together a first class international team of authors to identify and explain the principal environmental issues for packaging; discuss and compare the relative environmental merits and differences between different packaging materials and systems; review and discuss the action being taken in different countries, across the world, to address these issues; consider legislative and regulatory developments worldwide, the trends, and the extent to which they are converging; and describe and discuss the action that can and should be taken by all participating in the packaging chain, with particular emphasis on life cycle analysis or cradle-to-grave assessment.

1 Introduction -- myths, facts and realities -- 2 Packaging's role in society -- 3 Review of environmental legislation -- The European Community -- 4 Review of environmental legislation -- North America -- 5 Environmentally responsible packaging manufacture -- 6 Lifecycle assessment of packaging -- 7 The challenge of domestic waste disposal -- 8 Packaging materials recovery and recycling -- 9 Worldwide environmental contrasts -- Europe -- 10 Worldwide environmental contrasts -- North America -- 11 Worldwide environmental contrasts -- Japan.