Life Cycle of Sustainable Packaging - by Rafael A Auras & Susan E M Selke (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Packaging has become an essential instrument for sustainable development since it can guarantee protection, distribution, and safe consumption of food, medicine, and general goods. Civilization's history and development are highly intertwined with the materials used to produce packages and their construction, transportation, and commerce. From the clay amphoras used to deliver olive oil and wine across the Mediterranean during Roman and Egyptian times, to the local delivery of food in modern societies, to the freight transportation of goods from China to the U.S., to the delivery of goods to the current space mission, and the future Mars exploration program, packaging has played a fundamental role in making all these enterprises possible. Yet, the other side of packaging that has become an issue for modern society as population numbers expand is its disposal and the contamination of the environment by single-use packaging, mainly due to the lack of formal collection and waste management systems in low-income economies worldwide. As societies have become more dependent on packaging systems to guarantee their well-being and development, our relationship with packaging has become more complex, requiring a deep and all-inclusive understanding of the benefits and responsibility of implementing packaging systems"--

Book Synopsis

Life Cycle of Sustainable Packaging

An expert review of packaging's role in sustainability and the environment

In Life Cycle of Sustainable Packaging: From Design to End of Life, a team of distinguished researchers delivers an authoritative and accessible explanation of the role played by packaging in sustainable development and the circular economy. The book offers expansive coverage of every aspect of the packaging life cycle, from design to management and end of life. It is a holistic and integrated evaluation of packaging's environmental footprint.

The authors show students and readers how to incorporate design and life cycle concepts into the development of sustainable packaging materials and help them understand critical background information about pollution and risk management. They also provide readers with learning objectives and self-study questions for each chapter that help them retain and understand the ideas discussed in the book.

Readers will also find:

• A thorough introduction to the role of packaging in sustainable development
• An in-depth examination of design thinking in the packaging design process, including the five stages of design thinking and innovation tools
• Comprehensive discussions of pollution and risk management, as well as soil, water, and air pollution
• Expansive treatments of global climate change, life cycle assessment, and municipal solid waste.

Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students learning about sustainability and packaging, Life Cycle of Sustainable Packaging: From Design to End of Life will earn a place in the libraries of chemical, biochemical, plastics, materials science, and packaging engineers.

From the Back Cover

An expert review of packaging's role in sustainability and the environment

In Life Cycle of Sustainable Packaging: From Design to End of Life, a team of distinguished researchers delivers an authoritative and accessible explanation of the role played by packaging in sustainable development and the circular economy. The book offers expansive coverage of every aspect of the packaging life cycle, from design to management and end of life. It is a holistic and integrated evaluation of packaging's environmental footprint.

The authors show students and readers how to incorporate design and life cycle concepts into the development of sustainable packaging materials and help them understand critical background information about pollution and risk management. They also provide readers with learning objectives and self-study questions for each chapter that help them retain and understand the ideas discussed in the book.

Readers will also find:

• A thorough introduction to the role of packaging in sustainable development
• An in-depth examination of design thinking in the packaging design process, including the five stages of design thinking and innovation tools
• Comprehensive discussions of pollution and risk management, as well as soil, water, and air pollution
• Expansive treatments of global climate change, life cycle assessment, and municipal solid waste.

Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students learning about sustainability and packaging, Life Cycle of Sustainable Packaging: From Design to End of Life will earn a place in the libraries of chemical, biochemical, plastics, materials science, and packaging engineers.

About the Author

Rafael A. Auras is a Professor in the School of Packaging at Michigan State University. He is a co-editor of both editions of Poly(lactic acid): Synthesis, Structures, Processing, Applications, and End of Life.

Susan E.M. Selke is an emeritus Professor and former Director of the School of Packaging at Michigan State University. She is a co-editor of both editions of Poly(lactic acid): Synthesis, Structures, Processing, Applications, and End of Life.