Environmental performance of single-use plastic packaging: A life cycle assessment of end-of-life scenarios in the agri-food sector

Plastic pollution poses a critical environmental challenge, driven by excessive consumption and inadequate waste management, particularly in agri-food systems. Mismanaged municipal solid waste contributes to severe ecological degradation as plastics accumulate in terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric environments. Addressing these issues requires context-specific evidence on the environmental trade-offs of recycling and disposal strategies. This study evaluates the life-cycle impacts of four representative single-use plastics — polyethylene terephthalate, low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene and polypropylene — in a Mexican case study comprising 102 scenarios. Analyses consider three material compositions (virgin, virgin–recycled blends, and blends with energy recovery), five end-of-life strategies (mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, incineration, incineration with energy-recovery, and landfill), and six agri-food fillings. Following ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 guidelines, assessments were conducted using SimaPro with Ecoinvent database and ReCiPe 2016 midpoint method across five impact categories. Results indicate that increasing recycled content does not linearly reduce environmental impacts and that the filling and use stage — particularly rice and soybean oil — dominates life-cycle outcomes, sometimes shifting the optimal end-of-life strategy. Low-density polyethylene bags exhibit the highest impacts, while high-density polyethylene containers perform most favorably. Incorporating informal waste pickers and local practices reveals critical insights for real-world systems, highlighting the importance of regionally contextualized life-cycle assessments that extend beyond material composition. These findings support policies and practices that mitigate plastic pollution while promoting sustainable packaging and waste management in Mexico’s agri-food sector.