Life Cycle Assessment of Closed‐Loop Opaque Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET) Bottles for UHT Milk

ABSTRACT Due to the presence of additives and mattifying pigments, the use of opaque PET bottles for the packaging of UHT milk was a challenge in terms of recycling. To overcome this limit, a new bottle made from opaque 50% recycled PET (rPET) has been recently introduced on the market by an important food company after the adoption of a closed‐loop recycling. Aim of this study is then to compare the environmental impact of it with a 100% virgin opaque PET bottle by considering a closed‐loop and a non‐closed‐loop recycling of the letter. To this purpose, a life cycle assessment (LCA) has been carried out through the Simapro software, with a cradle‐to‐grave approach. Primary data were retrieved from a leading dairy company, whereas secondary data were retrieved from the Ecoinvent database 3.10 and national consortia. The opaque 50% rPET bottle, compared to traditional ones, presented environmental advantages in 17 of the 27 impact categories considered in the EN 15804 + A2 methodology, with a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and significant improvements in ozone depletion and resource use. This study is the first LCA related to recycled opaque PET bottles, and the results demonstrate how they can be considered, thanks to closed‐loop recycling, a more sustainable packaging alternative for UHT milk. These findings highlight the environmental benefits of rPET and its relevance for sustainable packaging strategies in the dairy sector.