From multimaterial to monomaterial: An LCA of flexible coffee packaging

While flexible food packaging plays a vital role in food preservation and waste reduction, there are growing concerns and regulatory pressures regarding its environmental footprint, particularly its production and end-of-life management. To quantify these impacts and guide more sustainable design, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a crucial tool. This study presents a comparative LCA of a multimaterial coffee package and two monomaterial alternatives (polyethylene and polypropylene). The analysis adopted a “cradle-to-gate-with-end-of-life” framework, following ISO 14040/44 guidelines, to evaluate a current baseline scenario and future end-of-life scenarios for 2030 and 2035 based on European recycling targets. The results indicate that monomaterial designs offer substantial environmental benefits, including a 50% reduction in the carbon footprint and lower impacts across most impact categories. Projections indicate that, even with improved future recycling technologies, the multimaterial package's impacts would still exceed those of monomaterial versions, confirming the benefits of packaging designed for enhanced recyclability. A trade-off in barrier properties is observed with monomaterial structures; however, their environmental advantages highlight their potential as a sustainable alternative. In conclusion, the findings suggest that the development of monomaterial packaging is a promising pathway toward achieving sustainability goals, and that LCA is essential for guiding future innovation. • LCA comparison of multi- and monomaterial flexible coffee packaging. • Monomaterial designs yield 50% lower carbon footprint than standard designs. • Future recycling scenarios were modelled to forecast potential impacts. • The study reveals a trade-off between environmental benefit and barrier properties.