A Parametric Decision Support Framework for Sustainable Packaging Design: Integrating Logistics Performance, CO2 Emissions and Cost Through AHP–TOPSIS

Packaging geometry determines how products occupy pallet space and, consequently, how efficiently transport capacity is used, yet these effects are rarely evaluated during early design. This study develops a parametric framework linking secondary packaging geometry to transport-related environmental, economic and logistics performance through multi-criteria decision analysis. Indicators are generated from box dimensions, board grammage, packaging costs, and pallet configurations. Criterion weights are derived using the Analytic Hierarchy Process, and alternatives are ranked using TOPSIS. Twelve packaging configurations were evaluated across seven criteria, followed by an industrial application involving six real configurations from a food supplement packaging project. The analysis showed that packaging geometry produced differences of up to 31.2% in CO2 emissions per unit and 6.2% in cost under identical transport conditions. Increasing packing density did not necessarily improve system performance, and the highest-density configuration ranked last. Sensitivity analysis under four weighting structures and a Monte Carlo simulation using 10,000 randomly generated weight vectors showed that the main ranking patterns remained robust under preference uncertainty. The results indicate that packaging performance cannot be assessed independently of the logistics system in which it operates. The framework provides a reproducible basis for early packaging and supply chain decisions.