LIFE-CYCLE ANALYSIS OF BIODEGRADABLE PACKING MATERIALS COMPARED WITH POLYSTYRENE CHIPS - THE CASE OF POPCORN

Popcorn as a packing material was examined as an alternative to polyst yrene chips on the basis of energy requirements and load of pollutants to air, water and soil. The analysis included maize production, popco rn manufacture and disposal of the waste packing (by incineration) to generate heat. Popcorn production requires 2.0-3.3 times less energy t han polystyrene chips and causes 2.6-4.7 lower air pollutant emissions per kilogram of packing material. However, as popcorn is 4.6 times de nser than polystyrene chips, emissions to the air per cubic metre of p acking material range from 0% (if the material is composted after use) to 80% (if maize is imported from the USA) higher for popcorn than fo r polystyrene. Popcorn packing production causes more water pollution than polystyrene because of drainage of nitrates, phosphates and pesti cides to the ground water. If, in the future, popcorn or other bio-pro ducts are to be used as environment friendly packing materials, their volumetric weight will have to be reduced by increasing the expansion factor, which will reduce the density and hence the transport and post age costs.