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STUDY: The Hidden Costs of Glass and Rethinking Sustainable Packaging

A recent report suggests that glass, often perceived as the most sustainable packaging, is among the least eco-friendly due to its high energy demands in production and recycling.

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During her research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Nomzamo Dlamini, a food science Ph.D. candidate from the University of Pretoria, found herself at the crossroads of consumer perception and scientific reality. The study she co-authored, recently published in the journal Sustainability, delves into the sustainability of various packaging materials, with a surprising revelation: glass, often lauded for its eco-friendly image, is among the least sustainable options.

The research aimed to understand consumer motivations behind packaging choices, focusing on single-serve orange juice containers. The findings were unexpected. Despite glass being the most sought-after and highly esteemed packaging type among U.S. consumers, its entire lifecycle—from production to recycling—demands significantly more energy compared to plastic, cartons, or aluminum.

Dlamini, a visiting Fulbright scholar in Alissa Nolden's lab, an assistant professor of food science at UMass Amherst, was taken aback by the data.

“I was shocked to read the lifecycle assessment from the experts that it takes so much energy to produce glass and recycle it—much more than what it takes to make or recycle plastic,” she said.

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