Carbon emissions from beverage packaging

The second set of findings in the new University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership report “Towards sustainable packaging materials” is on carbon emissions.

Here, PET comes out far better than all other materials assessed, especially for water.

The other key conclusion is that 100% recycled content substantially improves the relative performance of these other materials. It reduces emissions for PET by 25%, for glass by 40%, for cartons by 66% and for aluminium cans by 75%.

CO₂ emissions per half litre container

Virgin material

100% recycled content

Source: CISL

100% rPET, however, still fares 42% better than the best alternative of a carton.