Life cycle of sustainable packaging : from design to end of life / Rafael A. Auras, Susan E.M. Selke.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Packaging has become an essential instrument for sustainable development since it can guarantee protection, distribution, and safe consumption of food, medicine, and general goods. Civilization's history and development are highly intertwined with the materials used to produce packages and their construction, transportation, and commerce. From the clay amphoras used to deliver olive oil and wine across the Mediterranean during Roman and Egyptian times, to the local delivery of food in modern societies, to the freight transportation of goods from China to the U.S., to the delivery of goods to the current space mission, and the future Mars exploration program, packaging has played a fundamental role in making all these enterprises possible. Yet, the other side of packaging that has become an issue for modern society as population numbers expand is its disposal and the contamination of the environment by single-use packaging, mainly due to the lack of formal collection and waste management systems in low-income economies worldwide. As societies have become more dependent on packaging systems to guarantee their well-being and development, our relationship with packaging has become more complex, requiring a deep and all-inclusive understanding of the benefits and responsibility of implementing packaging systems"-- Provided by publisher.