Elopak has published a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comparing fiber-based cartons with LDPE pouches for laundry detergent refills.
The study, conducted by Anthesis and commissioned by Elopak, focused on environmental impacts in the EU market. It compared the D-PAK™ carton to LDPE pouches used as refill packaging.
The results show that fiber cartons outperform pouches across multiple sustainability categories. These include global warming, resource scarcity, and plastic use.
Using D-PAK™ cartons results in a 24% lower impact on global warming than 1L pouches. For 1.8L pouches, the reduction increases to 28%.
Even when LDPE pouches are made with 50% or 100% recycled material, cartons maintain a strong advantage. In terms of resource scarcity impact, cartons are 33% better than 1L pouches. For larger 1.8L pouches, the benefit rises to 38%.
Plastic usage is also significantly reduced with cartons. D-PAK™ cartons use 44% less plastic—containing only 9.0g of plastic versus 20.1g in pouches and 76.7g in bottles.
Emilie Olderskog, Senior Director for Sustainability, said, “These findings confirm that fiber cartons are a more sustainable choice for laundry refills.”
She added, “Fiber-based cartons offer similar environmental benefits as food and beverage cartons, providing brands with a responsible packaging option.”
Previous LCAs have shown cartons’ sustainability advantages over bottles for milk and juice. A 2020 meta-analysis found cartons’ carbon footprint was 83g CO2/L, compared to 156g for PET bottles.
Elopak relaunched the D-PAK™ carton in 2021, helping brands like Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, and Omo adopt more sustainable packaging.
Recent research shows consumers in the UK and Germany favor cartons for household refills. Over 60% are willing to buy fabric softener and detergent in cartons.
With its ‘Repackaging tomorrow’ strategy launched in September 2024, Elopak aims to expand fiber-based packaging into new markets and segments. This shift supports reducing reliance on plastics and advancing sustainable packaging solutions for consumers worldwide.
