Influence of Plastic Package on Reduction of Environmental Burden during Distribution of Fruit and Vegetables

—Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Strawberry Considering Damage by Transport Vibration—

Abstract

We assessed the environmental burden of strawberries using life cycle assessment (LCA) with the damage to these products due to vibrations during transport. The vibration test for the transport process was performed for several transportation distances. This test allows the determination of the ratios of damage area as an indicator for injury to strawberries during transport. The environmental burden of the packaging scenario was compared with that of the non-packaging scenario. The cultivation process was a large contributor (81.2～99.1 %) to the environmental burden (and thus, a major portion of the life cycle). The environmental burden of the packaging scenario was lower than that of the non-packaging scenario, indicating that package can reduce food loss during transport.