A Systematic Review of Sustainability of Disposable Products with a Focus on Disposable Cups and Cutlery
Type of Presentation
Event
Location
D1496
Start Date
4-1-2016 2:20 PM
End Date
4-1-2016 3:15 PM
Abstract
The Food Service industry has recently come under scrutiny for its contributions to greenhouse gases, and landfills (Municipal Solid Waste) and hence to climate change. There will be a brief overview of the disposable products in the Food Service Industry and their overall contribution as percentages to the problem of climate change. Borrowing the concept of Evidence Based Medicine OR Evidence Based Practice from the Medical/Health sciences, this is a systematic review of the literature comparing Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and costs for specific products like paper/plastic, cups and silver ware with reusable products in facilities. Searches will be conducted in four databases SciFinder, PUBMED, the Web of Science, Environmental Science and Pollution Management. The data from existing LCA studies will be analyzed comparing the environmental performance of the disposables and the alternatives, making a case for investing in reusable serving options. How can these findings promote more sustainable practices at the individual facility level, will be discussed.
Presentation File
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A Systematic Review of Sustainability of Disposable Products with a Focus on Disposable Cups and Cutlery
D1496
The Food Service industry has recently come under scrutiny for its contributions to greenhouse gases, and landfills (Municipal Solid Waste) and hence to climate change. There will be a brief overview of the disposable products in the Food Service Industry and their overall contribution as percentages to the problem of climate change. Borrowing the concept of Evidence Based Medicine OR Evidence Based Practice from the Medical/Health sciences, this is a systematic review of the literature comparing Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and costs for specific products like paper/plastic, cups and silver ware with reusable products in facilities. Searches will be conducted in four databases SciFinder, PUBMED, the Web of Science, Environmental Science and Pollution Management. The data from existing LCA studies will be analyzed comparing the environmental performance of the disposables and the alternatives, making a case for investing in reusable serving options. How can these findings promote more sustainable practices at the individual facility level, will be discussed.
Other Presentation Disciplines:
Ms. Swati Wagh is a Visiting Professor in the University Library. Mr. Chandler Moore and Mr. Alejandro Gonzalez are undergraduate students in Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences.