A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Protective Mailers in the Postal Industry

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atmire.migration.oldid1559
dc.contributor.advisorWondimagegnehu, Getachew Assefa
dc.contributor.authorPilfold, Kathleen
dc.date.accessioned2013-09-27T21:08:35Z
dc.date.available2013-11-12T08:00:19Z
dc.date.issued2013-09-27
dc.date.submitted2013
dc.description.abstractIn 2010, Purolator and Canada Post were seeking an alternative to low density polyethylene (LDPE) parcel packaging due to its inability to be recycled. A study was required to determine if the disposal stage was in fact the most detrimental. A comparative Life Cycle Assessment was conducted evaluating a generic 8” x 12” LDPE bubble mailer, versus a product marketed as environmentally-friendly, a generic 8” x 12” Kraft paper and newsprint filled padded mailer. General Life Cycle Inventory data from U.S. LCI and ecoinvent were customized with primary data from Associated Bag Company and product measurements. SimaPro software calculated the Life Cycle Impact Assessment. Results showed the upstream stages and the use stages as significant for both products. Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that both products are eventually replaced with lighter, rapidly renewable materials.en_US
dc.identifier.citationPilfold, K. (2013). A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Protective Mailers in the Postal Industry (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/24667
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/24667
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11023/1059
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyEnvironmental Design
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectEnvironmental
dc.subjectPackaging
dc.subject.classificationpostal and courier servicesen_US
dc.subject.classificationenvironmental designen_US
dc.subject.classificationcomparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)en_US
dc.subject.classificationlow-density polyethylene (LDPE)en_US
dc.subject.classificationnewsprinten_US
dc.subject.classificationpackagingen_US
dc.titleA Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Protective Mailers in the Postal Industry
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Environmental Design (MEDes)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue

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