| Title: | Quantitative social life cycle assessment of plastic, bioplastic, and paper packaging systems |
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| Authors: | ID Si, Chunyan (Author)
ID Van Fan, Yee (Author)
ID Krajnc, Damjan (Author)
ID Čuček, Lidija (Author)
ID Sun, Xiaojun (Author)
ID Kravanja, Zdravko (Author)
ID Varbanov, Petar (Author) |
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| Files: |  Quantitative_social_life_cycle_assessm-Si-2026.pdf (5,64 MB)
MD5: C9ED6A04A7836F9E2DEC44BA9510A281
 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652626014800?via%3Dihub
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| Language: | English |
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| Work type: | Article |
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| Typology: | 1.01 - Original Scientific Article |
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| Organization: | FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
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| Abstract: | Social impacts in packaging supply chains remain underexplored compared to environmental and economic aspects, despite their growing relevance in sustainability decision-making. This study applies Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) to evaluate the social sustainability of three carrier bag types: low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic, polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic and kraft paper. The assessment is conducted using OpenLCA by integrating primary data with the SOCA V2 database, and focuses on four stakeholder groups, including Local Communities, Society, Value Chain Actors, and Workers. Social impacts are quantified across life cycle stages and stakeholder categories. Results are expressed as “medium risk hours,” a relative indicator used for comparative hotspot identification. The results indicate that Society and Value Chain Actors face high to very high risks (>40%) across all materials, highlighting potential areas for improvements. The PLA bioplastic bag exhibits the highest social impacts during raw material production, while the kraft paper bag performs worst in manufacturing and end-of life treatment. Overall social impacts rank PLA bioplastic highest (95.79 medium risk hours), followed by kraft paper (54.45), and LDPE plastic (35.15), a ranking that challenges common assumptions about the sustainability of bioplastics and paper alternatives. This quantitative social impact analysis provides clear, data-driven insights into social risk hotspots and improvement opportunities. |
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| Keywords: | social pillar of sustainability, social life cycle assessment, S-LCA, packaging applications, plastics, bioplastics and paper, OpenLCA |
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| Publication status: | Published |
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| Publication version: | Version of Record |
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| Submitted for review: | 17.06.2026 |
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| Article acceptance date: | 08.07.2026 |
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| Publication date: | 14.07.2026 |
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| Publisher: | Elsevier |
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| Year of publishing: | 2026 |
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| Number of pages: | 14 str. |
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| Numbering: | Letn. 573, št. članka 148939 |
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| PID: | 20.500.12556/DKUM-98918  |
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| UDC: | 620.92/.98 |
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| ISSN on article: | 1879-1786 |
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| COBISS.SI-ID: | 285182211 |
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| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.148939 |
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| Publication date in DKUM: | 17.07.2026 |
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| Views: | 353 |
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| Downloads: | 12 |
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| Metadata: |    |
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| Categories: | Misc.
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