Study confirms fiber-based cartons outperform plastic pouches

Elopak has released a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) that compares fiber-based cartons to LDPE plastic pouches used for laundry detergent refills.

The assessment was carried out by sustainability consultancy Anthesis and commissioned by Elopak. It focused on the environmental performance of both packaging types within the European market, specifically comparing Elopak’s D-PAK carton with common LDPE refill pouches.

The study found that fiber-based cartons perform better than plastic pouches in several environmental categories, including climate impact, resource use, and plastic reduction.

Even when pouches are made with 50% or 100% recycled plastic, the cartons still show a clear environmental edge. In terms of resource scarcity, D-PAK cartons perform 33% better than 1-liter pouches and 38% better than the larger 1.8-liter versions.

Emilie Olderskog, Senior Director of Sustainability at Elopak, said the findings reinforce the case for using fiber cartons in detergent packaging. “These results show that fiber-based cartons are a more sustainable choice for laundry refills,” she stated.