Comparative sustainability assessment of fish boxes in Europe

Main Presenter:    Camille Lernould 

Co-Authors:                                                  

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which entered into force on 11 February 2025, introduces binding reuse targets for transport packaging in the European Union, including fish boxes used for the distribution of fresh fish. In this context, EUMEPS and representatives of the fish industry commissioned us to evaluate the consequences of moving away from single-use Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) fish boxes and to assess whether alternative packaging systems would deliver environmental, economic, and social benefits for the EU fish sector.

We performed a comparative sustainability assessment of five fish box solutions used (or potentially used) to transport fresh fish in the EU: single-use EPS, reusable EPS, cardboard, insulated reusable polypropylene, and non-insulated reusable high-density polyethylene. We defined the functional unit as “Transport and protect fresh fish on ice in direct contact with the packaging during one step of the fish distribution (…) in the European Union to obtain 1 kg of fish fit for human consumption at the selling place.”

Environmental impacts were quantified through a peer reviewed LCA conducted in accordance with ISO 14040/14044, covering the 16 impact categories recommended in the European PEF framework. Economic costs, and social impacts related to labour demand were assessed in parallel.

To support an integrated comparison across the three dimensions of sustainability, results were aggregated into a common metric expressed in euros per functional unit. Environmental impacts were monetised to estimate the current and future global burden caused by emissions and resource use (“cost of inaction”). To avoid double counting between economic costs and environmental externalities, we only considered the share of environmental costs not already internalised in prices (e.g., through taxation or carbon pricing mechanisms). Social impacts were monetised using the social value of job creation.

Under the assumptions applied, the single-use EPS box shows the lowest aggregated sustainability impact for distribution distances above 200km. Sensitivity analyses identify distribution distance as a key influencing parameter, reflecting the importance of return logistics and insulation performance for reusable and alternative systems.

While PPWR reuse targets aim to increase circularity in transport packaging, our study suggests that a rapid or systematic shift towards reusable fish box systems may lead to higher environmental impacts, in addition to higher costs for the fish industry, when realistic logistics and distribution constraints are accounted for. The results support evidence-based discussions on PPWR implementation, combining long-term quantitative comparisons with a qualitative analysis of short- and medium-term transition challenges.

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