A new Europe-focused study reveals that polyethylene (PE), the most widely used packaging material in Europe, has lower life cycle global warming potential (GWP)—often used to assess greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—than conventional packaging alternatives, such as paper, metals, and glass, in most applications. The finding arrives as the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) came into force in February 2025, offering policymakers valuable insights for work on delegated acts that could directly or indirectly lead to the substitution of plastic packaging by alternatives.
