The agri-food industry is one of the most packaging-intensive sectors. Sustainability goals clearly indicate reusable packaging as a solution to reduce the environmental burdens of the food supply chain. While circular economy schemes are increasingly adopted for secondary and tertiary packaging, their large-scale implementation for primary packaging remains limited due to logistical and behavioral complexities. Closed-loop systems for reusable primary food packaging require coordinated direct and reverse flows, including filling, distribution, consumer return, sorting, and washing. Modeling these systems requires accounting for uncertainties such as return and breakage rates. This paper relies on a Mixed Integer Linear Optimization model to support the location-allocation of facilities and collection points in a reusable packaging network. The model integrates uncertainty in consumer behavior and packaging durability, quantifying their impact on cost, emissions, and system configuration. Results show that upstream nodes are highly sensitive to return and scrap rates, while downstream infrastructure remains largely stable across scenarios. This paper addresses return and breakage rate uncertainties, assessing their effects on supply chain configuration. The findings support resilient system design and guide policy incentives for scaling reusable packaging.

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Optimizing Reusable Food Packaging Flows Within a Circular Economy Framework

  • G. Bartolotti,
  • E. Ferrari,
  • B. Guidani,
  • R. Manzini,
  • M. Ronzoni,
  • R. Accorsi

摘要

The agri-food industry is one of the most packaging-intensive sectors. Sustainability goals clearly indicate reusable packaging as a solution to reduce the environmental burdens of the food supply chain. While circular economy schemes are increasingly adopted for secondary and tertiary packaging, their large-scale implementation for primary packaging remains limited due to logistical and behavioral complexities. Closed-loop systems for reusable primary food packaging require coordinated direct and reverse flows, including filling, distribution, consumer return, sorting, and washing. Modeling these systems requires accounting for uncertainties such as return and breakage rates. This paper relies on a Mixed Integer Linear Optimization model to support the location-allocation of facilities and collection points in a reusable packaging network. The model integrates uncertainty in consumer behavior and packaging durability, quantifying their impact on cost, emissions, and system configuration. Results show that upstream nodes are highly sensitive to return and scrap rates, while downstream infrastructure remains largely stable across scenarios. This paper addresses return and breakage rate uncertainties, assessing their effects on supply chain configuration. The findings support resilient system design and guide policy incentives for scaling reusable packaging.