Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of MP3 versus the “Greenwashing” phenomenon

We live in a society that is becoming more and more aware of the environment: many people avoid buying products from companies that damage our environment and our health, so firms are looking for different communication strategies and formulas to transmit their corporate social responsibility to the public.

These formulas are often only communicative and have nothing to do with companies’ real practices, which continue to produce products that pollute or do not respect the environment. This practice is known as Greenwashing.

The term “Greenwashing” could be defined as “misinformation” to present an environmentally friendly public image, making products and objectives ecologically appealing.

This practice affects many industry sectors, especially plastics, which make up the food packaging in which they are largely used, particularly in the dairy sector for desserts and yogurts.

Contrarily to mere greenwashing, any new plastic packaging project that uses recycled or compostable plastic materials and thus reduces its environmental impact must be scientifically studied to assess what real environmental improvement it provides.

Here, it is important to introduce LCA’s concept (Life Cycle Assessment) to combat plastics’ perception as a highly polluting material.

For some years now, MP3 and the ILPA Group have invested in specialised skills to study projects aiming to be “green.”

Our colleague Laura Genovese Ph.D. is a trained LCA practitioner, which means she has specific vocational training to carry out life cycle assessment studies.

The LCA is an instrument used to assess the environmental impact of a product’s life cycle by quantifying the resources used (energy, raw materials, water, etc.) and the emissions into the environment (air, water, soil, etc.). The LCA is an objective and certifiable tool for analyzing a product’s environmental impact from its manufacture to its final disposal.

With this and other similar initiatives, MP3 and the ILPA Group can guarantee their products’ reliability and environmental impact with a serious and scientific approach.

We are proud of our group’s rigorous style and want to transmit to our partners the value of transparency and a scientific approach.