Life cycle assessment of delivery packages in China

With the rapid development of E-Commerce, the express industry is also undergoing unprecedented growth. Research on the express industry in terms of consumption of materials and energy can help the government to develop policies and regulations for the long-term development of the industry and help people to improve their awareness of energy conservation and environment protection. The study used life cycle assessment (LCA) approach to examine the environmental impacts and energy consumption of delivery packages used for express purposes, which mainly include corrugated boxes, plastic bags and tapes for binding and sealing purposes. The results showed that production and usage stage consume most energy and create most environmental impacts. 1-layer box use less materials and energy and thus can replace 2-layer box to reduce environmental impacts. Recycling is the best method for handling waste packages among various treatment methods. (C) 2017 The Authors Published by Elsevier Ltd.