Hefty EnergyBag Program Life Cycle Assessment

Executive Summary 

This abstract describes a life cycle assessment (LCA) study conducted on the Hefty® EnergyBag® program, comparing it to the disposal of Hefty® Flex Bags in landfills, with the aim of understanding the environmental impact and evaluating different end-of-life technologies. The LCA examines the composition and contents of the waste bags, assesses various landfill alternatives, and utilizes impact assessment indicators from the US EPA's TRACI v2.1. 

The study was commissioned by Reynolds Consumer Products to guide the expansion of the EnergyBag® program and conforms to ISO standards, with an independent review panel overseeing the process. The results provide insights into the program's environmental impacts and the advantages of alternative end-of-life technologies over landfill disposal, particularly in terms of global warming potential.