Parametric Environmental and Economic Assessment (LCA – TEA) of End-of-Life Pathways for Biodegradable Food Packaging

UMR SayFoof

The SayFood Joint Research Unit (UMR SayFood), under the joint supervision of INRAE, AgroParisTech, and Paris-Saclay University, was created on January 1st, 2020 through the merger of the GENIAL and GMPA research units.

The work carried out by the researchers of the unit focuses on the physical, biochemical, and microbiological processes governing food and non-food transformations of bioproducts. The unit develops multidisciplinary and systemic mechanistic approaches in order to:

rethink (bio-)transformation processes up to consumption and develop the potential of new food systems,

contribute to product-process innovation by integrating upstream production constraints as well as consumer needs and expectations.

SayFood brings together more than 180 people, including:

80 researchers and faculty members,

48 scientific or administrative support staff,

and more than 60 PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and trainee students,

organized into 5 multidisciplinary teams, one technological platform, and one administrative support division.

Context :

The transition towards a sustainable food system requires rethinking the packaging of perishable food products. These packages face a threefold challenge:

• Technical performance: Ensuring the optimal protection and preservation of the food.

• Eco-responsibility: Eliminating plastic pollution by guaranteeing an end-of-life stage with no environmental impact.

• Economic viability: Maintaining a competitive production cost so as not to affect the final price of the food product.

Modified Atmosphere Packaging, or MAP, is a key technology for extending the shelf life of perishable foods and reducing food waste. However, designing sustainable MAP packaging represents a highly complex systemic challenge. Improving technical performance(physical/chemical) in order to guarantee barrier properties, has a direct impact on end-of-life management, which may compromise the system’s economic viability or eco-responsibility. For example, maximizing the barrier effect by making the material more complex can drastically increase the cost and feasibility challenges of recycling it.

For this reason, it is crucial to integrate the end-of-life treatment of these packages in the design phase. Several end-of-life scenarios coexist, each offering distinct advantages, including industrial composting, anaerobic digestion, chemical recycling using supercritical CO₂, and incineration. However, choosing between these different pathways is complex. This decision requires the development of dynamic environmental and economic indicators coupled with the packaging design variables, in order to identify the optimal pathway for each case study. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA), can provide elements of response to this challenge.

The intern’s objective will be to formalize the end-of-life treatment system for these packages in the form of a coupled semi-parametric LCA-TEA model. Unlike classical and static assessment approaches, this model must directly integrate the key design variables of MAP packaging, such as the thickness of the packaging matrix, the formulation and proportion of the barrier layer, or the packaging volume. Thus, any modification of the physical parameters of the packaging will be reflected instantly and dynamically in the environmental impact and cost indicators of each end-of-life pathway.

Internship Objectives :

Use digital tools to develop a coupled parametric LCA-TEA model, meaning Life Cycle Assessment and Techno-Economic Analysis, to evaluate the environmental viability and economic profitability of the three selected end-of-life pathways, while integrating the design variables of biodegradable MAP food packaging based on PLA and comparing them with a conventional solution.

Activities to be realized :

The work will consist of several tasks organized into three main pillars :

1. Data and Inventory :

• Identify the available information on the possible end-of-life pathways for these packages in order to establish the scenarios to be evaluated.

• Collect and integrate the technical, environmental, and financial data of the treatment scenarios.

2. Parametric Model Development :

• Develop mathematical correlations between environmental and economic impacts using the collected data.

• Build the LCA model using the Brightway2 tool, either with the “Activity Browser” interface or directly in Python, based on the established correlations.

• Build the TEA model using a spreadsheet or directly in Python, based on the established correlations and on CAPEX, meaning equipment investment, and OPEX, meaning energy, labor, and maintenance.

3. Interpretation and Analysis :

• Interpret the results in order to establish the preferred end-of-life scenarios for the different evaluated cases.

• Carry out a sensitivity analysis to identify the most impactful and important design variables in the system.

• Identify “hotspots,” meaning critical points where a small technical improvement can drastically reduce impacts or costs.

Desired Profile :

• Background in data science and modeling, applied mathematics or computer science, engineering sciences, process engineering, environmental engineering, or industrial engineering.

• Master’s level, M2 or final-year engineering student.

• Skills in programming, mathematical modeling, and data analysis.

• Knowledge of Python for data handling and digital tool development would be highly appreciated.

• Good level of English.

• Interest in bioprocesses, circularity, and waste management systems.

• Autonomy, organizational skills, and communication skills.

Internship Conditions :

The internship will be supervised by Felipe Buendia, INRAE researcher, at the UMR SayFood research unit, INRAE, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, located on the AgroParisSaclay campus in Palaiseau, Île-de-France.

Duration : 5 to 6 months

Travel : Not planned

Stipend : 4,05 € per hour (~ 600€/month, depending on the number of days worked)

Transport : 50% reimbursement of the Île-de-France “Pass Navigo” transport pass
Meals : CROUS restaurant nearby and kitchen area available, including refrigerator and microwave

Housing : Student housing available on site, to be arranged by the student. More information:

https://www.universite-paris-saclay.fr/vie-de-campus/logement

Applications :

Send a CV, maximum 2 pages, and a cover letter to Felipe BUENDIA (felipe.buendia@inrae.fr) and Ali FARHAT (ali.farhat@inrae.fr)