Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Packaging Science
Committee Chair/Advisor
Andrew Hurley
Committee Member
Kay Cooksey
Committee Member
Paul Dawson
Committee Member
William Bridges
Abstract
With guidance from the EPA to reduce virgin packaging use and alternatively increase reuse, the concept of reusable packaging has re-emerged as a potential sustainable alternative to single-use and recyclable packaging. For businesses, an understanding of the potential environmental benefits of switching from single-use packaging to reusable packaging, along with consumer willingness to pay for sustainable packaging are paramount. Existing literature on willingness to pay (WTP) for ethical or sustainable products typically relies on consumers’ stated preferences found through surveys using hypothetical products and prices. It has been revealed that sustainability claims printed on the label or products in glass packaging increase consumer WTP and perceived quality. However, a study on consumer WTP for reusable glass bottles with an emphasis on sustainable label materials has not been conducted. This paper utilizes a survey of four label materials with varying degrees of sustainability: a laser-etched label, a dissolvable paper label, a plastic label, and a label-free bottle. The labels were evaluated on appearance, feel, perceived environmental-friendliness, overall liking, and willingness to pay. The unlabeled glass bottle was rated the most sustainable, but had the lowest average WTP of $3.62. The laser-etched bottle was the most preferred overall and had the highest average WTP of $7.16. The bottle with a dissolvable paper label had an average WTP of $6.00 and the peel off plastic label bottle an average of $6.11.
A life cycle assessment was also conducted to determine whether a switch to reusable glass bottle packaging could outperform aluminum cans and plastic bottles in the beverage sector. The impact categories examined include: cumulative energy demand, climate change (Global Warming Potential), fossil depletion, water depletion, ozone depletion, freshwater ecotoxicity, and marine ecotoxicity. Sensitivity analyses were performed on the reusable glass bottle to assess the influence of label material, comparing no label (laser etched), dissolvable paper, PVC, PET, and OPP. The database and software used were Ecoinvent V3.10 and OpenLCA, respectively. The results indicate that the reusable glass bottle has lower environmental impacts than aluminum cans and PET in three out of seven midpoint impact categories: Climate change, marine ecotoxicity, and fossil depletion. The breakeven point occurs at the 8th use for climate change, the 11th use for fossil depletion, and the 13th use for marine ecotoxicity. For the sensitivity analysis, the results indicate that the reusable glass bottle experiences a nearly 30% decrease in emissions contributing to climate change (kg CO₂-Eq). The sensitivity analysis showed the laser-etched bottle as having the lowest impacts in all categories across the labeling methods. These findings suggest that reusable glass bottles provide an opportunity for reduced environmental impacts when stationed at a location consumers are already traveling to for school and/or work.
Recommended Citation
Sharp, Toni, "The Impact of Label Material on Perceived Value and Environmental-Friendliness of Beverages in Returnable Glass Bottles Versus Actual Environmental Impact via Life Cycle Assessment" (2026). All Dissertations. 4260.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/4260
Author ORCID Identifier
0000-0003-0605-4977