Protective Performance Characterization and Life Cycle Assessment of Bio-based Cushioning Packaging Materials Based on Functional Equivalence Principle

LIU Huwei; ZHOU Li; YANG Jianglong; LIANG Kaibo

doi:10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.15.034

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Packaging Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (15) : 332-343. DOI: 10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.15.034

Protective Performance Characterization and Life Cycle Assessment of Bio-based Cushioning Packaging Materials Based on Functional Equivalence Principle

LIU Huwei¹, ZHOU Li¹, YANG Jianglong², LIANG Kaibo³

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Abstract

The work aims to establish an integrated evaluation framework combining protective performance testing and scenario-based life cycle assessment (LCA) for bio-based cushioning packaging materials as alternatives to expanded polystyrene (EPS) in e-commerce logistics. Pulp molding (PM), starch-based foam (SF), and bamboo fiber composite (BC) were benchmarked against EPS to test the protective performance, with the 95% upper confidence bound of G_m as the statistical pass criterion. A functional unit of "protecting one standard 3C product (1 kg, fragility G_f=60) through one 800 km e-commerce logistics event" was defined, and the performance correction factor α_i was introduced to establish LCA And construct an AHP-weighted two-tier TOPSIS model. SF achieved the lowest carbon footprint (0.38 kg CO₂-eq/event, 44% below EPS) and the best comprehensive environmental index (EII=0.13). Full-set TOPSIS ranked EPS first in precision instruments and cold chain scenarios. In TOPSIS alternative selection, SF was the optimal substitute in all three scenarios, followed by PM; BC ranked last. In conclusion, SF is the most beneficial EPS substitute. The driving force for replacement lies in policy constraints rather than performance inferiority.

Key words

bio-based cushioning packaging materials / life cycle assessment (LCA) / dynamic cushioning performance / e-commerce logistics / technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS)

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LIU Huwei, ZHOU Li, YANG Jianglong, LIANG Kaibo. Protective Performance Characterization and Life Cycle Assessment of Bio-based Cushioning Packaging Materials Based on Functional Equivalence Principle[J]. Packaging Engineering. 2026, 47(15): 332-343 https://doi.org/10.19554/j.cnki.1001-3563.2026.15.034

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