An economic and environmental analysis of wine packaging systems in Italy: A life cycle (LC) approach

Energy efficiency in winemaking industry: Challenges and opportunities

The United Nations has issued a warning over the limited time for climate disaster prevention. In the last two decades, several countries have set targets to reduce fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions. These goals are tracked through the adoption of energy systems that prioritise efficiency and low-carbon alternatives, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the United Nations. In the winemaking sector, the wine produced in the European Union comprised 65 % of the worldwide total from 2014 to 2018, with vineyards making up 4.7 % of its farms in 2020. Electricity is the primary source of energy used in vineries, accounting for around 90 % of the total energy consumption. The energy consumption associated with winemaking is mostly attributed to two key processes: fermentation, which accounts for 45 % to 90 % of the entire energy consumption, and bottling and storage, which contribute around 18 % of the overall energy consumption. The aim of this article is to provide an integrated review of energy efficiency in wineries through examining 144 academic publications. The selected publications cover various aspects, including sustainable energy utilisation in the wine industry, thermal performance analysis of buildings, energy efficiency assessment of systems and technologies, and the integration of renewable energy sources. A link has been established between the geographic distribution of academic publications and wine-producing countries. In relation to European publications, it is observed that research funding is associated with the energy directives of the European Union. It can also be concluded that wine customers are pushing for environmentally friendly practices. However, not everyone in the winemaking sector is moving in the same direction or at the same pace. To identify areas for improvement, winemakers must have supporting tools to manage energy use. Systems optimisation, monitoring, and accounting can be used to decrease energy consumption in winemaking processes or equipment. Progresses on sustainable energy use through greater energy efficiency and share of renewable energies in the wineries can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and consequently, brings the wine industry closer to climate neutrality.

Sustainable and Bio-Based Food Packaging: A Review on Past and Current Design Innovations

Food loss and waste occur for many reasons, from crop processing to household leftovers. Even though some waste generation is unavoidable, a considerable amount is due to supply chain inefficiencies and damage during transport and handling. Packaging design and materials innovations represent real opportunities to reduce food waste within the supply chain. Besides, changes in people's lifestyles have increased the demand for high-quality, fresh, minimally processed, and ready-to-eat food products with extended shelf-life, that need to meet strict and constantly renewed food safety regulations. In this regard, accurate monitoring of food quality and spoilage is necessary to diminish both health hazards and food waste. Thus, this work provides an overview of the most recent advances in the investigation and development of food packaging materials and design with the aim to improve food chain sustainability. Enhanced barrier and surface properties as well as active materials for food conservation are reviewed. Likewise, the function, importance, current availability, and future trends of intelligent and smart packaging systems are presented, especially considering biobased sensor development by 3D printing technology. In addition, driving factors affecting fully biobased packaging design and materials development and production are discussed, considering byproducts and waste minimization and revalorization, recyclability, biodegradability, and other possible ends-of-life and their impact on product/package system sustainability.