📦 Packaging Sustainability Scanner

An AI-powered Apify actor that analyzes packaging images to evaluate sustainability, identify environmental issues, and suggest eco-friendly alternatives.

Features

• Image Analysis: Upload packaging images for AI-powered sustainability assessment
• Sustainability Scoring: Get a 1-10 sustainability score for packaging
• Material Identification: Detect packaging materials and their environmental impact
• Issue Detection: Identify specific sustainability issues with severity ratings
• Recommendations: Receive actionable suggestions for improvement
• Alternative Materials: Discover eco-friendly material alternatives
• Test Mode: Built-in sample images for quick testing

How It Works

1. Users provide a public URL to a packaging image
2. The actor uses OpenAI's Vision API to analyze the packaging
3. AI evaluates environmental impact, recyclability, and sustainability
4. Detailed analysis is returned including scores, issues, and recommendations

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
testMode	Boolean	Enable test mode with sample packaging images
imageUrl	String	Public URL of the packaging image to analyze
openaiApiKey	String	Your OpenAI API key (optional if using platform secrets)
model	String	AI model to use (gpt-4o-mini or gpt-4o)

Output Structure

The actor returns comprehensive sustainability analysis including:

{
  "imageUrl": "URL of analyzed image",
  "imageDescription": "Description of packaging",
  "sustainabilityAnalysis": {
    "packagingType": "Type of packaging identified",
    "materialsIdentified": ["List of materials"],
    "sustainabilityScore": 7,
    "environmentalImpact": {
      "carbonFootprint": "Medium",
      "recyclability": "Fair",
      "biodegradability": "Non-biodegradable",
      "resourceEfficiency": "Moderate"
    },
    "issuesDetected": [
      {
        "issue": "Specific sustainability issue",
        "severity": "Medium",
        "impact": "Environmental impact description"
      }
    ],
    "improvementRecommendations": [
      {
        "recommendation": "Specific improvement suggestion",
        "priority": "High",
        "estimatedImpact": "Expected environmental benefit"
      }
    ],
    "alternativeMaterials": [
      {
        "material": "Alternative material name",
        "benefits": ["List of benefits"],
        "tradeoffs": ["Potential drawbacks"]
      }
    ],
    "summary": "Brief overall assessment summary"
  },
  "timestamp": "ISO timestamp"
}

Test Images Included

The actor includes sample packaging images for testing:

• Plastic water bottle with PET material
• Cardboard food packaging box
• Styrofoam takeout container

Deployment

1. Deploy to Apify platform
2. Set your OpenAI API key in actor input or platform secrets
3. Run with test mode enabled initially to verify functionality
4. Provide packaging image URLs for real analysis

Requirements

• OpenAI API key with Vision API access
• Publicly accessible image URLs
• Apify account for deployment

Environmental Impact Categories

The analysis covers:

• Carbon Footprint: Greenhouse gas emissions
• Recyclability: Ease of recycling and recycling rates
• Biodegradability: Decomposition characteristics
• Resource Efficiency: Material usage and waste generation

Use Cases

• Product development teams evaluating packaging designs
• Sustainability consultants auditing client packaging
• E-commerce platforms assessing supplier packaging
• Consumer brands improving environmental credentials
• Educational institutions teaching sustainable design

Sample Analysis Questions

The AI evaluates packaging on questions like:

• What materials are used and how sustainable are they?
• What are the major environmental concerns?
• How can this packaging be made more eco-friendly?
• What alternative materials would be better?
• What is the overall sustainability rating?

---

Built with ❤️ for environmental sustainability