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A System Dynamic Model for Polyethylene Terephthalate Supply Chain in the United Arab Emirates—Status, Projections, and Environmental Impacts

Author

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  • Sameh Al-Shihabi

    (Engineering and Engineering Management Department, University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 27272, United Arab Emirates)

  • Mahmoud Barghash

    (Industrial Engineering Department, The School of Engineering, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan)

Abstract

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) water bottles are widely used in the United Arab Emirates (UAE); however, their production and disposal adversely affect the environment. In collaboration with the private sector, the UAE government has taken serious steps to reduce these impacts, including (i) encouraging people to stop using PET water bottles and to separate their waste, (ii) establishing material recovery facilities, (iii) constructing facilities for incineration with energy recovery, and (iv) creating business opportunities to downcycle and recycle PET water bottles. This paper models the PET supply chain (PSC) using system dynamics (SD) to simulate the current PSC in the UAE and to project its possible evolution from 2023 to 2050, taking greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into consideration. For decision-makers, the SD model shows that PET reductions must equal population growth to maintain GHG emissions associated with the PSC for the coming years. In addition, the separation efficiency must exceed 33% of PET consumption to meet the current demand for used PET. Moreover, if PET consumption decreases by more than 1.5%, then businesses relying on used PET will face a supply shortage in the year 2050. As for environmental impacts, it is found that if downcycling and recycling capabilities are fully utilized, GHG emissions will decrease by 35%. Furthermore, if demand for recycled PET reaches 10,000 tons, this reduction will exceed 47%, reaching 177 , 861 M t C O 2 e .

Suggested Citation

  • Sameh Al-Shihabi & Mahmoud Barghash, 2023. "A System Dynamic Model for Polyethylene Terephthalate Supply Chain in the United Arab Emirates—Status, Projections, and Environmental Impacts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-14, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:17:p:13119-:d:1229915
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Elisabeth Pinter & Frank Welle & Elisa Mayrhofer & Andreas Pechhacker & Lukas Motloch & Vera Lahme & Andy Grant & Manfred Tacker, 2021. "Circularity Study on PET Bottle-To-Bottle Recycling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-15, July.
    2. Richardson, George P. & Otto, Peter, 2008. "Applications of system dynamics in marketing: Editorial," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 61(11), pages 1099-1101, November.
    3. Mingers, John & White, Leroy, 2010. "A review of the recent contribution of systems thinking to operational research and management science," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 207(3), pages 1147-1161, December.
    4. Rahaf Ajaj & Wisam Abu Jadayil & Hamna Anver & Eman Aqil, 2022. "A Revision for the Different Reuses of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Water Bottles," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-14, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sameh Al-Shihabi & Ridvan Aydin & Zehra Canan Araci & Fikri Dweiri & Mohammed Obeidat & Mohammad Fayez Al Bataineh, 2024. "Abolishing Single-Use Plastic Water Bottles in Dubai Hotels as a Voluntary Act—Scenarios and Environmental Impacts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-18, April.

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