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Uncertainty and Sensitivity in the Carbon Footprint of Shopping Bags

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  • Tuomas Mattila
  • Marjukka Kujanpää
  • Helena Dahlbo
  • Risto Soukka
  • Tuuli Myllymaa

Abstract

Carbon footprints for several shopping bag alternatives (polyethylene, paper, cotton, biodegradable modified starch, and recycled polyethylene) were compared with life cycle assessment. Stochastic uncertainty analysis was used to study the sensitivity of the comparison to scenario and parameter uncertainty. On the basis of the results, we could give only a few robust conclusions without choosing a waste treatment scenario or limiting the parameter space. Given the scenario of current waste infrastructure in Finland, recycled polyethylene bags seem to be the most preferable (−7 to 24 g CO2 eq./bag) and biodegradable bags the least preferable (38 to 60 g CO2 eq./bag) option. In each analyzed waste treatment scenario, a few parameters dominated the uncertainty of results. Most of these parameters were downstream of the shopping bag manufacturing (consumer behavior, landfill conditions, method of waste combustion, etc.). The choice of waste treatment scenario had a greater effect on the ranking of bags than parameter uncertainty within scenarios. This result highlights the importance of including several scenarios in comparative life cycle assessments.

Suggested Citation

  • Tuomas Mattila & Marjukka Kujanpää & Helena Dahlbo & Risto Soukka & Tuuli Myllymaa, 2011. "Uncertainty and Sensitivity in the Carbon Footprint of Shopping Bags," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 15(2), pages 217-227, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:15:y:2011:i:2:p:217-227
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-9290.2010.00326.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Timo Herberz & Claire Y. Barlow & Matthias Finkbeiner, 2020. "Sustainability Assessment of a Single-Use Plastics Ban," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-22, May.
    2. Patrik J G Henriksson & Reinout Heijungs & Hai M Dao & Lam T Phan & Geert R de Snoo & Jeroen B Guinée, 2015. "Product Carbon Footprints and Their Uncertainties in Comparative Decision Contexts," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-11, March.
    3. Taylor, Rebecca L.C., 2019. "Bag leakage: The effect of disposable carryout bag regulations on unregulated bags," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 254-271.
    4. Samuele Lo Piano & Lorenzo Benini, 2022. "A critical perspective on uncertainty appraisal and sensitivity analysis in life cycle assessment," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(3), pages 763-781, June.
    5. Luca Marazzi & Steven Loiselle & Lucy G Anderson & Stephen Rocliffe & Debbie J Winton, 2020. "Consumer-based actions to reduce plastic pollution in rivers: A multi-criteria decision analysis approach," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(8), pages 1-15, August.

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