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Plastic waste management in the context of a European recycling society: Comparing results and uncertainties in a life cycle perspective

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  • Lazarevic, David
  • Aoustin, Emmanuelle
  • Buclet, Nicolas
  • Brandt, Nils

Abstract

A number of life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have been undertaken within the last 15 years comparing end-of-life treatment options for post-consumer plastic waste, including techniques such as: mechanical recycling, feedstock recycling, incineration with energy recovery and landfilling. These have attempted to support decisions in the formulation of waste management strategies and policies. In light of the introduction of life cycle thinking into European waste policies, specifically in relation to the waste hierarchy, a literature review of publically available LCA studies evaluating alternative end-of-life treatment options for plastic waste has been conducted. This has been done in order to: establish if a consensus exists as to the environmentally preferable treatment option for plastic waste; identify the methodological considerations and assumptions that have led to these conclusions; and determine the legitimacy of applying the waste hierarchy to the plastic waste stream. The majority of the LCA studies concluded that, when single polymer plastic waste fractions with little organic contamination are recycled and replace virgin plastic at a ratio of close to 1:1, recycling is generally the environmentally preferred treatment option when compared to municipal solid waste incineration. It has been found that assumptions relating to the virgin material substitution ratio and level of organic contamination can have a significant influence upon the results of these studies. Although a limited number of studies addressed feedstock recycling, feedstock recycling and the use of plastic waste as a solid recovered fuel in cement kilns were preferred to municipal solid waste incineration. Landfilling of plastic waste compared to municipal solid waste incineration proved to be the least preferred option for all impact categories except for global warming potential. Due to the uncertainty surrounding some assumptions in the studies, it cannot be said with confidence that the waste hierarchy should be applied to plastic waste management as a general rule.

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  • Lazarevic, David & Aoustin, Emmanuelle & Buclet, Nicolas & Brandt, Nils, 2010. "Plastic waste management in the context of a European recycling society: Comparing results and uncertainties in a life cycle perspective," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 55(2), pages 246-259.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:recore:v:55:y:2010:i:2:p:246-259
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2010.09.014
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Björklund, Anna & Finnveden, Göran, 2005. "Recycling revisited—life cycle comparisons of global warming impact and total energy use of waste management strategies," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 309-317.
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    2. Mayanti, Bening & Helo, Petri, 2022. "Closed-loop supply chain potential of agricultural plastic waste: Economic and environmental assessment of bale wrap waste recycling in Finland," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 244(C).
    3. Simic, Vladimir & Dimitrijevic, Branka, 2013. "Risk explicit interval linear programming model for long-term planning of vehicle recycling in the EU legislative context under uncertainty," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 197-210.
    4. Toniolo, Sara & Mazzi, Anna & Pieretto, Chiara & Scipioni, Antonio, 2017. "Allocation strategies in comparative life cycle assessment for recycling: Considerations from case studies," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 117(PB), pages 249-261.
    5. Huysman, Sofie & Debaveye, Sam & Schaubroeck, Thomas & Meester, Steven De & Ardente, Fulvio & Mathieux, Fabrice & Dewulf, Jo, 2015. "The recyclability benefit rate of closed-loop and open-loop systems: A case study on plastic recycling in Flanders," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 53-60.
    6. Rigamonti, L. & Grosso, M. & Møller, J. & Martinez Sanchez, V. & Magnani, S. & Christensen, T.H., 2014. "Environmental evaluation of plastic waste management scenarios," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 42-53.
    7. Saraji, Mahyar Kamali & Streimikiene, Dalia, 2022. "Evaluating the circular supply chain adoption in manufacturing sectors: A picture fuzzy approach," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    8. Lausselet, Carine & Cherubini, Francesco & Oreggioni, Gabriel David & del Alamo Serrano, Gonzalo & Becidan, Michael & Hu, Xiangping & Rørstad, Per Kr. & Strømman, Anders Hammer, 2017. "Norwegian Waste-to-Energy: Climate change, circular economy and carbon capture and storage," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 50-61.
    9. Turner, David A. & Williams, Ian D. & Kemp, Simon, 2015. "Greenhouse gas emission factors for recycling of source-segregated waste materials," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 105(PA), pages 186-197.
    10. Ferrão, Paulo & Ribeiro, Paulo & Rodrigues, João & Marques, Alexandra & Preto, Miguel & Amaral, Miguel & Domingos, Tiago & Lopes, Ana & Costa, e Inês, 2014. "Environmental, economic and social costs and benefits of a packaging waste management system: A Portuguese case study," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 67-78.
    11. Caldeira, Carla & Queirós, João & Noshadravan, Arash & Freire, Fausto, 2016. "Incorporating uncertainty in the life cycle assessment of biodiesel from waste cooking oil addressing different collection systems," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 83-92.
    12. Väntsi, Olli & Kärki, Timo, 2015. "Environmental assessment of recycled mineral wool and polypropylene utilized in wood polymer composites," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 104(PA), pages 38-48.
    13. Beigbeder, Joana & Perrin, Didier & Mascaro, Jean-François & Lopez-Cuesta, José-Marie, 2013. "Study of the physico-chemical properties of recycled polymers from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) sorted by high resolution near infrared devices," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 105-114.
    14. Kerstens, S.M. & Priyanka, A. & van Dijk, K.C. & De Ruijter, F.J. & Leusbrock, I. & Zeeman, G., 2016. "Potential demand for recoverable resources from Indonesian wastewater and solid waste," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 16-29.
    15. Rebekka Volk & Christoph Stallkamp & Justus J. Steins & Savina Padumane Yogish & Richard C. Müller & Dieter Stapf & Frank Schultmann, 2021. "Techno‐economic assessment and comparison of different plastic recycling pathways: A German case study," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(5), pages 1318-1337, October.

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