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Carbon Footprint of Packaging Films Made from LDPE, PLA, and PLA/PBAT Blends in South Korea

Author

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  • Bulim Choi

    (Department of Packaging, Yonsei University, Wonju 26493, Korea)

  • Seungwoo Yoo

    (Department of Packaging, Yonsei University, Wonju 26493, Korea)

  • Su-il Park

    (Department of Packaging, Yonsei University, Wonju 26493, Korea)

Abstract

Bio-plastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) have been investigated as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics. In this study, the carbon footprint of packaging films made from LDPE, PLA, and PLA/PBAT blends was measured with three different waste scenarios based on the database of South Korea using life cycle assessment (LCA). The LCA followed ISO standards, and was a cradle-to-grave analysis. The functional unit was defined as 400,000 pieces of a film of 300 × 250 mm with thickness of 0.06 mm for packaging bag manufacturing. The waste treatments considered were incineration, landfill, and recycling applied with the present conditions of South Korea. Under the present analysis conditions, the PLA film with landfill was the most effective for reducing carbon emission. The PLA/PBAT with incineration was the worst case among the packaging films tested. Incineration was the worst choice of waste treatment in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. Generally, landfill may not be the best option in terms of sustainability but landfill was a better option for waste treatment than incineration. In addition, before bio-plastics are blended with other material, the blending material should first be evaluated for its environmental impact. The blended bio-plastics with PLA, such as PLA/PBAT, can be more inimical to the environment in terms of carbon dioxide emissions than existing materials, such as LDPE.

Suggested Citation

  • Bulim Choi & Seungwoo Yoo & Su-il Park, 2018. "Carbon Footprint of Packaging Films Made from LDPE, PLA, and PLA/PBAT Blends in South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-11, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:7:p:2369-:d:156836
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Sebastian Spierling & Venkateshwaran Venkatachalam & Marina Mudersbach & Nico Becker & Christoph Herrmann & Hans-Josef Endres, 2020. "End-of-Life Options for Bio-Based Plastics in a Circular Economy—Status Quo and Potential from a Life Cycle Assessment Perspective," Resources, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-20, July.
    3. Ana Fonseca & Edgar Ramalho & Ana Gouveia & Filipa Figueiredo & João Nunes, 2023. "Life Cycle Assessment of PLA Products: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-19, August.
    4. Xiaowei Ma & Chuandong Li & Bin Li, 2019. "Carbon Emissions of China’s Cement Packaging: Life Cycle Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-18, October.
    5. Baoqing Chen & Jixiao Cui & Wenyi Dong & Changrong Yan, 2023. "Effects of Biodegradable Plastic Film on Carbon Footprint of Crop Production," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-9, March.
    6. Luca Di Paolo & Simona Abbate & Eliseo Celani & Davide Di Battista & Giovanni Candeloro, 2022. "Carbon Footprint of Single-Use Plastic Items and Their Substitution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-16, December.
    7. Min Shang & Ji Luo, 2021. "The Tapio Decoupling Principle and Key Strategies for Changing Factors of Chinese Urban Carbon Footprint Based on Cloud Computing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-17, February.

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