Microsoft Word - Environmental benefits of recycling 2010 update.doc

Plastics‐ n°3

Title Life Cycle Assessment of energy from solid waste
Year 2000
Author Finnveden

Case

Material composition

Sub‐scenario rejectedrecycling and(40% incinerated)^ of^ plastics^ incineration landfill

Virgin material

Material marginal: which? No inf. / /

Electricity marginal: which? electricity mix / /

Steam marginal: which? No inf. / /

Co‐products dealt with? No inf. / /

Recovered material

Material marginal: which? No inf. / /

Electricity marginal: which? coal power plants / /

Steam marginal: which? No inf. / /

Co‐products dealt with? No inf. / /

Material recovery included? Yes / /

Type of recycling Mechanical^ recycling,loop^ closed^ //

In which ratio does recycled material substitute

virgin material? 1//

General

Technology based on PET and HDPE data moderngas^ technology condensation^ with^ flue^

captation of 50% of the biogas,

treatment of 80% of the leakage

water

Infrastructures taken into account? No No No

Transport included? Yes Yes Yes

Energy production No Yes, used for district heating Yes,^ 60%^ heat,10%^ 30% lost^ electricity,^

Produced energy substitutes electricity? /

No (except that the gas from the

landfill of ashes is used to

produce electricity)

electricity from coal

Produced energy substitutes steam? / replaces^ residuesheat^ from^ forest^ replaces^ residuesheat^ from^ forest^

Avoided processes ‐ credits

replaces same plastic types

produced from virgin raw

materials

//

Material substitutes / HDPE HDPE

Carbon sequestration issue taken into account? / / No sequestration

Waste characteristics

Heating value / 21  MJ/PVC /

Degradation rate / / full^ degradationinfinite time^ (hypothetical period)^

Incineration

Alternative use of incineration capacity included? / No inf. /

Composting

Compost spreading for composting taken into

account? ///

Compost leaching after spreading taken into

account? ///

Reference to EN 13432:2000 (Requirements for

Packaging Recoverable Through Composting and

Biodegradation)?

///

Landfill

Methane emissions included? / / Yes

3[PVC]

PVC

Material

production

Material

recovery

Material

disposal