Microsoft Word - Environmental benefits of recycling 2010 update.doc

Plastics‐ n°4

Title

A life cycle assessment of mechanical and feedstock
recycling options for management of plastic
packaging wastes
Year 2005
Author Perugini

Case

Material composition

Sub‐scenario Landfill Incinerationrecovery^ with^ energy^ Recycling Pyrolysis

Virgin material

Material marginal: which? / / No inf. No inf.

Electricity marginal: which? / / No inf. No inf.

Steam marginal: which? / / No inf. No inf.

Co‐products dealt with? / / No inf. No inf.

Recovered material

Material marginal: which? / / No inf. No inf.

Electricity marginal: which? / / No inf. No inf.

Steam marginal: which? / / No inf. No inf.

Co‐products dealt with? / / No inf. No inf.

Material recovery included? / / Yes Yes for the PET fraction

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

In which ratio does recycled material substitute

virgin material? //11

General

Technology No inf. electric efficiciency of 25% No inf.

bubbling fluidized bed reactor

where a low‐temperature

cracking reaction takes place

Infrastructures taken into account? No inf. No inf. No inf. No inf.

Transport included? Yes Yes Yes Yes

Energy production No Yes Yes,^ from^ thescraps^ incineration^ of^ Yes,^ from^ thescraps^ incineration^ of^

Produced energy substitutes electricity? / Italian grid Italian grid Italian grid

Produced energy substitutes steam? / NoNoNo

Avoided processes ‐ credits No / production of virgin PET and PE

credits from petrochemical

products resulting from

pyrolysis (atmospheric residues,

C3/C4 compounds, naphta)

Material substitutes / / / /

Carbon sequestration issue taken into account?////

Waste characteristics

Heating value / 27  MJ/kg

Degradation rate (over  100  years) No degradation /

Incineration

Alternative use of incineration capacity included?////

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? No///

4[MIX]

mix of PE/PET

Material

production

Material

recovery

Material

disposal