Plastics‐ n°6
Title Solid Waste Management and Greenhouse Gases
Year 2006
Author US EPA
Case
Material composition
Sub‐scenario Recycling Incinerationrecovery^ with^ energy^ Landfill
Virgin material
Material marginal: which? No inf. No inf. No inf.
Electricity marginal: which? US average grid mix US average grid mix US average grid mix
Steam marginal: which? No inf. No inf. No inf.
Co‐products dealt with? NoNoNo
Recovered material
Material marginal: which? No inf. //
Electricity marginal: which? US average fossil fuel mix / /
Steam marginal: which? No inf. //
Co‐products dealt with? No / /
Material recovery included? Yes / /
Type of recycling Mechanicalrecyclin^ closedg‐loop^ //
In which ratio does recycled material substitute virgin material? 1 / /
General
Technology National average National average National average
Infrastructures taken into account? No inf. No inf. No inf.
Transport included? Yes Yes Yes
Energy production No Yes landfillsYes,^ for^ withthe^ proportion energy recovery^ of^ US^
Produced energy substitutes electricity? / Yes, US average grid mix Yes, US average grid mix
Produced energy substitutes steam? / No No
Avoided processes ‐ credits virgin PET production / /
Material substitutes / / /
Carbon sequestration issue taken into account? / PET^ 57%converted^ carbon,^ 98%to CO2^ of^ carbon^ /
Waste characteristics
Heating value / 9 702 BTU per pound /
Degradation rate (over 100 years) / /
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 methane emissions6[PET]
PETMaterial
productionMaterial
recoveryMaterial
disposal