Microsoft Word - Environmental benefits of recycling 2010 update.doc

Plastics‐ n°8

Title

Kunststoffe aus nachwachsenden Rohstoffen:
Vergleichende Ökobilanz für Loose‐fill‐Packmittel
aus Stärke bzw. Polystyrol
Year 2002
Author BIfA/IFEU/Flo‐Pak

Case

Material composition

Sub‐scenario Incinerationrecovery^ with^ energy^ Feedstock recycling Mechanicalrecycling^ closed‐loop^ Mechanical open‐loop recycling

Virgin material

Material marginal: which? ////

Electricity marginal: which? ////

Steam marginal: which? ////

Co‐products dealt with? ////

Recovered material

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

Electricity marginal: which? German electricity mix German electricity mix German electricity mix German electricity mix

Steam marginal: which? German average heat German average heat German average heat German average heat

Co‐products dealt with? No co‐products No co‐products No co‐products No co‐products

Material recovery included? No Yes Yes Yes

Type of recycling / Use^ as^ reducingfurnaces^ agent^ in^ blast^ Closed loop

Open loop (product sold on the

market for different

applications)

In which ratio does recycled material substitute

virgin material? //11

General

Technology Cogeneration, 65% efficiency Plastics^ recoveryfurnaces^ in^ blast^

Mechanical recycling:

regranulation to produce similar

products

Mechanical recycling:

regranulation to produce similar

products

Infrastructures taken into account? NoNoNoNo

Transport included? Included^ upfacilities^ to^ the^ treatment^ Included^ upfacilities^ to^ the^ treatment^ Included^ upfacilities^ to^ the^ treatment^ Included^ upfacilities^ to^ the^ treatment^

Energy production 10% electricity, 55% heat No No No

Produced energy substitutes electricity? German grid///

Produced energy substitutes steam? German heat///

Avoided processes ‐ credits / / Avoids^ productionpolystyrol^ of^ secondary^ No crediting included

Material substitutes ////

Carbon sequestration issue taken into account?////

Waste characteristics

Heating value No inf. 37  MJ/kg / /

Degradation rate (over  100  years) ////

Incineration

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

8  [PS]

Secondary polystyrene from polystyrene production wastes

Material

production

Material

recovery

Material

disposal