Biopolymers‐ n°3
Title Life Cycle Assessment pf polylactide (PLA)
Year 2006
Author IFEU
Case
Material composition
Sub‐scenario Feedstock20% incineration)^ recycling^ (+^Composting (+ 11,5%
incineration + 8,5% for
recycling)Anaerobic digestion (+
31,4 % incineration)Chemical recycling (+
31,4% incineration)
Virgin material
Material marginal: which? No inf. No inf. No inf. No inf.
Electricity marginal: which? No inf. No inf. No inf. No inf.
Steam marginal: which? No inf. No inf. No inf. No inf.
Co‐products dealt with? No inf. No inf. No inf. No inf.
Recovered material
Material marginal: which? virgin polymer virgin polymer virgin polymer virgin polymer
Electricity marginal: which? No inf. No inf. No inf. No inf.
Steam marginal: which? No inf. No inf. No inf. No inf.
Co‐products dealt with? No inf. No inf. No inf. No inf.
Material recovery included? Yes Yes No Yes
Type of recycling mechanical recycling mechanical recycling / chemical recycling
In which ratio does recycled material substitute
virgin material?no substituted
product no^ substituted^ product / no^ substituted^ product
GeneralTechnologyplastics recovery in
blast furnaces +
gasificationencapsulated system
for composting +
roofed clamp for the
after‐composting stepbiogas combustion in
a gas‐motorhydrolysis process
followed by a
purification step with
lactic acid monomers
being the final
product of the
recycling process
Infrastructures taken into account? No inf. No inf. No inf. No inf.
Transport included? Yes Yes Yes Yes
Energy production Yes Not^ for^ thepart^ composted^ Yes YesProduced energy substitutes electricity? averageelectricity^ German^ grid^(average German grid
electricity if
incinerated)average German grid
electricityaverage German grid
electricityProduced energy substitutes steam? averagethermal^ German energy^(average German
thermal energy if
incinerated)(average German
thermal energy if
incinerated)average German
thermal energyAvoided processes ‐ creditsproduction of
methanol +
substitutes hard coal
as secondary fuel in
a blast furnaceproduction of
methanol + production
of compost that
displaces mineral
fertilizers and peatproduction of compost
that displaces mineral
fertilizers and peatsubstitutes lactic acid
from sugar
ferlentation as an
input for the PLA
polymerisation
process
Material substitutes No inf. No inf. No inf. No inf.
Carbon sequestration issue taken into account? / No inf. / /
Waste characteristics
Heating value 18 MJ/kg 18 MJ/kg 18 MJ/kg 18 MJ/kg
Degradation rate (over 100 years) / 95% 95% /
Incineration
Alternative use of incineration capacity included No inf. No inf. No inf. No inf.
Composting
Compost spreading for composting taken into
account? /No / /
Compost leaching after spreading taken into
account? /No / /
Reference to EN 13432:2000 (Requirements for
Packaging Recoverable Through Composting and
Biodegradation)?
Landfill
Methane emissions included? / / / /3[PLA]
100% PLAMaterial
production
Material
recoveryMaterial
disposal