Biopolymers‐ n°3
Title Life Cycle Assessment pf polylactide (PLA)
Year 2006
Author IFEU
Impact assessment
Feedstock recycling (+
20% incineration)
(recycling scenario from
case PLA1)Composting (+ 11,5%
incineration + 8,5% for
recycling)Anaerobic digestion (+
31,4 % incineration)Chemical recycling (+
31,4% incineration)
(recycling scenario from
case PLA2)
Depletion of abiotic resources (kg Sb eq)
Climate change (kg CO 2 eq) 48,2 57,3 48,1 34,1
Cumulative energy demand (kg crude oil eq) 4,08 7,24 6,84 5,34
Water consumption (m^3 )
Terrestrial eutrophication (kg PO4 eq) 0,0238 0,035 0,0237 0,0139
Aquatic eutrophication (kg PO4 eq) 0,00403 0,00458 0,00471 0,00248
Acidification (kg SO2 eq) 0,25 0,256 0,253 0,144
Photochemical oxidation (kg ethylene eq) 0,01287 0,06256 0,01934 0,00769
Ozone depletion (kg CFC‐ 11 eq)
Human toxicity (kg PM 10 eq) 0,257 0,261 0,259 0,147
- The energy demand in this study corresponds to the consumption of fossil energy resources expressed in kg crude oil (1 kg crude oil eq = 42 MJ)
Indicator not included
Methodology CML 1992, 2002
Full life cycle
1000 clam shells (12,2 g each)3[PLA]