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Recycling of plastic: accounting of greenhouse gases and global warming contributions.
Waste Manag Res. 2009 Nov; 27(8):763-72.WM

Abstract

Major greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to plastic waste recycling were evaluated with respect to three management alternatives: recycling of clean, single-type plastic, recycling of mixed/contaminated plastic, and use of plastic waste as fuel in industrial processes. Source-separated plastic waste was received at a material recovery facility (MRF) and processed for granulation and subsequent downstream use. In the three alternatives, plastic was assumed to be substituting virgin plastic in new products, wood in low-strength products (outdoor furniture, fences, etc.), and coal or fuel oil in the case of energy utilization. GHG accounting was organized in terms of indirect upstream emissions (e.g. provision of energy, fuels, and materials), direct emissions at the MRF (e.g. fuel combustion), and indirect downstream emissions (e.g. avoided emissions from production of virgin plastic, wood, or coal/oil). Combined, upstream and direct emissions were estimated to be roughly between 5 and 600 kg CO(2)-eq. tonne(-1) of plastic waste depending on treatment at the MRF and CO(2) emissions from electricity production. Potential downstream savings arising from substitution of virgin plastic, wood, and energy fuels were estimated to be around 60- 1600 kg CO(2)-eq. tonne(-1) of plastic waste depending on substitution ratios and CO(2) emissions from electricity production. Based on the reviewed data, it was concluded that substitution of virgin plastic should be preferred. If this is not viable due to a mixture of different plastic types and/or contamination, the plastic should be used for energy utilization. Recycling of plastic waste for substitution of other materials such as wood provided no savings with respect to global warming.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Astrup T
Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark. tha@env.dtu.dk
Fruergaard T
No affiliation info available
Christensen TH
No affiliation info available

MeSH

Air PollutantsCarbon DioxideConservation of Natural ResourcesEnvironmental MonitoringGlobal WarmingPlasticsRefuse Disposal

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

19748943

Citation

Astrup, Thomas, et al. "Recycling of Plastic: Accounting of Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming Contributions." Waste Management & Research : the Journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA, vol. 27, no. 8, 2009, pp. 763-72.
Astrup T, Fruergaard T, Christensen TH. Recycling of plastic: accounting of greenhouse gases and global warming contributions. Waste Manag Res. 2009;27(8):763-72.
Astrup, T., Fruergaard, T., & Christensen, T. H. (2009). Recycling of plastic: accounting of greenhouse gases and global warming contributions. Waste Management & Research : the Journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA, 27(8), 763-72. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X09345868
Astrup T, Fruergaard T, Christensen TH. Recycling of Plastic: Accounting of Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming Contributions. Waste Manag Res. 2009;27(8):763-72. PubMed PMID: 19748943.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Recycling of plastic: accounting of greenhouse gases and global warming contributions. AU - Astrup,Thomas, AU - Fruergaard,Thilde, AU - Christensen,Thomas H, Y1 - 2009/09/11/ PY - 2009/9/15/entrez PY - 2009/9/15/pubmed PY - 2010/2/11/medline SP - 763 EP - 72 JF - Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA JO - Waste Manag Res VL - 27 IS - 8 N2 - Major greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to plastic waste recycling were evaluated with respect to three management alternatives: recycling of clean, single-type plastic, recycling of mixed/contaminated plastic, and use of plastic waste as fuel in industrial processes. Source-separated plastic waste was received at a material recovery facility (MRF) and processed for granulation and subsequent downstream use. In the three alternatives, plastic was assumed to be substituting virgin plastic in new products, wood in low-strength products (outdoor furniture, fences, etc.), and coal or fuel oil in the case of energy utilization. GHG accounting was organized in terms of indirect upstream emissions (e.g. provision of energy, fuels, and materials), direct emissions at the MRF (e.g. fuel combustion), and indirect downstream emissions (e.g. avoided emissions from production of virgin plastic, wood, or coal/oil). Combined, upstream and direct emissions were estimated to be roughly between 5 and 600 kg CO(2)-eq. tonne(-1) of plastic waste depending on treatment at the MRF and CO(2) emissions from electricity production. Potential downstream savings arising from substitution of virgin plastic, wood, and energy fuels were estimated to be around 60- 1600 kg CO(2)-eq. tonne(-1) of plastic waste depending on substitution ratios and CO(2) emissions from electricity production. Based on the reviewed data, it was concluded that substitution of virgin plastic should be preferred. If this is not viable due to a mixture of different plastic types and/or contamination, the plastic should be used for energy utilization. Recycling of plastic waste for substitution of other materials such as wood provided no savings with respect to global warming. SN - 1096-3669 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/19748943/Recycling_of_plastic:_accounting_of_greenhouse_gases_and_global_warming_contributions_ L2 - https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0734242X09345868?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub=pubmed DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -