Plastic recycling in a circular economy; determining environmental performance through an LCA matrix model approach

Schwarz, Anna; Ligthart, Tom; Bizarro, D. Godoi; Wild, Paul de; Vreugdenhil, B.J.; Harmelen, Toon van

doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2020.12.020

Cited by 243 publications

(159 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Depending on the implementation scenario, these savings increase from 578 kg CO 2 -eq/Mg LWO sorted to up to 1227 kg CO 2 -eq/Mg LWP sorted using tracer-based-sorting. These results confirm findings from current LCA studies on plastics recycling in a circular economy, which show the environmental superiority of closed-loop or high-quality recycling in comparison to incineration, energy recovery or open-loop recycling (Schwarz et al 2021).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…The challenges and goals for improving plastic recyclability and especially to ensure recyclability of all plastic packaging by 2030 (European Commission 2018) can only be met if both packaging properties and sorting and recycling technologies are improved (Birnstengel et al 2018;Schwarz et al 2021). Material-independent identification and sorting approaches which work well under challenging waste management conditions are technological options to ensure circular economy for plastic packaging.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on the recycling hierarchy, incineration is at the bottom with a recycling efficiency of 0%. Therefore, the goal is to recycle mechanically in order to replace a linear economy with a circular economy (Schwarz et al 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Published life cycle assessment studies of plastics recycling, mainly of beverage packaging, typically do not show a detailed analysis of the individual process steps of sorting and recycling, nor the potential of future innovative technologies (Detzel et al 2016;Detzel and Böß 2006;Kauertz et al 2011;Schonert et al 2002). Recent LCA research by Schwarz et al offers a systematic comparison of different recycling pathways of plastics and conclude that "optimal environmental performance of recycling can only be obtained where pre-treatment is improved in line with the most suitable recycling method for a polymer" (Schwarz et al 2021). TBS offers one technical solution to improve pre-treatment of polymers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sorting and Recycling of Lightweight Packaging in Germany — Climate Impacts and Options for Increasing Circularity Using Tracer-Based-Sorting

et al. 2021

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This paper elaborates an energy and material flow model for conventional lightweight packaging sorting and recycling in Germany based on literature analysis and information provided by industry experts. The model is used to determine specific energy and material demands of particular lightweight packaging fractions and their respective climate impacts. Fluorescent-based identification techniques, tracer-based-sorting in particular, are assessed as an option to increase material circularity due to improved sorting and recycling accuracy. In comparison to primary production of lightweight packaging, conventional sorting and recycling saves 565 kg CO2-eq./Mg of input sorting. A total of four implementation scenarios are considered, reflecting the percentage of mixed plastics and residuals that can be mechanically processed through improved sorting (10%, 50%, 90% and 100%). Using tracer-based-sorting, these savings increase from 578 up to 1227 kg CO2-eq/Mg depending on implementation scenario. This paper concludes that tracer-based-sorting can contribute to an environmentally benign circular economy by yielding high-quality regranulates, which are capable of substituting more carbon-intensive primary production of lightweight packaging.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sorting and Recycling of Lightweight Packaging in Germany — Climate Impacts and Options for Increasing Circularity Using Tracer-Based-Sorting

et al. 2021

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“…However, this reuse can be applied to just about anything, from converting used plastics to new containers we see on the roadside or burning. Thus, "recycling" is a very broad term covering less desirable forms of re-use, such as substandard standards and even incineration [4,45,46]. The components and materials are used for enhancing maintenance, reuse, remanufacture and recycle.…”

Section: Literature Review On Circularitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Core Elements Towards Circularity: Evidence From the European Countries

Lingaitienė¹,

Burinskienė²

2021

Preprint

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In this paper, the authors identified key elements important for circularity: (1) Background: The primary goal of circularity is to eliminate waste and to prove the constant use of resources. In the paper, we classify studies according to circular approaches. The authors identified main elements and classified them into categories important for circularity, starting with the managing and reducing waste and the recovery of resources; and ending with the circularity of material, and general circularity-related topics and presented scientific works dedicated to each of the above-mentioned categories. The authors analyzed several core elements from the first category aiming to investigate and connect different waste streams and provided a regression model; (2) Methods: The authors used a dynamic regression model to identify relationships among variables and selected the ones, which has an impact on the increase of biowaste. The research was delivered for the 27 European Union countries during the period between 2020 and 2019; (3) Conclusions: The authors indicated that the recycling rate of wasted electrical equipment in the previous year has an impact on the increase of recycling biowaste next year. This is explained as non-metallic spare parts of electronic equipment are used as biowaste for fuel production. And the separation process of the composites of electric equipment takes some time, on average the effect is evident in one year period.

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A new approach to making scientific research more efficient – rethinking sustainability

Penndorf,

Jabs

2023

FEBS Letters

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Plastic recycling in a circular economy; determining environmental performance through an LCA matrix model approach

Cited by 243 publications

References 33 publications

Sorting and Recycling of Lightweight Packaging in Germany — Climate Impacts and Options for Increasing Circularity Using Tracer-Based-Sorting

Sorting and Recycling of Lightweight Packaging in Germany — Climate Impacts and Options for Increasing Circularity Using Tracer-Based-Sorting

Core Elements Towards Circularity: Evidence From the European Countries

A new approach to making scientific research more efficient – rethinking sustainability

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