A Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) Study on the Various Pecycle Routes of PET Bottles

Song HS; Moon KS; Hyun JC

Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.16, No.2, 202-207, March, 1999

A life-cycle assessment (LCA) study on various recycle routes of plastic materials has been conducted using the case of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles as an example. The energy consumed and the emissions released during the entire life-cycle of the plastic material were accounted for using the energy and material balances on each stage of the life-cycle. A mathematical model including a simple nonlinear relation for the collection process of the bottles was derived for the system which encompasses all possible recycle alternatives. This model contains several adfustable parameters representing each alternative step of the recycle routes. Then through parameter sensitivity analysis ad optimization analysis we could both identify environmentally favorable recycle routes and determine the optimal conditions for the best one. The methodology of this study can be easily applied to the comparison of the general waste management alternatives determining their relative advantages and disadvantages viewed from the associated environmental burdens. Those results will be reported elsewhere. Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA), Nonlinear Programming (NLP), Multi-Objective Optimization, PET Bottles, Plastics Recycling Routes, Sensitivity Analysis

[References]

Azapagic A, Clift R, Comput. Chem. Eng., 19(S), 229 (1995)
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Boustead I, "Theory and Definitions in Ecobalances," Recycling and Recovery of Plastics, Brandrup, J., Bittner, M., Michaeli, W. and Menges, G., eds., Hanser Publishers, New York (1995)
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BUWAL, "Okoinventare fur Verpackungen," Schriftenreihe Umwelt Nr. 250, Bern (1996)
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Hensen F, "Filtration Systems for Recyclate Processing," Recycling and Recovery of Plastics, Brandrup, J., Bittner, M., Michaeli, W. and Menges, G., eds., Hanser Publishers, New York (1995)
Moon K, "An LCA Study on Recycling Alternatives of PET Bottles," M.A. Thesis, Korea Univ., Seoul (1997)
PIRA International, PEMS 3.2 (Demo Version), Surrey, U.K. (1995)
PRe Consultants, SimaPro 4.0 (Demo Version), Amersfoort, The Netherlands (1997)
Paszun D, Spychaj T, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 36(4), 1373 (1997)
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Sauer BJ, Hildebrandt CC, Franklin WE, Hunt RG, Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 13(6), 1003 (1994)
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Westerhout RWJ, "Recycling of Plastic Waste by High Temperature Pyrolysis: Reactor Evaluation and Development," Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Twente, The Netherlands (1998)

[Referenced By]

[1] Azapagic A, Clift R, Comput. Chem. Eng., 19(S), 229 (1995)

[2] Boettcher FP, "Environmental Compatibility of Polymers," Emerging Technologies in Plastics Recycling, Andrews, G.D. and Subramanian, P.M., eds., American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C. (1992)

[3] Boustead I, "Eco-Profiles of the European Plastics Industry. Report 2: Olefin Feedstock Sources," PWMI, The European Centre for Plastics in the Environment, Brussels (1993)

[4] Boustead I, "Eco-Profiles of the European Plastics Industry. Report 8: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)," PWMI, The European Centre for Plastics in the Environment, Brussels (1995)

[5] Boustead I, "Theory and Definitions in Ecobalances," Recycling and Recovery of Plastics, Brandrup, J., Bittner, M., Michaeli, W. and Menges, G., eds., Hanser Publishers, New York (1995)

[6] Brown DT, "The Legacy of the Landfill: Perspectives on the Solid Waste Crisis," Plastics Waste Management: Disposal, Recycling, and Reuse, Mustafa, N., ed., Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York (1993)

[7] BUWAL, "Okoinventare fur Verpackungen," Schriftenreihe Umwelt Nr. 250, Bern (1996)

[8] Curran MA, "Environmental Life-Cycle Assessment," McGraw-Hill, New York (1996)

[9] Fletcher BL, Mackay ME, Resour. Conserv. Recycling, 17, 141 (1996)

[10] Hensen F, "Filtration Systems for Recyclate Processing," Recycling and Recovery of Plastics, Brandrup, J., Bittner, M., Michaeli, W. and Menges, G., eds., Hanser Publishers, New York (1995)

[11] Moon K, "An LCA Study on Recycling Alternatives of PET Bottles," M.A. Thesis, Korea Univ., Seoul (1997)

[12] PIRA International, PEMS 3.2 (Demo Version), Surrey, U.K. (1995)

[13] PRe Consultants, SimaPro 4.0 (Demo Version), Amersfoort, The Netherlands (1997)

[14] Paszun D, Spychaj T, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 36(4), 1373 (1997)

[15] Rao SS, "Engineering Optimization: Theory and Practice," John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York (1996)

[16] Reklaitis GV, Ravindran A, Ragsdell KM, "Engineering Optimization: Methods and Applications," Wiley-Interscience, New York (1983)

[17] Sauer BJ, Hildebrandt CC, Franklin WE, Hunt RG, Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 13(6), 1003 (1994)

[18] Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), "A Technical Framework for Life Cycle Assessments," SETAC Foundation for Environmental Education, Inc., Washington, D.C. (1991)

[19] Westerhout RWJ, "Recycling of Plastic Waste by High Temperature Pyrolysis: Reactor Evaluation and Development," Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Twente, The Netherlands (1998)