Comparing life cycle energy and GHG emissions of bio‐based PET, recycled PET, PLA, and man‐made cellulosics

Citations Over TimeTop 25% of 2012 papers

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to review the environmental profiles of petrochemical PET , (partially) bio‐based PET , recycled PET , and recycled (partially) bio‐based PET , and compare them with other bio‐based materials, namely PLA (polylactic acid, a bio‐based polyester) and man‐made cellulose fibers (cellulose fiber produced from wood pulp, i.e. Viscose, Modal and Tencel). Life cycle assessment ( LCA ) studies on polymers, fibers and bottles made from these materials are reviewed. Only non‐renewable energy use and greenhouse gas ( GHG ) emissions are considered. The scope is cradle to grave excluding the use phase. The results show that both recycled and bio‐based materials offer important environmental benefits over single‐use petrochemical PET . Among the four PET product systems studied, recycled (partially) bio‐based PET has the lowest impacts, followed by recycled PET , (partially) bio‐based PET , and petrochemical PET . PLA and man‐made cellulose fibers produced in an integrated plant have lower impacts than both petrochemical PET and bio‐based PET . The impacts of recycled products are strongly influenced by the choice of the allocation method applied to open‐loop recycling. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd

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