LCA study of recycling PET and HDPE

The study, by Franklin Associates, used life cycle inventory methodology to quantify the energy requirements, solid wastes, and atmospheric and waterborne emissions required to collect, sort and reprocess post-consumer PET and HDPE packaging.

According to the report, recycling PET and HDPE, rather than using virgin resins, saved 71 trillion Btu in 2008, the equivalent of the annual energy use of 750,000 US homes. Recycling that same amount of material also saved 2.1 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, an amount comparable to taking 360,000 cars off the road.

The calculations are based on the tonnage of post-consumer PET and HDPE recovered and recycled in the United States in 2008.

The study, Final Report — Life Cycle Inventory of 100% Postconsumer HDPE and PET Recycled Resin from Postconsumer Containers and Packaging, was jointly sponsored by the American Chemistry Council, the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers, the National Association for PET Container Resources and the PET Resin Association.

To open/save the Final Report:

• LIFE CYCLE INVENTORY OF 100% POSTCONSUMER HDPE AND PET RECYCLED RESIN FROM POSTCONSUMER CONTAINERS AND PACKAGING - APRIL 7, 2010 (PDF, 497 kB, 73 pages)

Related internal links:

• 30.04.2010 PET reaches life cycle equivalence with glass for drinks bottles

• 21.04.2010 PET bottles have less impact than glass or aluminium

• 11.02.2010 LCA comparing the environmental impacts of bottled water

• 05.11.2004 Summary of the Ostfold´s Research Foundation LCA and CBA report for plastic packaging waste

• 19.10.2004 World largest PET Life Cycle Assessment – One-way PET levels with refillable glass

• 23.09.2004 World largest PET LCA - One-way PET levels with refillable glass