The environmental effect of reusing and recycling a plasticbased packaging system

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The environmental effect of reusing and recycling
a plastic-basedpackaging system

• Application Fridge packaging

Isabelle LHERAULT 21.03.05
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Plan

• Definition of goal and scope
• Inventory analysis
• Life cycle impact assessment
• Life cycle conclusions

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• Definition of goal
• and scope

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Definition of goal and scope

• Email Ltd Australian company
• 350 000 fridges / year
• Packaging since 1990

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Definition of goal and scope

• Proposed system

Re use strategy
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Definition of goal and scope

• Problem
• Will a recycle and reuse strategy for a plastic
  based packaging system that substantially reduces
  the quantity of waste to landfill would also
  reduce its overall environmental burden ?
• -gt Life cycle assessment approach

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• Weight in Kg of principal components of EPS/PE
  and EPS-HIPS/PE packaging for 500L refrigerators

20 less
Definition of goal and scope
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Definition of goal and scope
System boundaries
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Definition of goal and scope
System boundaries
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Definition of goal and scope
Production locations
Chester Hill
PE film
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Definition of goal and scope
Assumptions

• Ignore emission of ozone depleting gases
• Ignore potential contributions to acid rain
• Resources crude oil natural gas
• Lack of relevant data
• Loss of biodiversity,
• Human health effects,
• Eutrophication,
• Ecotoxicity

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• Inventory analysis

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Process of inventory analysis
Multiplying by MJ/kg

• Inventory analysis

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Inventory of relevant inputs and outputs

• Material flow diagram for producing 1Kg of EPS,
  EPS-HIPS, Polyethylene film

• Inventory analysis

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Inventory

• Material flow in Kg for 1Kg of packaging (2) 0
  re-use

• Inventory analysis

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Process of inventory
Multiplying by MJ/kg

• Inventory analysis

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Inventory
Energy inputs in MJ for the production, use and
disposal of 1Kg of the materials
Primary energy inputs in MJ for the production,
use and disposal of 1Kg of the materials

• Inventory analysis

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Process of inventory
Multiplying by MJ/kg

• Inventory analysis

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Inventory summary
Oxidant precursors
Crude oil
Methane
Natural gas
Carbone dioxide
Excess HIPS
Landfill waste
OUTPUTS
INPUTS

• Inventory analysis

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• Life cycle impact
• assessment

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Assess potential impactsof the 2 packagings

• Assign resource consumptions and waste emissions
  to categories of impacts
• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Depletion of oil and gas
• Regional impact of photochemical oxidants
• Examine re-using packaging

• Life cycle impact assessment

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1 Assign resource consumptions and waste
emissions to categories of impacts
Greenhouse gas emissions carbon dioxide and
methane Greenhouse gas emissions in kg of carbon
dioxide equivalents arising from the prod, use
and disposal of 1 kg of each of the components of
the 2 packagings

• Life cycle impact assessment

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1 Assign resource consumptions and waste
emissions to categories of impacts

• Photo chemicals oxidants
• Sydney and Melbourne are the only cities where
  the concentration of photo chemicals oxidants
  exceeds the threshold of regulations
• Identification of processes which occur in these
  cities

• Life cycle impact assessment

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1 Comparison of env. Burdens Results
50 less

• Life cycle impact assessment

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2 Examine re-using packaging
PE not recycled

• Life cycle impact assessment

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• Life cycle
• conclusions

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Life cycle impacts

• Less for EPS-HIPS/PE packaging (lighter weight
  recycling/reuse strategy)
• Oil consumption 30 less for EPS-HIPS/PE
• Oil consumption small part of energy consumption
• Photochemical oxidants problems in Sydney and
  Melbourne
• Recycling reduce energy required

Life cycle conclusions
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General conclusions

• Recycling reduces the env. burden of plastic
  based packaging
• Energy consumed during Transportation negligible
• Changing geographical locations of certain
  process steps can improve env. burden

Life cycle conclusions