Here are some interesting LCA (life cycle assessment) reports that have been published by several renowned academic institutes, universities and research institutes – to enhance your learning about plastics and other materials. Scroll down to check various detailed study and scientific literatures
Summary: From this study we can claim that the overall loss to environment due to HDPE cans is less than that of tin cans and the difference seems significant. The choice of product end-of-life (work) management even strengthens this Assessment.
Summary: The life cycle assessment study presented the impacts of PP-HDPE woven sacks during its life cycle and compares the same with those of its alternatives.
The study illustrated, the actual energy consumption during the life cycle of the PP-HDPE, as compared with the alternatives, is lower. PP-HDPE thus has an advantage over jute and paper because the use of lighter materials will result in high energy savings.
Summary: Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has reviewed the scientific literature and concluded that a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is necessary to slow the rate of growth in atmospheric concentrations of CO2. The IPCC analysis highlights that to achieve emissions reductions. On the scale necessary, the world economy will need to be rapidly “decarbonized”, with action taken on all of the available abatement levers.
The study drew on a wide range of published data and independently audited original research to calculate the chemical industry’s impact on emissions in 2005. McKinsey then assessed how this impact would change in two scenarios to 2030, a “business-as-usual” (BAU) scenario and an alternative “abatement scenario”. Both future projections were based on McKinsey modeling and their global GHG abatement cost curve work.
Summary: The purpose of this study is to inform the debate on the environmental impacts of grocery bags, and identify the types and magnitudes of environmental impacts associated with each type of bag. In addition, the study results aim to inform the reader about the potential for any environmental trade-offs in switching from grocery bags made from one material, plastic, to another, paper.
Summary: This study presented that Most often, reusable products have lower environmental impacts than single-use products. The meta-studies concluded that the more times a product can be used the lower the environmental impact of that product. Incentivize both reusable products and reuse rates in policy interventions.
All materials have an impact, “the issue isn’t just plastic, it’s how we use it” with, “the most sustainable product being the reusable products”. An analysis of SUPP alternatives, and a good strategy to encourage reuse of products multiple times, are important aspects. Addressing single-use plastic products pollution requires systems change.
Summary: Plastics have many properties that make them a popular choice in packaging applications. Properties such as light weight, durability, flexibility, cushioning, and barrier properties make plastic packaging ideally suited for efficiently containing and protecting many types of products during shipment and delivery to customers without leaks, spoilage, or other damage. The results of this substitution analysis show that plastic packaging is also an efficient packaging choice in terms of energy and global warming impacts.
Summary: Content of the product would be modeled using the appropriate open-loop or cutoff recycled resin modeling approach (corresponding to the methodology chosen for the LCI), and the remainder of the content of the product would be modeled as virgin material. In order to model a plastic product with less than 100% recycled resin, the recycled.
Summary: The LCA study deals in many respects with novel technologies and markets. In the course of the study, several practical, methodological, and data-related issues emerged. Due to a conjoint effort of a constructive stakeholder panel, active support by the commissioner of the study, and of the practitioner conducting the study, the review panel thinks that these issues were solved in a satisfying manner.
Summary: The study was designed to provide fact-based environmental information to political decision makers in Germany. In addition, the stakeholders in the PET supply chain should learn about important aspects which influence the environmental performance of the one way PET sys- tems including improvement options for the producers and fillers. Furthermore, consumer and environmental organisations should obtain support for product information on environ- mental grounds.
The present LCA study with its defined boundaries showed that the environmental impact profiles of both the expanded one-way PET and the refillable glass bottle systems are strongly influenced by the assumptions related to collection and recovery of used packaging materials as well as the distribution logistics.
