Back to Search Start Over

An LCA answer to the mixed plastics waste dilemma: Energy recovery or chemical recycling?

Authors :
Arena U
Parrillo F
Ardolino F
Source :
Waste management (New York, N.Y.) [Waste Manag] 2023 Oct 19; Vol. 171, pp. 662-675. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Oct 19.
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
Ahead of Print

Abstract

The study focuses on mixed plastics waste (MPW), whose complex and unpredictable composition (due to high polymer heterogeneity, additives, and contaminants) makes its valorisation a true technical, environmental, economic, and regulatory challenge. Chemical recycling by means of advanced thermochemical treatments (ATT) could be a successful strategy, able to support the transition from a carbon intensive to a carbon negative sector, and alternative to the current treatments of energy recovery or mechanical downcycling. Some of these ATTs provide an efficient recovery of valuable resources, such as fuels and chemicals, but their role is mainly limited by time necessary to complete the process optimization and implement the required infrastructures. A reliable identification of the best alternatives is thus crucial. A specific LCA approach quantifies the environmental performances of a selected set of ATT technologies for resource recovery from MPW. It includes plastics-to-energy, by combustion or gasification; plastics-to-methane and plastics-to-hydrogen, by gasification; and plastics-to-oil, by thermal pyrolysis. The results highlight the crucial role of carbon capture and storage (CCS) units, which partially reduces that of the specific thermochemical treatment. The best performances, particularly for Climate Change category, are those of the MPW-to-hydrogen by gasification, followed by those of MPW-to-energy by combustion or gasification, all equipped with CCS. The sensitivity analysis considers the evolution of the European energy mix, characterised by a larger utilisation of renewable energy sources, and highlights the corresponding increased sustainability of chemical recycling by ATTs. This suggests that the MPW dilemma should be definitively solved in a close future.<br />Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.<br /> (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1879-2456
Volume :
171
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Waste management (New York, N.Y.)
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
37865064
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2023.10.011