Assessment of carbon emission potential of polyvinyl chloride plastics

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Plastic pollution has become a global concern, and research has shown that carbon emissions during the lifecycle of plastics are rapidly consuming global carbon credits. This study focuses on the effective assessment of carbon emissions from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics using a life cycle assessment (LCA) method during the production and recycling stages. The greenhouse gas emission potential is evaluated using 1kg PVC plastic as a functional unit. Research has shown that the total carbon emissions during the production stage of PVC plastic are 7.83kg CO2-eq. The carbon emissions during the production stage of hydrochloric acid, acetylene, electricity, and water vapor are 2.340 kg CO2-eq, 4.900 kg CO2-eq, 0.117 kg CO2-eq, and 0.468 kg CO2-eq, respectively. During the recycling phase, the carbon emissions from the power consumption zone are 0.184 kg CO2-eq, followed by 0.156 kg CO2-eq from natural gas. Research has shown that fossil materials contribute the largest carbon emissions during the production stage of PVC plastics. Therefore, how to effectively reduce the use of fossil fuels or seek alternative raw materials can effectively reduce carbon emissions.