Abstract
This article describes research done within the CIRCE2020 project, implemented under the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE 2014–2020 Programme. The main aim is to present the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC) carried out for a recycling plant in Wielkopolska. From the LCA perspective, the analyzed recycling plant performs two functions; therefore, two research approaches were adopted: from the final waste management perspective (Approach 1) and from the production of secondary products (Approach 2). From the first perspective, the total environmental impact for the reference flow (215.140 kg of multi-material waste) was 552.32 Pt. When focused on the second perspective, the environmental impact for the production of plastic boards (3.073 boards) reached 659.58 Pt. The difference in the obtained values results from the fact that the second analysis, besides waste processing, included additionally the generation of raw materials corrected by the quality factor. The total production cost of boards made of multi-material waste was PLN 165,957.23. Energy consumption is the main cost-generating element of production and also the most important environmental hot spot. To increase environmental efficiency and reduce costs, the use of technology allowing for the reduction of energy demand should be considered first.
Highlights
Construction of a business model based on the circular economy (CE) assumptions is among one of the greatest contemporary challenges
For the sake of methodological correctness, the recycling multifunctionality should be taken into account when planning an life cycle assessment (LCA) study in the CE context, and it should be ensured that the study covers the production of a conventional product that will be replaced by a secondary product
This article presents an environmental assessment and cost calculation of the process of secondary products production based on the technology of multi-material plastic waste conversion
Summary
Construction of a business model based on the circular economy (CE) assumptions is among one of the greatest contemporary challenges. The talking point in CSR-related papers is the relationship between corporate social responsibility and circular economy as a consequence of limited sources and environmental problems [1,2,3]. This approach improves business sustainability by reinserting waste into the supply chain to manufacture products on-demand in different industries [4,5,6,7]. Implementation of the circular economy (CE) principles is among the priorities of the European Union, which is reflected in the currently undertaken initiatives Examples of such actions include the CIRCE2020 project. The CIRCE2020 is R&D and implementation project that has been implemented since 2017 under the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE 2014–2020 Programme by a consortium of partners from Poland, Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia
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