Abstract
There is a growing interest in bio-based plastics for mitigating climate change; however, it remains unclear as to which products should be produced using bio-based plastics and how such plastics should be disposed of to minimize their environmental impact. To investigate the degree to which bio-based plastics can be applied toward the mitigation of climate change based on material characteristics, product applications, and end of life (EoL) options, we developed a linear-programming-based model to represent a plastic system of nine types of fossil-based plastics and 12 types of bio-based plastics in Japan. We found that introducing bio-based plastics could reduce life cycle greenhouse gas (LCGHG) emissions, provided that an appropriate EoL is coupled. Specifically, the ‘drop-in’ plastics were dominantly selected with feedstock recycling when only material property was constrained, and the LCGHG emissions from the system was −15.5 million t-CO2eq/year.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
