Abstract
Wood-plastic recycled composite (WPRC) is a building material that uses certain amounts of recycled wood and/or plastic materials contained in wood-plastic composites. They are characterized by multiple recycling processes in which products that become post-consumer materials are technically able to be recycled to produce WPRC products. However, there is no research case that quantifies the effect of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the feature of multiple recycling. In this study, we quantified GHG emissions during the life cycle of WPRC that was manufactured by companies certified to the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) A 5741, using the life cycle assessment method. The following conclusions were revealed in this study. (1) The GHG emission of the targeted WPRC was 3489 kg-CO2e/t, and the emission rates from the WPRC production process and the combustion of WPRC waste were found to be particularly high. (2) It was found that setting the recycled material rate of plastic materials to 100% would reduce GHG emissions by 28% (1316 kg-CO2e/t) compared to when the recycled material rate was 0%. (3) It was also found that GHG emissions can be reduced by up to about 28% by multiple recycling of WPRC. It can be said that this study set a benchmark of GHG emissions for WPRC produced in Japan.
Highlights
Background and PurposeThe Paris Agreement, a framework for climate change control, came into effect in November 2016, and measures to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are required in all aspects of society
(2) It was found that setting the recycled material rate of plastic materials to 100% would reduce GHG emissions by 28% (1316 kg-CO2e/t) compared to when the recycled material rate was 0%. (3) It was found that GHG emissions can be reduced by up to about 28% by multiple recycling of Wood-plastic recycled composite (WPRC)
For example, an evaluation factor included in LEED is the use of building materials that quantify GHG emissions based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) method
Summary
The Paris Agreement, a framework for climate change control, came into effect in November 2016, and measures to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are required in all aspects of society. Previous studies on LCA of WPC include that of Bolin and Smith [20], who described a case where WPC using HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) as a plastic raw material was used as a deck material and compared it with a solid wood deck treated with alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) For this LCA, WPC was modeled as if manufactured from 50% recycled wood flour, 25% post-consumer recycled HDPE, and 25% virgin HDPE. In WPC made with a high amount of secondary wood, processing of secondary wood particles contributes to the overall environmental impacts because secondary plastic granulates are directly useable in the context of an established market for high-quality secondary plastic granulates These studies are important findings that suggest that the use of recycled materials in plastic-based materials will reduce the environmental impact.
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