Tons Of CO2-eq Research Articles

Environmental impact assessment of direct lithium extraction from brine resources: Global warming potential, land use, water consumption, and charting sustainable scenarios

Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) has emerged as an alternative that bypasses lengthy evaporation processes to produce lithium from brine sources. This study scrutinizes both direct and indirect environmental impacts of DLE, specifically focusing on global warming, land use, and water consumption in Clayton Valley, Nevada. It was compared to traditional brine and hard rock extraction methods. The DLE method is closely tied to energy usage, and this study has explored various scenarios for power sources. The TRACI, ReCiPe, and AWARE methods of life cycle assessment were employed to evaluate the environmental footprint, indirect land use, and water footprint of lithium production from various sources. According to the study, producing one ton of lithium carbonate using the DLE method showed distinct emissions profiles. Specifically, when electricity was sourced from a diesel generator, the Nevada grid, or solar panels, the emissions totaled approximately 22, 17.3, and 7.6 tons of CO2eq, respectively. Switching power sources goes beyond affecting greenhouse gas emissions; it also influences land use impacts and individual water consumption, as evaluated in this study. The direct land use for DLE is as follows: 16, 493, 182, and 659 m²/ton of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) for processing plant, processing plant, well field, processing plant, solar panel area, and all regions required with solar panels, respectively. In assessing the water footprint, the study determined varying water deprivation potentials depending on the electricity source utilized: 3.7 m³eq/kg of LCE with a diesel generator, 9.5 m³eq/kg of LCE with the Nevada grid, and 4.2 m³eq/kg of LCE with solar panels.

The carbon footprint of future engineered wood construction in Montreal

Engineered wood (EW) has the potential to reduce global carbon emissions from the building sector by substituting carbon-intensive concrete and steel for carbon-sequestering wood. However, studies accounting for material use and embodied carbon in buildings rarely analyse the city-scale or capture connections between the city and supplying hinterlands. This limits our knowledge of the effectiveness of decarbonising cities using EW and its potential adverse effects, such as deforestation. We address this gap by combining bottom-up material accounting of construction materials with life cycle assessment to analyse the carbon emissions and land occupation from future residential construction in Montreal, Canada. We compare material demand and environmental impacts of recent construction using concrete and steel to future construction using EW at the neighbourhood, urban scales under high- and low-density growth scenarios. We estimate that baseline embodied carbon per capita across the Agglomeration of Montreal is 3.2 tonnes per carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq.), but this ranges from 8.2 tonnes CO2eq. per capita in areas with large single-family housing to 2.0 tonnes CO2eq. per capita where smaller homes predominate. A Montreal-wide transition to EW may increase carbon footprint by up to 25% under certain scenarios, but this varies widely across the city and is tempered through urban densification. Likewise, a transition to EW results in less than 0.1% land transformation across Quebec’s timbershed. Moreover, sustainable logging practices that sequester carbon can actually produce a carbon-negative building stock in the future if carbon in the wood is not re-emitted when buildings are demolished or repurposed. To decarbonise future residential construction, Montreal should enact policies to simultaneously promote EW and denser settlement patterns in future construction and work with construction firms to ensure they source timber sustainably.

Reducing Energy Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Industrial Drying Processes in Lithium-Ion Battery Cell Production: A Qualitative Technology Benchmark

As the world’s automotive battery cell production capacity expands, so too does the demand for sustainable production. Much of the industry’s efforts are aimed at reducing the high energy consumption in battery cell production. A key driver is electrode drying, which is currently performed in long ovens using large volumes of hot air. Several drying technologies from other industries could reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions if successfully applied to battery cell production. High process and quality requirements must be met when adapting these technologies for battery cell production. Evaluating the technologies against these requirements is difficult due to the technological novelty of this industry and the associated lack of data. Furthermore, the significant differences in drying technologies render a comparison even more challenging. One objective of this study was to evaluate drying technologies and identify those that could be best adapted to lithium-ion battery cell production. Near-infrared and laser drying were found to be the best in terms of energy efficiency, cost savings and other parameters. Another aim was to analyse, in more detail, the technological challenges and the advantages and disadvantages of the top-ranked drying technologies. Finally, the saving potential for greenhouse gas emissions of near-infrared and laser drying was calculated for a global production scenario of LIB cells in 2030. The saving potential in this scenario would amount to 2.63 million metric tonnes (Mt) CO2eq per year if near-infrared drying was applied in all global LIB cell production facilities within the mentioned scenario and 1.47 million Mt CO2eq per year for laser drying.

Trimming the Plate: A Comprehensive Case Study on Effective Food Waste Reduction Strategies in Corporate Canteens

This case study analyses food waste reduction measures in a corporate canteen, addressing environmental, economic, and social sustainability dimensions. By implementing seven actions such as raising awareness among kitchen staff, providing smaller portions and preparing soup from overproduction, food waste was reduced by 46% in two canteens serving up to 1800 people daily over the time period of six months. This preserved 343 kg of food waste, conserving over 450,000 kcal in nutritional value and yielding net economic savings of over 15,500 Euros, as well as environmental savings of over 31 tonnes CO2 eq. and 213 mPt PEF. The Benefit-to-Cost Ratio (BCR) of 0.03 kg of food waste saved per 1 Euro invested, along with the associated savings of 40.78 kcal, 2.74 kg CO2 eq., 0.02 mPt PEF, and 2.37 Euros, exemplifies the overall success of these actions. Therefore, this business case offers valuable insights into how (corporate) canteens can enhance sustainability and resource conservation by reducing food waste.

Greenhouse gas emissions trends and drivers insights from the domestic aviation in Thailand

Domestic aviation is a swiftly expanding contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Presently, economic volatility and the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis have resulted in the decline of domestic aviation, but domestic aviation is rapidly recovering in many countries. However, from a GHG emissions viewpoint, the domestic aviation sector is largely unenforced even though the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) provision for international aviation is currently in place. Accordingly, the knowledge base on emissions and their drivers from domestic aviation is weak, especially in developing countries, thus hindering an evidence-based policy debate. In this context, we have estimated and analyzed the pre-COVID-19 GHG emissions and their trends from commercial domestic aviation in Thailand; and provided insights on the role of key drivers that influence GHG emissions that are expected to be useful not only for Thailand but also for other developing countries. Emissions are estimated following Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier-II. Specifically, activity-based landing/take-off (LTO) cycle and cruise. This is compared to the Tier-I method, and key drivers were analyzed using an index decomposition method. The total annual average GHG emissions for all LTO cycles and cruises of commercial domestic aviation for 2015–2020 was 2254 Th. tonnes of CO2-eq. During the LTO cycle of the aircraft, GHG emissions were at an average of 983 Th. tonnes of CO2-eq. Additionally, during the cruise stage, emissions averaged 1270 Th. tonnes of CO2-eq. The choice of accounting methods (i.e., IPCC Tier II vs. Tier I) seems to have had only nominal implications. Our analysis showed that, in the 2008–2020 period, the aviation activity effect and economic growth were the key decisive factors in this sector's GHG emissions growth. It was followed by the fuel energy intensity levels and the population effect in descending order of impact. These findings have significant ramifications for present and future policies aimed at decreasing GHG emissions, aiding Thailand in achieving its climate targets by 2050, and enhancing energy efficiency as the domestic aviation market adapts.

Optimization of the vinyl-monochloride recovery process for the reduction of costs and environmental impact

Reducing environmental impacts in the production processes is the focus of large industries. In the PVC production process, the loss of vinyl monochloride (VCM) through an incineration stream of inert materials is a point of attention due to emission of greenhouse gases. VCM is lost as part of the stream of uncondensed gases from the VCM recovery unit. The optimization of the VCM recovery process was carried out by modelling the industrial system and running it using a process simulator. The unit model and simulation results have been verified through plant operating data. Sensitivity analyses were performed to identify which independent variables improved the VCM condensation rate. Based on plant operating experience, three independent variables were selected and their influence on the VCM recovery flow rate was verified: pressure, composition of the input stream and utility water flow rate. After the sensitivity analysis, the plant operating pressure was selected for optimization, resulting in the additional quarterly recovery of 7.5 tons of VCM and a reduction of more than 5 tons of natural gas fuel, that is, an annual reduction of 23 tons of fuel, which represents 53 tons of CO2eq. Overall, the annual savings amount to US$15,000, US$1,060 by reducing the consumption of fuel gas alone. Therefore, by ensuring greater VCM recovery, competitiveness improves by reducing production costs, and greenhouse gas emissions are reduced due to the decrease in gas incineration.

Energy Demand and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Analysis in Mongolia: A LEAP Model Application

The energy system of Mongolia faces two challenges to meet domestic energy demand and to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Electricity and heat in Mongolia are generated mainly by coal-fired combined heat and power plants. Despite a low share of global greenhouse gas emissions, Mongolia is experiencing an increase in greenhouse gas emissions per capita. This paper presents the results of the analysis of the greenhouse gas emissions scenario of the energy system. The analysis employed the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) to model the energy generation mix and scenarios up to 2050. The analysis utilizes 2018 as the base year and builds on a set of forty-nine mitigation measures identified by the Government of Mongolia. Implementation of these measures is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 21.5 million tonnes of CO2-eq by 2030 and 36.5 million tonnes of CO2-eq by 2050 compared to the baseline.

Research on the improvement of carbon neutrality by utilizing agricultural waste: Based on a life cycle assessment of biomass briquette fuel heating system

Various environmental issues caused by global warming demand urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Implementing a carbon neutrality strategy emerges as an effective solution to alleviate environmental pollution. The use of biomass briquette fuel significantly contributes to promoting carbon neutrality. In this study, the life cycle assessment (LCA) method was employed to create a model for assessing carbon reduction in biomass briquette fuel heating systems. The findings suggested that the use of agricultural waste briquette fuel for heating has great potential for carbon neutrality. The utilization of 100,000 tons of biomass briquette fuel by a heating enterprise resulted in a remarkable reduction of 335,679 tons of CO2-eq, equivalent to 91,305 tons of carbon. This substitution also displaced 63,558 tons of coal, leading to a reduction of 5460 tons of SO2 and 1012 tons of PM10. The sensitivity analysis identified that transportation distance, energy consumption, and pollutant removal technologies were the primary drivers influencing carbon reduction. Subsequently, some recommendations were proposed to enhance the carbon neutrality of biomass briquette fuel heating systems. These findings have significant implications for achieving carbon neutrality.

Optimization of water-energy-food nexus via an integrated system of solar-assisted desalination and farming

This paper introduces a systematic framework for water-energy-food (WEF) nexus with focus on integrating water desalination (via reverse osmosis and thermal desalination), energy generation (from fossil-based power plants and solar panels), and crop production. Specifically, the paper provides generally applicable and new contributions in formulating WEF nexus problems as multi-objective, multi-period optimization problems with data-driven models based on field work. The paper also established a systematic method for integrating and reconciling farming methods, water technologies, energy-resource selection and operation, carbon footprint, and economic factors. A superstructure representation is used to embed the candidate options and configurations. An optimization formulation is developed to determine the optimal system configuration, water and energy uses and sources, and crop mix selection. A multi-period model is developed to account for the seasonal variability. The optimization model is solved under different carbon-footprint cuts to establish a tradeoff curve between the economic and environmental objectives. To generate the necessary experimental data for a meaningful case study, a year-long field study was carried out to generate experimental data for three fields were constructed in Kuwait using open-field, agrivoltaic, and greenhouse farming methods. The field data were extracted and coupled with the optimization formulation to apply the proposed approach to a case study. First, the optimization formulation was solved to maximize the net profit with no limits on the carbon footprint. The solution of this relaxed formulation gives a maximum profit of 2.127 MM USD/y and an annual emission of 2242 tonne CO2eq. Next, the optimization formulation was solved with the objective of minimizing the total annual emissions. The result was a minimum annual emission of 363 tonne CO2eq that corresponded to 1.366 MM USD/y of profit. The ɛ-constraint method was employed to establish tradeoffs between the economic and environmental objectives. The solutions also provided valuable information on the percentage contribution of solar energy and water sources.

Potential reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from waste banks and 3R waste treatment facilities in Bandung City

The Indonesian government has established a 30% reduction by 2030 target for reducing GHG emissions, through the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) approach. In the City of Bandung, various institutions are involved in waste handling and reduction. The objectives of this study were to determine the GHG emissions, resulting from household waste disposal at Sarimukti Landfill, without (scenario 1) and with (scenario 2) the utilisation of Waste Banks, 3R Waste Treatment Facility (TPS 3R), and an incinerator in a TPS 3R, at Ciwastra Market, as well as to estimate the GHG emissions, once Bandung City successfully achieves its waste reduction and waste management target in 2025, as stated in the Bandung Mayor Regulation No. 1426 of 2018, leveraging all existing facilities with the landfilling (scenario 3) and incineration (scenario 4) method. The calculations made were aligned with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2019 Guidelines Tier 1. The findings of this study revealed that, in the first scenario, the GHG emissions amount to 185,271.934 tons of CO2eq. In the second scenario, the emissions amount to 150,423.096 tons of CO2eq. Consequently, the reduction in GHG emissions achieved is 34,848.847 tons CO2eq. In the third scenario, the emissions are 64,373.560 tons of CO2eq, while in the fourth scenario, GHG emissions are 70,001.973 tons of CO2eq. These findings highlight the substantial GHG emission reductions achievable through the implementation of waste management strategies. By adopting these approaches, it is possible to mitigate the environmental impact of waste disposal and contribute to the reduction of GHG emissions, well in tandem with the climate change mitigation goals.

A mapping of electric construction machinery and electric construction sites in Norway

The Norwegian construction industry is responsible for ca. 2.2 million tonnes CO2eq in 2021. The rise in GHG emissions, noise and air pollution in the built environment is becoming a potential hazard due to the large growth of construction activities within cities. As a response, actors from the Norwegian construction industry have converted diesel construction machinery to electric operation to reduce these impacts. As a result, the electric construction machinery market in Norway has grown exponentially. However, access to electric construction machinery varies greatly. The aim of this paper is to map the available electric construction machinery on the Norwegian market as first steps towards creating a database of electric construction machinery for subsequent energy and power demand modelling of fully electric construction sites. This paper also maps the regional differences in construction machine availability through mapping the known public construction sites in Norway that use electric construction machinery.

Assessing the cost-effectiveness of carbon neutrality for light-duty vehicle sector in China

China's progress in decarbonizing its transportation, particularly vehicle electrification, is notable. However, the economically effective pathways are underexplored. To find out how much cost is necessary for carbon neutrality for the light-duty vehicle (LDV) sector, this study examines twenty decarbonization pathways, combining the New Energy and Oil Consumption Credit model and the China-Fleet model. We find that the 2060 zero-greenhouse gas (GHG) emission goal for LDVs is achievable via electrification if the battery pack cost is under CNY483/kWh by 2050. However, an extra of CNY8.86 trillion internal subsidies is needed under pessimistic battery cost scenarios (CNY759/kWh in 2050) to eliminate 246 million tonnes of CO2-eq by 2050 ensuring over 80% market penetration of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in 2050. Moreover, the promotion of fuel cell electric vehicles is synergy with BEVs to mitigate the carbon abatement difficulties, decreasing up to 34% of the maximum marginal abatement internal investment.

Techno-economic assessment of energy and environmental impact of waste-to-energy electricity generation

This study explored cumulative 127.5MW waste to energy (WtE) potential in five populous cities of Pakistan based on local waste characterization profiles and global standards. The 50MW WtE plant in Lahore using National electricity regulator codes and practices resulted in an attractive Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of US¢ 7.86/kWh over 25 years with a $151.5 million investment cost. The net savings to Lahore Waste Management Company can be $103.4 and $137.7 million respectively with and without tipping fees on account of waste disposal cost, bricks revenue using bottom ash, and waste fee. The project developers can get net savings of $16.9 and $51.5 million respectively with and without tipping fees other than LCOE. Furthermore, the greenhouse gas emissions of 216.6 million tons of CO2eq can be saved throughout plant life against 279 GWh/year energy generation, in terms of grid emission factor and current methane release into the atmosphere from the dumping site.

The hidden carbon impact of animal disease.

Livestock production is under scrutiny for its impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Animal disease outbreaks will have economic effects on producers and the indirect cost of an animal disease outbreak is the result of shifts in consumption across commodities. This shift in demand for meat products will also positively or negatively affect carbon emissions. We explore the indirect costs and subsequent carbon impact of four potential exotic disease outbreaks, namely African swine fever, sheep pox, bluetongue, and foot and mouth disease. The indirect costs are quantified under different severities of outbreak using a vector error correction model and by estimating the changes in revenues of livestock and feed markets. By associating subsequent consumption switches with emission factors, we quantify the hidden carbon impact of these livestock disease outbreaks. The indirect costs vary based on severity and type of disease outbreak. Similarly, the net reduction in supply and subsequent consumption impacts result in averting between 0.005 and 0.67 million tonnes of CO2 eq. for these sectors. A foot and mouth disease outbreak has the highest indirect costs and largest reduction in GHG emissions as it decreases the production of cattle as consumers switch to lower emitting meat commodities. Conversely, African swine fever has the smallest reduction in GHG emissions, reflecting the more industrialised nature of pig farming. Our modelling approach opens a provocative debate around how compensation to producers supports restocking and how this relates to commitments to net zero farming. Overall, an exotic disease outbreak may trigger an opportunity to switch to lower emitting breeds or species if a more holistic, joined up approach were taken by Government.

CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions from dredged material exposed to drying and zeolite addition under field and laboratory conditions

Dredging, the removal of sediment from water courses, is generally conducted to maintain their navigability and to improve water quality. Recent studies indicate that dredging can significantly reduce aquatic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These studies, however, do not consider the potential emission from the dredged material (sludge) in the depot. In addition, it is unknown if and how GHG emissions from sludge depots can be reduced. Here we present spatiotemporal variations of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes, as well as environmental variables from a sludge depot located in the Netherlands. Measurements were conducted monthly from the time the depot was filled until the sludge was dry and the depot was abolished. We also experimentally assessed the GHG mitigation potential of 1) keeping the sludge permanently inundated, and 2) the addition of different amounts of zeolite to increase sludge nitrogen binding capacity to reduce N2O emissions. In the depot and in the laboratory, a decrease in moisture content coincided with increased CO2 and N2O emissions while CH4 emissions decreased. We observed that permanent inundation reduced emissions (∼4 times less CO2-eq than in drying sludge). Adding zeolite lowered N2O fluxes from permanently inundated sludge but did not reduce total GHG emissions. During the depot's operational period, average CO2, CH4, and N2O fluxes were 5078, 27, and 5 mg m−2 d−1, respectively. GHG emissions from drying sludge occurred mainly in the form of CO2 (73% of the total CO2-eq emissions), with average GHG emission rates comparable to those reported for ditches and ponds. We estimate that approximately 14 tons of CO2-eq were emitted from the 0.011 km2 depot, which contained ∼20,000 m3 of sludge, during its entire operational period, and we argue that more studies are needed, considering different sludge origins, to expand our understanding of sludge depots.

Three Decades of Climate Mitigation Policy: What Has It Delivered?

After tentative efforts during the 1990s, the past two decades have seen a rapid increase in the number of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation policies, initially in a few frontrunner countries and more recently spreading globally. Over the same period, GHG emissions have continued to rise, but the rate of growth has recently slowed. Are mitigation policies having an effect? To explore this question, we review and synthesize the empirical literature on the impact of mitigation policies on three key outcomes: GHG emissions, proximate emission drivers like energy intensity and land use, and low-carbon technologies. Our key contribution to the available literature lies in establishing an empirically based track record of climate action, focusing on methodologically sound ex post studies. We find that mitigation policies have had a discernible impact on emissions and multiple emission drivers. Most notably, they have led to reductions in energy use, declines in deforestation rates, as well as cost reductions and capacity expansions of low-carbon technologies in many instances. Furthermore, implemented policies to date are likely to have reduced global emissions by several billion tons of CO2eq per year compared to a world without mitigation policies. In the light of current ambitions on climate action falling short of what is required to limit global warming to the Paris temperature goals, we conclude that there is ample evidence of policy instruments with demonstrable impacts, but that efforts need to be hugely strengthened and expanded. Also, far more attention is required to policy monitoring, evaluation, and learning so as to strengthen the basis for future policy and the attribution of its impacts.

The Impact of Manure Use for Energy Purposes on the Economic Balance of a Dairy Farm

The use of methane fermentation in mesophilic conditions for the energy use of cow manure and additional co-substrates from the farm can bring a small dairy farm (140 dairy cows) financial benefits of up to EUR 114,159 per year. Taking into account the need to pay for emissions calculated as carbon dioxide equivalent, this profit could be reduced to EUR 81,323 per year. With the traditional direct use of manure, this profit would drop by as much as 60% to the level of EUR 33,944 per year. Therefore, the introduction of fees for emissions may significantly burden current dairy farms. As has already been shown, just compacting and covering the manure (which costs approx. EUR 2000 per year for 140 cows) would give almost twice as much profit—EUR 64,509 per year. Although an investment in a small biogas plant with a cogeneration unit on a family dairy farm may have a payback period of less than 6.5 years and a return of capital employed of 16%, most small farms in the world will not be able to afford its construction without external subsidies. At the same time, it would make it possible to reduce emissions by almost 270 times—from 41,460 to 154 tons of CO2eq per year—and the possibility of preserving valuable nutrients and minerals and supporting soil properties in the digestate. Therefore, it seems necessary for Europe to introduce a support system for small- and medium-sized farms with this type of investment in the near future in a much larger form than it has been so far.

Carbon Emissions Prediction from Land Change Model in Bandung Regency, Indonesia

Carbon emissions in Bandung Regency is potentially increasing and can harm future environment in the area. Our study aims to predict carbon emissions in Bandung Regency based on land changes model of the area. We utilized Cellular Automata Markov method which predicted land use in the years of 2027 and 2036. This land use prediction used overlay intersect method and were analysed using two scenarios: backward and forward looking. The backward looking scenario analysis combined the land used map of 2019 and two land use maps prediction of 2027 and 2036. Meanwhile, the forward looking scenario analysis combined the land used map of 2019 and the urban planning plan of Bandung Regency in the years of 2016 to 2036. Carbon emission were calculate using stock difference method for both scenarios. Afterwards, the carbon emission results were classified using quartile method. The result in the backward scenario showed that the carbon emission is dominated compare to sequestration, with total emission of 811,330.81 tonnes of CO2 eq for the years of 2019 to 2027 and 998,288.22 tonnes of CO2 eq for the years of 2019 to 2036. In the forward looking scenario, carbon sequestration is dominated compare to emission, with highest sequestration around -804,125.22 tonnes of CO2 eq, while highest emission is around 245,506.51 tonnes CO2 eq. Overall, both simulation showed that the highest emission occurs in Cilengkrang-Cimenyan development area, and the carbon sequestration occurs in Baleendah, Cileunyi-Rancaekek, and Margahayu-Margaasih development areas.

Informal waste pickers in guayaquil: Recycling rates, environmental benefits, main barriers, and troubles

Systems for managing municipal solid waste are typically ineffective in developing nations because of governments' deficient financial and administrative frameworks, poor rules, and a lack of suitable infrastructure and human resources. The informal sector plays an essential role in these systems by reprocessing waste into secondary raw materials, reducing collection and disposal costs, and, most importantly, benefiting the environment by avoiding incineration and landfilling. However, their actual contributions remain unknown. The present paper aims to understand the role of informal waste pickers (IWPs) in the waste management system of Guayaquil City and their environmental impact through the calculations of the carbon footprint (CF) avoided due to their aid. The survey design gathered information on their personal profiles, types, and rates of collected recyclables, market conditions, their main barriers, and troubles regarding their formalization. The results of the survey demonstrate that waste picking is mostly a male-driven activity, the average daily mass collected per IWP is 13 kg, the most collected recyclable waste is polyethylene terephthalate, their average monthly income is $179, and the total avoided CF of the entire informal waste picking process is almost 14 thousand tons of CO2 eq yearly. Further, IWPs prefer to operate alone, and only 16% of them would join a cooperative, despite their numerous financial, logistical, and personal challenges.

Feasibility Study of Closed-Loop Recycling for Plastic Generated from Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) in South Korea

Plastics follow a linear economic structure, leading to detrimental environmental effects, such as global warming and ecosystem destruction, through incineration and accumulation throughout their life cycle. This study examined the types, potential generation amounts, and properties of recycled plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) to assess the feasibility of the closed-loop recycling of plastics from WEEE under South Korea’s EPR system. Actual data from companies were used to determine the factors, such as the processing volume of WEEE. As of 2021, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (53,363 tons), polypropylene (14,320 tons), and polystyrene (8199 tons) were the recycled plastics produced by both large and small WEEE. The properties of recycled plastics meet the specifications of new electrical and electronic products. In addition, an analysis using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology showed that the recycling effect (avoided emissions) reached 262,033 tons of CO2 eq. per year. Therefore, closed-loop recycling is the most suitable and effective method for reducing greenhouse gases. This paper presents the potential amount of recycled plastics generated from WEEE within South Korea’s regulatory framework, providing valuable foundational data for policy development for promoting the use of recycled plastics.