Study: Recycled PET, HDPE saves energy, greenhouse gasses
New life cycle inventory (LCI) data for recycled PET and HDPE has found that using each resin “significantly” reduces the environmental impact of products produced made from the materials, according to a study released by The National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR). LCI data is used to create life cycle assessments (LCAs) used to measure sustainability of packaging or other products.
“The sustainability profile and analysis for the PET package must not only take into account its recyclability, and the increasing use of recycled PET resin content in new packaging, but also PET’s inherent performance characteristics: lightweight; shatter-resistant; safe; able to preserve taste and other product characteristics on-shelf; and its suitability to be made significantly lighter without sacrificing performance for a variety of product applications,” says Dennis Sabourin, NAPCOR Executive Director.
According to NAPCOR, using the LCI data and information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the total amount of PET post consumer containers recycled in 2008, if reclaimed in the U.S., would require approximately 30 trillion British thermal units (Btu) less energy than what would be used to make the equivalent tonnage of virgin PET resin. Additionally, the corresponding savings in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is 1.1 million tons of CO2 equivalents.
The LCI study, “Final Report — Life Cycle Inventory of 100% Postconsumer HDPE and PET Recycled Resin from Postconsumer Containers and Packaging,” was conducted by Franklin Associates, Ltd. and sponsored jointly by NAPCOR, the American Chemistry Council (ACC), the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR), and the PET Resin Association (PETRA).
Cited by Plastics Recycling Update
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