Recycling of Plastic Containers and Packaging and its Effect on Environmental Load Reduction

Abstract

A quantitative evaluation regarding the mitigation effects on environmental load and resource consumption is required for various kinds of plastic containers and package recycling, including material recycling, feedstock recycling and energy recovery. This article reviews the current literature on life-cycle assessment (LCA) for plastic containers and packaging recycling and examines the effects of various kinds of recycling on carbon dioxide (CO₂) mitigation. The problems surrounding LCA of plastic containers and packaging recycling are also reviewed here. Findings show that the results of LCA depended on the setting of system boundaries and replaced products.