Assessing Different Recycling Options for Plastic Wastes from Discarded Mobile Phones in the Context of LCA

Abstract

In the present work, the energy recovery and the mechanical recycling, i.e. two recycling options for plastic wastes from the discarded mobile phone have been assessed and compared in the context of the life cycle assessment methodology (LCA). The environmental impact of each option was assessed by first calculating the following impact indicators: depletion of abiotic resources (ADP), and global warming potential (GWP). Then, the indicators were aggregated and compared to select the option with the smaller environmental impact. The main finding of this study was that mechanical recycling of plastics is more attractive treatment option in environmental terms than incineration for energy recovery.