Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polyolefin Plastics Supply Chains in the United States

Chaudhari, Utkarsh S.; Johnson, Anne T.; Reck, Barbara K.; Handler, Robert M.; Thompson, Vicki S.; Hartley, Damon S.; Young, Wendy; Watkins, David; Shonnard, David

doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c04004

Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polyolefin Plastics Supply Chains in the United States

Journal Article · Thu Sep 22 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c04004· OSTI ID:1902898

^[1]; Johnson, Anne T. ^[2]; ^[3]; Handler, Robert M. ^[1]; ^[4]; ^[4]; Young, Wendy ^[5]; ^[1]; ^[1]

Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI (United States)
Resource Recycling Systems, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States)
Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Chemstations Inc., Houston, TX (United States)

Plastics are useful and beneficial materials that contribute to an improved quality of life, yet they generate significant solid wastes and emissions and consume significant energy resources. Systems analysis is incomplete on current linear production systems of plastics supply chains and their associated processes. Our study combines material flow and life cycle assessment data sets of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and the main polyolefin polymers in the United States, comprising over 70% of plastics flows. This study estimates the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption of these supply chains, including transportation and end-of-life processes, lacking in prior studies. Here we calculate annual GHG emissions and energy consumption of these plastic supply chains to be 101 MMT CO₂-eq and 3248 PJ in 2019, respectively. The GHG emissions of these supply chains represented 1.5% of the total U.S. emissions and 5% of the total U.S. industry-related GHG emissions. The total energy consumption of these supply chains represented 3.1% of the total U.S. energy consumption in 2019. Transportation of PET and polyolefin plastic materials contributes 5% and 2% to the total supply chain GHG emissions and energy consumption, respectively. This baseline study provides a benchmark and enables a comparison to future circular production systems for plastics in the United States.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: REMADE Institute; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Advanced Manufacturing Office

Grant/Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517; EE0007897

OSTI ID:: 1902898

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU-22-69226-Rev000

Journal Information:: ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, Journal Name: ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Journal Issue: 39 Vol. 10; ISSN 2168-0485

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment of Polyethylene Terephthalate and Polyolefin Plastics Supply Chains in the United States

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