Summary
This lifecycle assessment compares the carbon footprint of biodegradable plastic products (bags, lunch boxes, cups) against conventional plastics across production, use, and four disposal pathways, using China as a case study. Biodegradable plastics showed 13.5–62% lower emissions than traditional plastics, with significant reductions at raw material acquisition and waste disposal stages. The analysis identifies composting and anaerobic digestion as preferable disposal methods but notes that cost remains a barrier to widespread adoption of biodegradable alternatives.
UK applicability
The findings are broadly relevant to United Kingdom policy on single-use plastic reduction and circular economy transitions, though UK waste infrastructure, energy mix, and material sourcing differ from China. Local lifecycle assessments reflecting UK conditions and waste management systems would be needed to validate applicability to UK regulatory and industrial contexts.
Key measures
Carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (kg CO2eq) per 1000 plastic products across production, transport, use, and disposal stages; percentage reduction in emissions between product types and disposal scenarios
Outcomes reported
The study evaluated and compared lifecycle carbon emissions across four stages for traditional plastic products (TPPs) and biodegradable plastic products (BPPs), considering four waste disposal scenarios. Carbon emissions for 1000 TPPs ranged from 52.09–150.36 kg CO2eq, whilst similar BPPs ranged from 21.06–56.86 kg CO2eq, representing 13.53%–62.19% lower emissions.
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