Life cycle analysis of current PPE Starbucks cups and redesign of it with a more sustainable material.

1. LCA Mini-Project
Life Cycle Assessment & Product Redesign
MECH 4504: Life-Cycle Analysis & Sustainability
Jesse Dick
Darren Thai
Abhimanyu Sehrawat
Michael Di Matteo

2. Goal
● Analyze and compare the environmental performance of Bio-based Polybutylene
Succinate and Polypropylene
● To analyze and compare the different methods of disposal for cup and lid system
● Determine and support the most environmentally suitable choice of material for the
coffee company

3. Scope
● Cradle-to-grave life of a cup and
lid system
○ Raw material procurement
○ Retirement and disposal
● 2 material alternatives:
○ BioPBSTM
○ Polypropylene (PP)
● 3 end-of-life alternatives:
○ Landfill
○ Compost
○ Recycling

4. Functional Unit
1 kg of plastic
● All values for assessment will be in terms of per 1 kg of
material

5. System Boundaries
Included Excluded
Raw materials production Capital equipment and maintenance
Processing of materials Overhead costs (heating, lighting) of
manufacturing facilities
Energy production Human labour
Transportation of raw and processed
materials
Transportation of materials within a
facility
Transportation of finished product Use of product
Product disposal

6. System Boundaries

7. LCIA: Data Collection
● Production
○ Material Input
○ Energy Consumption
○ Process Emissions
● Transportation
○ Transport of raw materials
○ Transport to distribution centres
○ Transport to coffee shops
○ Transportation emissions
● Manufacturing
○ Weight of cup & lid
○ Electricity consumption
○ Process Emission
● Disposal
○ Process Emissions

8. LCI: Production Phase
PP Granulate Production
● Geographical location: US
● Raw material: Propene

9. LCI: Production Phase
PP Granulate Production
● Bottom-up analysis of the system product.

10. LCI: Production Phase
Bio-based Succinic Acid
Production
● Functional unit: 1Kg of Bio-succinic acid.
● System boundary: Cradle-to-factory gate.
● Feedstock data: European dextrose production from
corn starch.
● Process data:
-Riverdia’s bio-based operating plant.
-UNFCC database

11. LCI: Production Phase
Bio-based Succinic Acid
Production
● Mass values are converted to the energy values.
● SO2 and NOx emissions are neglected.

12. LCI: Production Phase
Petrochemical-based
Succinic Acid Production
● Petrochemical route: Production of
Maleic Anhydride(MAn)
● MAn hydrogenation produces
succinic Anhydride and succinic
acid.
● Fossil based inventory is quantified
: Gate-to Gate approach.

13. LCI: Production Phase
Fossil-based inventory of 1,4
BDO:
● Geographical location: Japan
● Eco-invent database

14. LCI: Production Phase
Fossil and Biomass-based
(Hybrid):
BioPBS Production
Unit Process for PBS:
● Production of Bio-PBS using Bi-
based succinic acid and
petrochemical based 1,4
Butanediol (BDO)

15. LCI: Production Phase
Fossil and Biomass-based
(Hybrid):
BioPBS Production
Unit Process for PBS Pellets:

16. LCI: Manufacturing
PP[2] BioPBSTM*
Weight per unit (grams)
Cup 13.18 17.76
Lid 2.12 2.86
● Weight for PP cup & lid:
○ Secondary data retrieved from original LCA study
● Weight for BioPBSTM cup and lid:
○ Estimated based on secondary data

17. LCI: Transportation
Transport
PP[2] Bio-succinic acid
Pellets to manufacturer 865 miles [train] 771 miles [train]
Manufacturer to distribution
center
1200 miles [train] 709 miles [train]
Distribution center to coffee
shops
75 miles [truck] 33 miles [truck]

18. LCI: End of Life Phase
Recycling
Pollutant
Composting and Post
Composting (kg CO2/kg
Recycled)
CO2 8.43e-3
CO2 Emissions from Recycling Organic Fraction of Solid Waste

19. LCI: End of Life Phase
Landfill
● Both PP and BioPBSTM have
inert behaviour
○ No emissions outside of
general landfill operation
○ Both emissions would be
equal and therefore
neglected

20. LCI: End of Life Phase
Composting
Composting Data
PP BioPBSTM[3]
Composting
Period
Cannot Compost 120 Days
Composting
Temperature
N/A 30oC
Material Type
Total Energy Required
for Composting (MJ/kg
Composted)
Total CO2 Emissions
from Composting (kg
CO2/kg Composted)
Organics 6.7e-7 0.0441
Emissions Associated with Transporting and Turning CompostBioPBSTM Composting Potential

21. Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA)

26. Interpretation
Advantages
● Energy Consumption
○ PP>BioPBSTM by 46%
● LHV Primary Energy Demand
○ PP>BioPBSTM by 5.71%
Areas for Improvement
● Global Warming Potential
○ PP<BioPBSTM by 22.22%
Recommendation is to use BioPBSTM because although the GWP is greater, it has
low energy consumption value from manufacturing and a lower LHV

27. Thankyou!

28. References
[1] http://www.stickpng.com/img/kitchenware/cups/top-coffee-cup
[2] https://www.behance.net/gallery/29540325/Starbucks-Brand-Web-Print-Advertising
[3] https://www.iconfinder.com/icons/517080/conveyor_factory_industrial_industry_machine_process_production_icon#size=128
[4] https://pixabay.com/en/truck-lorry-vehicle-transport-145222/
[5] https://www.iconfinder.com/icons/471516/conveyor_factory_industrial_industry_manufacturing_production_work_icon#size=128
[6] https://icons8.com/icon/10753/disposal
[7] https://phenq.com/blog/1kg-weight-loss-important-think/
[8] https://www.myessentia.com/blog/how-many-landfills-are-there-in-canada/