Life-cycle assessment or LCA (also known as life-cycle analysis) is a methodology for assessing environmental impacts associated with all the stages of the life-cycle of a commercial product, process, or service. For instance, in the case of a manufactured product, environmental impacts are assessed from raw material extraction and processing (cradle), through the product's manufacture, distribution, and use, to the recycling or final disposal of the materials composing it.

1. KULVENDRA PATEL
2K19/ENE/05
LIFE
CYCLE
ASSESSMENT
ROHIT AGRAWAL
2K19/ENE/04
Delhi Technological University

2. Environmental Impact Assessment of Plastic bottles
using LCA software
1 . M E T H O D O L O G Y
 LCA is based on ISO 14040 and 14044.
Production Transportation Bottle Filling
Functional Unit:- 1 unit of bottle product with a volume of 1 litre water
1.1 Goal and Definition
• PET vs PC
• Cradle to grave analysis of PET
 Boundary Definition and Functional Unit
• Case-1 PET vs PC

3. • Case-2 Cradle-to-Grave analysis of PET Bottle
Bottled Water
Life Cycle
PET Bottle Raw Material
Production
Recycled PET
Production
Virgin PET
Production
PP CAP
Cap Injection
Molding
Cap Raw Material
Production
PET Bottle Converting
Preform Injection
Molding
Blow Molding to
Bottle OPP Label
Label Raw Material
Production Label Extrusion
Refrigeration
Treated Spring
Water
Distribution
Bottled Water
Disposal
Bottled Water
Recycling
Rigid Plastic in
Landfill
Plastic Resin
Incineration
Functional Unit:- 1 unit of bottle product with a volume of 0.5 litre water

4. 1.2 Life Cycle Inventory (LCI)
• Case-1 PET vs PC
PET Bottle Production PC Bottle Production
PET Granulate
Production
Polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) granulate
60 g
PC Granulate
Production
Polycarbonate (PC) granulate 60 g
Polyethylene high density (PE-
HD) granulate
4 g
Polyethylene low density (PE-
LD) granulate 4 g
Polypropylene (PP) granulate 1 g Polybutadiene (PB) granulate 1 g
PET Transport
Granulates (PET,HDPE,PP) 65 g
PC Transport
Granulates (PC,LDPE,PB)
Transport
65*10−6
*500
t*km
Transport
65*10−6
*500
t*km
PET Bottle Filling
Granulate Transported 1 item
PC Bottle
Filling
Granulate Transported 1 Item
Drinking Water 1 kg Drinking Water 1 kg
• PET Bottle Made of –i. PET granulate
ii. HDPE granulate
iii. PP granulate
• PC Bottle Made of – i. PC granulate
ii. LDPE granulate
iii. PB granulate
Source: Azisb et.al, 2017

5. • Case-2 Cradle-to-Grave analysis of PET Bottle
Parameters Unit Values
Inputs
PET Bottle Weight g 20
Cap Mass g 2
Label Mass g 0.75
Electricity kWh 3.4462
Water kg 1
Transport kg*km 4
Diesel L 0.012
Output
Emission to Air (CO2) kg 2.2
Electricity kWh 1.2
Source: Department of Resources recycling and Recovery

6. 1.3 Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA)
• the objective is to understand and evaluate the magnitude and significance of the potential
environmental impacts for a product system throughout the life cycle of the product
• The software used is Simapro 9.1.1.1
• IMPACT 2002+ impact characterization method .
i. Ecosystem quality – PDF*m2
yr
ii. Human health – DALY
iii. Climate Change – kg CO2-eq.
iv. Resources – MJ
Damage Category
1.4 Interpretation
• the inventory analysis or the impact assessment are evaluated in relation to the defined goal and scope
• Used to identify limitations and recommendations

7. 2 . R E S U L T
2.1 Case-1 PET vs PC
Damage category Unit PET bottle production PC bottle production
Human health DALY 1.33E-07 3.08E-07
Ecosystem quality PDF*m2*yr 0.005791683 0.007576121
Climate change kg CO2 eq 0.1959014 0.4068059
Resources MJ primary 5.0217284 6.6812659

8. 0.004 kg
Polyethylene high
density granulate
(PE-HD), production
5.35 %
0.001 kg
Polypropylene
granulate (PP),
production mix, at
1.03 %
0.06 kg
Polyethylene
terephthalate (PET)
granulate,
92.5 %
0.0325 tkm
Lorry transport, Euro
0, 1, 2, 3, 4 mix, 22 t
total weight, 17,3t
0.951 %
1 kg
Drinking water,
water purification
treatment,
0.129 %
0.065 kg
PET granulate
production
98.9 %
1 p
PET granulates
transported
99.9 %
1.06 kg
PET bottle filled
100 %
1 p
PET bottle
production
100 %
0.001 kg
Polybutadiene
granulate (PB),
0.978 %
0.004 kg
Polyethylene low
density granulate
2.44 %
0.06 kg
Polycarbonate
granulate (PC),
96 %
0.0325 tkm
Lorry transport,
Euro 0, 1, 2, 3, 4
0.531 %
1 kg
Drinking water,
water purification
0.072 %
0.065 kg
PC granulate
production
99.4 %
1 p
PC granulate
transport
99.9 %
1.06 kg
PC bollte filled
100 %
1 p
PC bottle
production
100 %
Network of PC Bottle Production
Network of PET Bottle Production

9. 2.2 Cradle-to-Grave analysis of PET

10. Damage category Unit Total
Treated Spring
Water
Transport OPP Label
PET Bottle
Converting
PET bottle
Raw material
PP CAP
Refrigeration at
retail
Human health DALY 7.53E-06 2.95E-10 1.51E-09 3.00E-06 4.35E-06 1.22E-07 6.30E-09 4.92E-08
Ecosystem quality PDF*m2*yr 0.9283517 3.14E-05 0.001015879 0.36486268 0.53833757 0.01711232 0.001002123 0.005989729
Climate change kg CO2 eq 4.8103651 0.000435016 0.002015813 1.915095 2.7924781 0.062625017 0.00628379 0.031432382
Resources MJ primary 63.826443 0.003089411 0.032253469 24.969594 36.578021 1.6366498 0.19766674 0.40916884
Endpoint Category of PET Bottle Production (Cradle-to-Gate)
Endpoint Category of PET Bottle Disposal Scenario (Gate-to-Grave)
Damage category Unit Total Landfill Bottle Recycle Incineration
Human health DALY -1.06E-06 1.56E-09 -7.98E-07 -2.67E-07
Ecosystem quality PDF*m2*yr -0.093662199 0.000722203 -0.06188361 -0.032500792
Climate change kg CO2 eq -0.30210356 0.001340415 -0.36168914 0.058245162
Resources MJ primary -13.086937 0.15108158 -11.017833 -2.2201857

11. 0.52 kg
Drinking water,
water purification
treatment,
0.00274 %
0.00275 kg
Polypropylene,
granulate {GLO}|
market for | APOS, S
0.147 %
0.02 kg
Polyethylene
terephthalate,
granulate, bottle
2.02 %
0.00265 kg
Diesel {GLO}| market
group for | APOS, S
0.0796 %
11.9 MJ
Electricity, medium
voltage {IN}| market
group for electricity,
108 %
0.00075 kg
Extrusion, plastic film
{GLO}| market for |
APOS, S
0.00957 %
0.022 kg
Injection moulding
{GLO}| market for |
APOS, S
0.634 %
0.02 kg
Stretch blow
moulding {GLO}|
market for | APOS, S
0.808 %
0.156 kg
PET (waste
treatment) {GLO}|
recycling of PET |
-12.8 %
0.004 tkm
Transport, freight,
lorry 3.5-7.5 metric
ton, euro4 {RoW}|
0.0399 %
1 p
PET bottle Raw
material
2.02 %
1 p
PET Bottle
Converting
66.7 %
1 p
PP CAP
0.164 %
1 p
OPP Label
45.8 %
0.0005 m3
Refregiration at retail
0.752 %
0.52 kg
Treated Spring Water
0.00614 %
0.26 kg
Rigid Plastic in
Landfill
0.0796 %
0.104 kg
Plastic Resin
Inceneration
-2.77 %
0.26 kg
Landfill
0.0796 %
0.156 kg
Bottle Recycle
-12.8 %
1 p
PET BOTTLE
116 %
1 p
DISPOSAL
SCENARIO
-15.5 %
1 p
PET BOTTLE USE
100 %
0.104 kg
Incineration
-2.77 %
Network of Life Cycle of PET Bottle

12. 3 . S e n s i t i v e A n a l y s i s
Damage category Unit PET BOTTLE
PET BOTTLE-
10%
PET BOTTLE-30%
Human health DALY 7.53E-06 7.08E-06 6.18E-06
Ecosystem quality PDF*m2*yr 0.9283517 0.87280672 0.76171674
Climate change kg CO2 eq 4.8103651 4.5248548 3.9538342
Resources MJ primary 63.826443 60.004976 52.362042

13. 4 .
L i m i t a t i o n s
 LCI can rarely, if ever, include every single process and capture every single input
and output due to system boundaries, data gaps, cut-off criteria, etc.
 Sensitivity and other uncertainty analyses are not fully developed

14. 5 . R e f e r e n c e s
1. Hopewell, Jefferson & Dvorak, Robert & Kosior, Edward. (2009). Plastics Recycling: Challenges and Opportunities.
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences. 364. 2115-26.
10.1098/rstb.2008.0311.
2. Civancik-Uslu D, Ferrer L, Puig R, Fullana-i-Palmer P. Are functional fillers improving environmental behavior of plastics?
A review on LCA studies. Sci Total Environ 2018;626:927-40.
3. Foolmaun RK, Ramjeeawon T. Comparative life cycle assessment and life cycle costing of four disposal scenarios for used
polyethylene terephthalate bottles in Mauritius. Environ Technol 2012;33:2007-18.
4. Franklin Associates.Life Cycle Inventory Of 100% Postconsumer HDPE and PET Recycled Resin from Postconsumer
Containers and Packaging; Report, 2011

15. T H A N K Y O U