Page 26 - Plastcs News August 2017

FEATurES

Carbon emissions of recycled PET 'significantly' lower than

previously assumed

According to the reserch study the CO2 emissions of rPET were found to be 79 percent lower than
for new PET material.

f one recalls an earlier study by the World Economic company that has been active in PET recycling for over 20
Iforum Plastics’ share of global oil consumption is years, to highlight the value of recycling PET. It analyzed the
expected to more than treble to 20% between 2014 rPET produced by the group’s wholly owned subsidiary, PET
and 2050, and plastics’ share of the global carbon Recycling Team GmbH in Wöllersdorf, Austria. Alpla operates
three recycling plants around the world: a joint
venture in Mexico; the wholly owned subsidiary
PET Recycling Team in Wöllersdorf; and a new
recycling plant built in southern Poland in 2013.
The total annual capacity of these plants is
around 65,000 metric tons of food-grade rPET.
The carbon footprint of recycled PET was
calculated in accordance with ISo 14044, starting
with the collection and sorting of used PET
bottles, covering transportation to the recycling
plant in Wöllersdorf, through to washing,
processing and granulating, and based on the
mass and energy balance (electricity and gas
consumption) for 2016 at the Austrian recycling
plant. The results were striking, to say the least:
Denkstatt measured the carbon footprint of the
budget will see an even steeper rise, from 1% to 15%. rPET produced by PET Recycling Team at 0.45 kilograms of
Carbon budget is the amount of carbon emissions that Co2 equivalent per kilogram of rPET, compared to a Co2
can be allowed while maintaining a reasonable chance equivalent of 2.15 kg for virgin PET. In other words, the Co2
of limiting the temperature increase this century to 2 emissions of rPET were found to be 79 percent lower than
degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels.) An increase in for new PET material.
recycling means a reduction in the dependence on virgin
As plant manager Peter Fröschel said:"‘The savings for a
feedstock. Moresoover the goodnews is that according single kilogram of rPET are enough to power a 13-watt bulb
to a latest study Carbon emissions of recycled PET is
continuously for twenty days in the Austrian power mix. We
'significantly' lower than previously assumed. According to are witnessing a clear trend towards PET packaging. And, not
a new study from as Denkstatt GmbH, one of the leading
just in summer, when the beverage industry enjoys a boom
Austrian consulting companies in the field of sustainable due to hot weather. This makes it all the more important
development and environmental management, has found
to collect used packaging and return recyclable materials
that the carbon footprint of recycled PET is significantly to the production process. our recycling plants play a key
smaller than that of virgin material.
role in this regard.” Increasing the use of recycled materials
The study was commissioned by leading Austrian packaging could substantially reduce the carbon footprint of plastic
producer Alpla-Werke Alwin Lehner GmbH & Co KG , a packaging, research suggests.

Plastics News | August 2017 26