Institute of Plastics and Circular Economy Research Publications
Environmental impacts of circular economy practices for plastic products in Europe: Learnings from life cycle assessment studies

Environmental impacts of circular economy practices for plastic products in Europe: Learnings from life cycle assessment studies

Categories Zeitschriften/Aufsätze (reviewed)
Year 2024
Authors M. Jürgens, H.-J. Endres
Published in Procedia CIRP, Volume 122, S. 312-317
Description

Beschreibung: Plastic production is expected to double within the next 20 years, far exceeding current waste management capacities. Linear economic activities lead to a collision between the overarching ecosystem with limited resources and the ever-growing economy. The alternative concept of a circular economy (CE) has already been promoted by the European Union ever since its first Circular Economy Action Plan back in 2015. However, the life cycle of different plastic products varies greatly in its composition due to the different application possibilities, making it challenging to develop CE strategies for these products. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is applied in many case studies; however, a clear definition and realistic environmental assessment of circular patterns is still under discussion and the application of CE strategies requires different resources and infrastructure, leading to a shift between different environmental impacts. This work aims at contributing to understanding possible trade-offs between different CE strategies for plastic products. 68 LCA studies assessing a shift from linear to circular economy for plastic products in a European context have been reviewed. Environmental impacts of the applied CE strategies have been analysed and learnings on how to implement CE to reduce environmental impacts of plastic products have been presented.

DOI 10.1016/j.procir.2024.01.046