Lifecycle assessment of polyethylene terephthalate plastic recycling in Uganda

Abstract

This report presents a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling in Uganda. The environmental impacts associated with each stage of the recycling process are quantified using OpenLCA software. Data collected from a local PET recycling facility was used to carry out this assessment. The assessment focused on key impact categories including global warming potential, eutrophication, and terrestrial eco-toxicity among others. The results were calculated using different methods such as CML IA Baseline and ReCiPe 2016 Method 2016. The GWP was determined to be 6.6169 kg eq and the eutrophication potential was determined 0.00241 kg eq. The results produced indicate that the hot washing stage is the most environmentally intensive due to the use of a diesel- powered steam boiler and other inputs in that process. The highest contributors across all impact categories were found to be the same for example diesel fuel, electricity and sodium hydroxide among others. These findings show the need for cleaner energy sources and better adapted LCA datasets tailored to the Ugandan context. The study recommends further development of the localized inventory datasets that will provide more reliable modeling for enhanced LCA results. This in turn will support sustainable plastic recycling operations in future developments.