Exploring Comparative Energy and Environmental Benefits of Virgin, Recycled, and Bio-Derived PET Bottles

Abstract

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a common plastic resin used to produce packaging, notably plastic bottles. Most PET bottles are produced from fossil fuel-derived feedstocks. Bio-derived and recycling-based pathways to PET bottles, however, could offer lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than the conventional route. In this paper, we use lifecycle analysis to evaluate the GHG emissions, fossil fuel consumption, and water consumption of producing one PET bottle from virgin fossil resources, recycled plastic, and biomass, considering each supply chain stage. We considered two routes to produce bottles from biomass: one in which all PET precursors (ethylene glycol and teraphthalic acid) are bioderived and one in which only ethylene glycol is bio-derived. Bio-derived and recycled PET bottles offer both GHG emissions and fossil fuel consumption reductions ranging from 12% to 82% and 13% to 56%, respectively, on a cradle-to-grave basis compared to fossil fuel-derived PET bottles assuming PET bottles are landfilled. However, water consumption is lower in the conventional pathway to PET bottles. Water demand is high during feedstock production and conversion in the case of biomass-derived PET and during recycling in the case of bottles made from recycled PET.

A Sustainable Recycling Alternative: Electrospun PET-Membranes for Air Nanofiltration

“…Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a highly used polymer, mainly in the production of bottles for beverages, whose global production went from 300 billion in 2000 to 480 billion in 2016 and its consumption is still increasing, so the expectation is that in 2021 it may reach 583 billion bottles [ 6 ]. As a result, the waste generated by PET bottles is of great concern due to the improper disposal of post-consumer packaging.…”

“…However, one of the challenges to produce these filter media is the adjustment and control of several parameters which influence fiber production, (explored in this work) [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ]. Thus, the utilization of this technique to produce filter media from post-consumer PET bottles is a very promising and ecologically sustainable alternative because it highly contributes to the reduction of environmental pollution [ 6 , 43 ].…”

Development of Filter Media by Electrospinning for Air Filtration of Nanoparticles from PET Bottles

“…Based on the atomic mass composition ratios (in percentages) of virgin PET to bottle PET, it was possible to observe that the relationships between them are within the error range, that is, the compositions have not undergone major changes. Existing variations may possibly be due to the bottle manufacturing process and the wear and tear of the polymer after bottle production [ 31 ]. In this way, it can be inferred that there was no significant change in the composition that compromised the use of plastic bottles as a polymeric source for the production of fibers.…”

Industrial Biotechnology—An Industry at an Inflection Point

“…For example, polyethylene tere-phthalate (PET) made from biomass may offer GHG advantages but, at the end of life will be as persistent in the environment as PET made from fossil fuels. 29 Producing PET from biomass, therefore, is unlikely to mitigate solid waste issues associated with the polymer but may offer a way to sequester atmospheric carbon if handled appropriately.…”