86 per cent fewer emissions with rHDPE from Brazil
Just how significant is the environmental benefit of recycled plastic? A new site-specific calculation for the ALPLArecycling Brazil plant in São José dos Pinhais provides a clear answer: The Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) of the rHDPE produced there is 0.34 kg CO₂e per kilogram of material. This represents a reduction of around 86 per cent compared with virgin HDPE.
Location-specific data creates greater transparency
The Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) shows the greenhouse gas emissions associated with a material or product. This enables a well-founded comparison of different material options and allows the potential for reducing a packaging’s climate impact to be specifically identified. Together with its long-standing partner c7-consult, ALPLA has recalculated or updated the PCFs for recycled materials in Brazil and Austria. Of particular relevance is the result for ALPLArecycling Brazil in São José dos Pinhais. Here, a site-specific emission factor for recycled HDPE (rHDPE) has been determined for the first time.
0.34 kg CO₂e per kilogram of rHDPE
The calculation was based on detailed data regarding the input material used, as well as the cleaning and pelletising processes at the plant. On this basis, c7-consult calculated a Product Carbon Footprint of 0.34 kg CO₂e per kilogram of material for the rHDPE produced. Compared with virgin HDPE, this represents a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of around 86 per cent.
The result demonstrates very clearly the potential savings offered by the use of recycled material. At the same time, the site-specific calculation provides a more precise basis for evaluating packaging solutions that utilise the Brazilian rHDPE.
Austria also confirms the potential
Emissions factors have also been updated for the ALPLArecycling plant in Wöllersdorf. There, rHDPE flakes are processed into high-quality granules for injection moulding and extrusion blow moulding. A weighted product carbon footprint of 0.44 kg CO₂e per kilogram of rHDPE was determined for these materials. Compared with virgin HDPE, this represents a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of around 81 per cent.
rPET also demonstrates a significant climate benefit. The product carbon footprint of the rPET pellets produced in Wöllersdorf has now been calculated for the third time using up-to-date data and stands at 0.27 kg CO₂e per kilogram of rPET. Compared with virgin PET, this represents a saving of around 91 per cent.
The new data from Brazil and Austria underline the considerable potential of recycled plastics for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the site-specific and regularly updated figures enable an increasingly precise assessment of the climate impact of materials and packaging solutions.
Source of calculations: c7-consult. The comparative figures for virgin materials are based on the Ecoinvent scientific database, version 3.12.
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