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Evaluating Plastic Waste Management in EU Accession Countries: A Life Cycle Perspective from the Republic of Serbia with Microplastic Implications
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This life cycle assessment compared three end-of-life scenarios for PET plastic packaging in Serbia (landfilling, recycling, incineration), finding that recycling had the lowest environmental impact overall and that aligning Serbia's plastic waste management with EU standards would significantly reduce microplastic leakage.
EU accession countries, including the Republic of Serbia, are under growing pressure to align their plastic waste management systems with EU environmental directives. Despite this, significant challenges remain, including inadequate infrastructure, a limited recycling capacity, and weak enforcement mechanisms. This study employs life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impacts of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging waste in Serbia, focusing on three end-of-life scenarios (EoL): landfilling, recycling, and incineration. Using GaBi Professional v6.0 software and the ReCiPe 2016 methodology, the results indicate that mismanaged PET waste contributes notably to terrestrial ecotoxicity (3.69 kg 1.4-DB eq.) and human toxicity (non-cancer) (2.36 kg 1.4-DB eq.). In 2023, 14,967.8 tons of PET were collected by authorized operators; however, unreported quantities likely end up in landfills or the natural environment. Beyond the quantified LCA results, this study highlights microplastic pollution as an emerging environmental concern. It advocates for the development of Serbia-specific characterization factors (CFs) for PET microplastics, incorporating localized fate, exposure, and effect data. Tailored CFs would enhance the precision of impact assessments for Serbian terrestrial ecosystems, contributing to more effective, evidence-based environmental policies. These insights are crucial for supporting Serbia’s transition to sustainable waste management and for meeting EU environmental standards.
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Evaluating Plastic Waste Management in EU Accession Countries: A Life Cycle Perspective from the Republic of Serbia with Microplastic Implications
AI summary Read the abstract
This study used life cycle assessment to evaluate how Serbia manages PET plastic packaging waste, comparing landfilling, recycling, and incineration. Researchers found that recycling offered the greatest environmental benefits, reducing impacts across multiple categories compared to the other disposal methods. The findings highlight the importance of improving recycling infrastructure in EU accession countries to align with environmental directives and reduce microplastic-related pollution.
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