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Analysis of Carbon Reduction Benefits of Ecological Plastic Film Promotion and Use in Qingcheng Town, Shanxi Province
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Researchers applied life cycle assessment using SimaPro software to calculate the carbon footprint of ecological plastic mulch film compared to conventional 0.01 mm PE film in Qingcheng Town, Shanxi Province, China. Results showed ecological film reduced carbon emissions by 30.8-40.0% without humus substitution, rising to 70.2-74.2% when humus replacement of chemical fertilisers was factored in, with the largest reductions occurring during final treatment.
This study applied a life cycle assessment (LCA) and SimaPro software to calculate the carbon footprint of ecological plastic film in Qingcheng Town. The results indicate that the carbon reduction efficiency of ecological plastic film compared to 0.01 mm PE film ranged from 30.8% to 40.0%, without accounting for the substitution of humus for chemical fertilizers. When humus substitution was considered, the range increased to 70.2% to 74.2%. Ecological plastic film achieved the greatest emission reduction in the final treatment stage, accounting for 54.1% of total CO2 reduction, followed by the production stage at 44.8%, while the transportation phase contributed only 1.1%. Projecting to 2030, if half of the cultivated land in Shanxi Province uses ecological plastic film instead of 0.01 mm PE film, a 19.7% reduction in carbon emissions is expected. Full coverage with ecological plastic film could raise this to 39.4%. To encourage its adoption, the study suggests that the government offers financial subsidies to enterprises or farmers, promotes agricultural carbon taxes, or supports carbon trading. With a carbon price or tax exceeding 67.1 CNY/t, ecological plastic film achieves cost parity with 0.01 mm PE plastic film.
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