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Assessment of carbon emission potential of polyvinyl chloride plastics
Summary
Researchers used life cycle assessment to quantify carbon emissions from PVC plastic production and recycling, finding that producing 1 kg of PVC generates 7.83 kg CO2-equivalent, with fossil fuel-derived acetylene as the largest contributor, highlighting opportunities to reduce emissions by substituting raw materials.
Plastic pollution has become a global concern, and research has shown that carbon emissions during the lifecycle of plastics are rapidly consuming global carbon credits. This study focuses on the effective assessment of carbon emissions from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics using a life cycle assessment (LCA) method during the production and recycling stages. The greenhouse gas emission potential is evaluated using 1kg PVC plastic as a functional unit. Research has shown that the total carbon emissions during the production stage of PVC plastic are 7.83kg CO 2-eq . The carbon emissions during the production stage of hydrochloric acid, acetylene, electricity, and water vapor are 2.340 kg CO 2-eq , 4.900 kg CO 2-eq , 0.117 kg CO 2-eq , and 0.468 kg CO 2-eq , respectively. During the recycling phase, the carbon emissions from the power consumption zone are 0.184 kg CO 2-eq , followed by 0.156 kg CO 2-eq from natural gas. Research has shown that fossil materials contribute the largest carbon emissions during the production stage of PVC plastics. Therefore, how to effectively reduce the use of fossil fuels or seek alternative raw materials can effectively reduce carbon emissions.
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