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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Minimizing the environmental impacts of plastic through eco-design
ClearMethodology to address potential impacts of plastic emissions in life cycle assessment
Researchers proposed a new method for including the environmental impact of plastic emissions in life cycle assessments, which currently tend to make plastic products appear less harmful than alternatives. The approach introduces characterization factors based on how long different plastics persist in the environment. The study suggests that accounting for plastic pollution in these assessments could significantly change how the environmental footprint of plastic products is evaluated.
Release Assessment Methodology for Safe Sustainable and Recyclable by-Design Practices for Plastics: The Epoxy-Resin Composite Case Study
Researchers developed a release assessment methodology for epoxy resin composites to evaluate whether they meet safe and sustainable by-design criteria across their lifecycle. The framework tested for chemical release during manufacturing, use, and end-of-life, providing a standardized approach to green plastic design.
Guiding the transition to a sustainable plastic system: towards a plastic system assessment framework
This thesis developed a plastic system assessment framework to evaluate short-lived plastic products against sustainability criteria, balancing the triple planetary crisis contributions of plastic production against the functional value plastics provide in modern daily life.
Method for quantification of microplastic release from plastic-based materials during weathering
Researchers developed a method to quantify microplastic release from plastic-based materials during weathering, responding to the need for limits on how much MP a product can release over its lifetime. The method enabled standardized measurement of MP generation from photodegradation during product use and end-of-life mismanagement.
Recyclable, but not recycled—an indicator to quantify the environmental impacts of plastic waste disposal
This study developed an indicator to quantify the environmental impact of plastic products that are technically recyclable but are not actually recycled in practice, addressing the gap between theoretical recycling potential and real-world recovery rates. The indicator enables more accurate life cycle assessments of plastic product sustainability.
Ranking environmental degradation trends of plastic marine debris based on physical properties and molecular structure
Researchers used a data-driven approach to rank how quickly different types of plastic marine debris degrade in the ocean, identifying glass transition temperature and water repellency as the key molecular features that determine whether a plastic breaks down fast, slowly, or barely at all. The findings provide a predictive framework for understanding which ocean plastics pose the longest-lasting pollution threat.
Plastic litter in life cycle assessment: Advances of the marine impacts in life cycle assessment international taskforce and application to case studies
Researchers reviewed advances in incorporating marine plastic litter impacts into life cycle assessment, focusing on recently developed indicators for biodiversity and ecosystem quality. The new indicators allow LCA practitioners to account for plastic pollution when comparing product systems and informing design choices.
Strategic selection tool for thermoplastic materials in a renewable circular economy: Identifying future circular polymers
Researchers developed a strategic material selection tool to guide the transition toward a renewable circular economy for thermoplastics, helping identify which polymers can meet performance requirements while being decoupled from fossil feedstocks and compatible with biodegradation or closed-loop recycling.
The future of plastic
Researchers examine whether biodegradable polymers can solve plastic's environmental crisis, noting that while plastic is enormously useful, society's heavy reliance on it has created a global pollution problem that biodegradable alternatives alone are unlikely to fully resolve.
Eco-Design of Polymer Matrix Composite Parts: A Review
This review examines eco-design principles applied to polymer matrix composite parts, covering the environmental impacts of composites across their lifecycle from design and manufacturing through to recycling and end-of-life. The review emphasizes sustainable approaches including waste minimization, recyclability, and the use of bio-based or recycled materials.
New advances to assess biodegradation and toxicity of alternative environmentally friendly polymers
Researchers developed new methods to assess the biodegradation rates and ecotoxicity of alternative polymers including biobased, recycled, and biodegradable plastics, addressing a gap in risk assessment frameworks focused primarily on conventional plastics. Results showed biodegradability varied greatly by polymer type and environmental conditions, and alternative plastics still exhibited measurable toxicity during degradation.
The effect of biodegradable plastics on microplastic accumulation and exposure
Researchers developed a comprehensive method to quantify microplastic accumulation from biodegradable polymers in natural environments, examining whether biodegradable alternatives actually reduce plastic loads compared to conventional polymers under real-world outdoor conditions.
Bio-based plastics in a circular economy: A review of recovery pathways and implications for product design
Researchers reviewed how bio-based plastics — made from renewable plant sources — can be recovered and recycled at end-of-life, finding that the feasibility of eight different recovery methods depends heavily not just on plastic chemistry but on how products are designed, and offering guidance for designers to improve recyclability.
Recycling of Plastics as a Strategy to Reduce Life Cycle GHG Emission, Microplastics and Resource Depletion
This study quantified the environmental benefits of recycling widely consumed plastic polymers, demonstrating that increased plastic recycling significantly reduces life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, microplastic pollution, and resource depletion.
Polymer prioritization framework: A novel multi-criteria framework for source mapping and characterizing the environmental risk of plastic polymers
Researchers developed a multi-criteria framework for ranking the environmental risk of plastic polymers, finding that polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, and polystyrene posed the highest risk, with packaging and construction sectors as dominant sources.
Ecotoxicity effect factors for plastic additives on the aquatic environment: a new approach for life cycle impact assessment
Researchers calculated toxicity effect factors for 75 plastic additives — chemicals mixed into plastics to improve flexibility, durability, and color — gathering 461 data points across 75 aquatic species to assess how much these chemicals harm marine and freshwater life. The resulting factors can be used in life cycle assessments to quantify the environmental damage caused by plastic additives leaching into water, helping guide greener plastic design and policy.
How to quantify the impact biodegradable materials may have?
Researchers at Wageningen examined how to quantify microplastic accumulation in nature to evaluate the impact of biodegradable polymers, noting that a comprehensive, universally applicable methodology is currently lacking. They presented predictive modelling approaches to examine whether biodegradable alternatives can reduce environmental microplastic burdens.
Screening and prioritization of nano- and microplastic particle toxicity studies for evaluating human health risks – development and application of a toxicity study assessment tool
Researchers developed a standardized tool to screen and rank toxicity studies on nano- and microplastics by quality and relevance, addressing a critical gap in how scientists evaluate which studies should inform human health risk assessments for these widespread plastic pollutants.
An effect factor approach for quantifying the impact of plastic additives on aquatic biota in life cycle assessment
Researchers developed a preliminary effect factor approach to quantify the environmental impact of plastic additives on aquatic organisms within life cycle assessment frameworks, addressing a critical gap in how marine plastic chemical impacts are characterized.
A Knowledge Analysis of an Engineering Application Related to Sustainable Development
This educational paper presents a knowledge analysis framework for engineering students to evaluate material selection criteria, incorporating sustainability considerations including environmental impacts and plastic pollution in a structured decision-making methodology.
Developing Bioderived CO2-Responsive Polymers as Alternatives to Petroleum-derived Polymers
Researchers examined the development of bioderived, CO2-responsive polymers as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-derived plastics, using life cycle assessment principles and green chemistry frameworks to guide material design. The work addresses the environmental harms of petroleum-based plastic production and low recycling rates, proposing bio-based responsive polymers as a route toward materials with reduced environmental impact across their full lifecycle.
Waste Item Specific Threat Score
Researchers developed the Waste Item Specific Threat Score, a multi-criteria scoring framework that ranks marine litter by persistence, toxicity, physical impact, and buoyancy, enabling comparative assessment of which waste items pose the greatest ecological threat.
Updated and comprehensive characterization factors for microplastics in life cycle assessment considering multimedia fate modelling
Researchers updated life cycle assessment characterization factors for microplastics, developing comprehensive factors that account for ecosystem quality, human health, and socioeconomic impacts across multiple environmental compartments. The updated factors enable LCA practitioners to more accurately compare the plastic pollution impacts of different product systems and waste management strategies.
Design framework for circular and sustainable packaging design
Researchers developed a novel packaging design framework integrating circularity and sustainability (C&S) criteria using literature review, expert brainstorming, and field visits. The framework addresses conflicts between sustainability and functional requirements and provides practical iterative strategies for packaging designers.