Life Cycle Assessment of Bio‐Based Plastics: Concepts, Findings, and Pitfalls

Chapter 13 Life Cycle Assessment of Bio-Based Plastics: Concepts, Findings, and Pitfalls Li Shen, Li Shen Utrecht University, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Group Energy and Resources, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CS Utrecht, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this author Li Shen, Li Shen Utrecht University, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Group Energy and Resources, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CS Utrecht, The NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this author Book Editor(s):Michiel Dusselier, Michiel Dusselier KU Leuven Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Center for Sustainable Catalysis & Engineering, Celestijnenlaan 200F, 3001 Heverlee, BelgiumSearch for more papers by this authorJean-Paul Lange, Jean-Paul Lange Shell Global Solutions Int. B.V., Grasweg 31, 1031 HW Amsterdam, NetherlandsSearch for more papers by this author First published: 06 May 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/9783527827589.ch13 AboutPDFPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Summary In the past decades, bio-based plastics have attracted much attention because they offer the opportunities to use renewable resources to replace crude oil; some of them are biodegradable, and many of them are expected to lead to reduced greenhouse emissions. However, bio-based plastics also have environmental trade-offs that must not be overlooked. The increasing demand of bio-based fuels and materials puts pressure on land and water, and bio-based and non-biodegradable plastics are still persistent if they end up in the environment unintendedly. Life cycle assessment is a widely applied tool to measure the environmental impacts of innovative bio-based products. In this chapter, the key concepts of life cycle assessment are shortly described, followed by the case studies of seven bio-based plastic products including single-use bottles, cups, cutleries, food packaging films, carrier bags, agricultural clips, and mulch films. The interpretation and the insights gained from the case studies are discussed for the impacts known so far, the causes of the impacts, the major environmental trade-offs, the challenges around the end-of-life waste management, and the limitations of life cycle assessment methodology. References Tsiropoulos , I. , Faaij , A.P.C. , Lundquist , L. et al. ( 2015 ). Life cycle impact assessment of bio-based plastics from sugarcane ethanol . Journal of Cleaner Production 90 : 114 – 127 . Moretti , C. , Junginger , M. , and Shen , L. ( 2020 ). Environmental life cycle assessment of polypropylene made from used cooking oil . Resources, Conservation and Recycling 157 : 104750 . European Bioplastics ( 2020 ). 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