A lifecycle-based evaluation of greenhouse gas emissions from the plastics industry in South Africa

Author:

Goga TaahiraORCID,Harding KevinORCID,Russo ValentinaORCID,Von Blottnitz HarroORCID

Abstract

Increased production rates of plastic and limited disposal methods have fed concerns regarding environmental degradation. Whilst most of the focus is on plastic litter and marine pollution, greenhouse gas emissions of plastic over its value chains are also of interest and non-trivial at the global scale. To quantify the global warming potential of the local plastics industry, a lifecycle-based carbon footprint is presented encompassing activities such as resource extraction, polymer production and conversion, recycling, and disposal stages. The South African plastics sector is estimated to have emitted 15.8 Mt CO2 eq in 2015, with the granulate production stage bearing the highest environmental load. The consumption of fossil fuel based electricity and the burning of plastic waste also contribute notably to the overall emissions. Additionally, the recycling process in 2015 saved approximately 1.4 Mt of greenhouse gas emissions.Significance: Research has typically focused on the environmental impacts of the end-of-life stage of plastics, namely disposal and recycling. Despite growing concern, the global warming potential of the local plastics sector across its value chain has not been investigated. Greenhouse gas emissions arising from the South African plastic sector are non-trivial and are estimated to total 15.8 Mt CO2 eq in 2015. Amongst the lifecycle stages, the resin production process had the highest contribution in South Africa due to the country’s coal-based monomer production process.

Funder

National Research Foundation

Publisher

Academy of Science of South Africa

Subject

General Earth and Planetary Sciences,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Cited by 2 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

1. Addressing plastic pollution and waste flows: Insights from South Africa’s experience;Waste Management & Research: The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy;2024-07-28

2. An Imported Environmental Crisis: Plastic Mismanagement in Africa;Sustainability;2024-01-12

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3