Developing the Product Carbon Footprint for Polymer-based Chemicals via a Life Cycle Assessment Approach

In the pursuit of mitigating the adverse environmental impacts of industrial activities, the concept of product carbon footprint (PCF) has gained significant traction in recent years, especially for polymers and plastics that are difficult to degrade naturally. To evaluate the global warming potenti...

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Main Authors: Yue Dian Tan, Gaurav Shukla, Zainuddin Abd. Manan, Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi, Jeng Shiun Lim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AIDIC Servizi S.r.l. 2024-11-01
Series:Chemical Engineering Transactions
Online Access:https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/14800
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author Yue Dian Tan
Gaurav Shukla
Zainuddin Abd. Manan
Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi
Jeng Shiun Lim
author_facet Yue Dian Tan
Gaurav Shukla
Zainuddin Abd. Manan
Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi
Jeng Shiun Lim
author_sort Yue Dian Tan
collection DOAJ
description In the pursuit of mitigating the adverse environmental impacts of industrial activities, the concept of product carbon footprint (PCF) has gained significant traction in recent years, especially for polymers and plastics that are difficult to degrade naturally. To evaluate the global warming potential of polymer-based chemicals, this study assesses the PCF of Chemical A produced by a chemical plant in Malaysia. The analysis follows ISO 14067:2018 and the PCF Guideline for the Chemical Industry, considering a cradle-to-gate approach for the fiscal year 2021. The results indicate significant carbon emissions at various life cycle stages of polymer, in which the material acquisition stage was identified as the GHG hotspot contributing 77 % to Chemical A’s PCF. One kg of Chemical A produced is associated with an emission of 3.73 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). The study highlights areas for potential environmental improvement from the sourcing of energy and raw materials, to outline corporate sustainability strategies and serves as a model for other chemical companies.
format Article
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issn 2283-9216
language English
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publisher AIDIC Servizi S.r.l.
record_format Article
series Chemical Engineering Transactions
spelling doaj-art-b28a54b8749d476d8d4e999d562bccc72025-08-20T02:49:08ZengAIDIC Servizi S.r.l.Chemical Engineering Transactions2283-92162024-11-01113Developing the Product Carbon Footprint for Polymer-based Chemicals via a Life Cycle Assessment ApproachYue Dian TanGaurav ShuklaZainuddin Abd. MananSharifah Rafidah Wan AlwiJeng Shiun LimIn the pursuit of mitigating the adverse environmental impacts of industrial activities, the concept of product carbon footprint (PCF) has gained significant traction in recent years, especially for polymers and plastics that are difficult to degrade naturally. To evaluate the global warming potential of polymer-based chemicals, this study assesses the PCF of Chemical A produced by a chemical plant in Malaysia. The analysis follows ISO 14067:2018 and the PCF Guideline for the Chemical Industry, considering a cradle-to-gate approach for the fiscal year 2021. The results indicate significant carbon emissions at various life cycle stages of polymer, in which the material acquisition stage was identified as the GHG hotspot contributing 77 % to Chemical A’s PCF. One kg of Chemical A produced is associated with an emission of 3.73 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). The study highlights areas for potential environmental improvement from the sourcing of energy and raw materials, to outline corporate sustainability strategies and serves as a model for other chemical companies.https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/14800
spellingShingle Yue Dian Tan
Gaurav Shukla
Zainuddin Abd. Manan
Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi
Jeng Shiun Lim
Developing the Product Carbon Footprint for Polymer-based Chemicals via a Life Cycle Assessment Approach
Chemical Engineering Transactions
title Developing the Product Carbon Footprint for Polymer-based Chemicals via a Life Cycle Assessment Approach
title_full Developing the Product Carbon Footprint for Polymer-based Chemicals via a Life Cycle Assessment Approach
title_fullStr Developing the Product Carbon Footprint for Polymer-based Chemicals via a Life Cycle Assessment Approach
title_full_unstemmed Developing the Product Carbon Footprint for Polymer-based Chemicals via a Life Cycle Assessment Approach
title_short Developing the Product Carbon Footprint for Polymer-based Chemicals via a Life Cycle Assessment Approach
title_sort developing the product carbon footprint for polymer based chemicals via a life cycle assessment approach
url https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/14800
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