Plastic Packaging Waste Management in Iceland: Challenges and Opportunities from a Life Cycle Assessment Perspective

Ólafur Ögmundarson (), Laura Sophie Kalweit, Venkateshwaran Venkatachalam, Rakel Kristjánsdóttir, Hans-Josef Endres and Sebastian Spierling
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Ólafur Ögmundarson: Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavík, Iceland
Laura Sophie Kalweit: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Plastics and Circular Economy—IKK, Leibniz Universität Hannover, 30167 Hannover, Germany
Venkateshwaran Venkatachalam: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Plastics and Circular Economy—IKK, Leibniz Universität Hannover, 30167 Hannover, Germany
Rakel Kristjánsdóttir: Department for Climate and Circular Economy, Environment Agency of Iceland, 108 Reykjavik, Iceland
Hans-Josef Endres: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Plastics and Circular Economy—IKK, Leibniz Universität Hannover, 30167 Hannover, Germany
Sebastian Spierling: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Plastics and Circular Economy—IKK, Leibniz Universität Hannover, 30167 Hannover, Germany

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 24, 1-18

Abstract: The management of plastic packaging waste is advancing quickly, and new strategies are being implemented worldwide for better resource recovery. To assess the environmental benefits of new ways of handling plastic packaging waste, we need to first evaluate current waste management options in order to create a basis for comparison. In this study, the environmental impacts of plastic packaging waste handling are assessed for the first time in Iceland using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The results show that mechanical recycling, despite including the impacts of exporting the waste to different European countries, has more environmental benefits than landfilling the waste in Iceland. Increasing the recycling rates of plastic waste in Iceland is also identified as a promising option from a resource efficiency perspective. With better waste sorting, Iceland can become more environmentally sustainable, ensuring that plastic materials land in recycling processes, and thereby enhancing the flow of material in the circular economy.

Keywords: plastic packaging; plastic waste management; Iceland; life cycle assessment; end-of-life (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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