Meta-Analysis of Life Cycle Assessment Studies for Polyethylene Terephthalate Water Bottle System

Yoo-Jin Go, Dong-Ho Kang, Hyun-Jin Park, Jun-Hyuk Lee and Jin-Kie Shim ()
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Yoo-Jin Go: Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
Dong-Ho Kang: Korea Packaging Center, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Bucheon 14449, Republic of Korea
Hyun-Jin Park: Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
Jun-Hyuk Lee: Korea Packaging Center, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Bucheon 14449, Republic of Korea
Jin-Kie Shim: Korea Packaging Center, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Bucheon 14449, Republic of Korea

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 2, 1-22

Abstract: The life cycle assessment (LCA) serves as a crucial tool for assessing the environmental impact of products, with recent emphasis on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. Our meta-analytical review of 14 LCA research papers (2010–2022) on PET bottles, aligned with PRISMA guidelines, spans six phases: raw material production (MP), bottle production (BP), distribution and transportation (DT), collection and transport (CT), waste management (WM), and environmental benefits (EB). Utilizing the global warming potential (GWP) as the indicator, our study harmonized data into a consistent functional unit, revealing an average emission of 5.1 kg CO 2 equivalent per 1 kg of PET bottles. Major contributors to global warming were identified across the MP, BP, and DT phases. While the MP and BP phases exhibited low variability due to uniform processes, the CT, WM, and EB phases displayed higher variability due to scenario considerations. A comparison with Korean environmental product declaration data affirmed the methodology’s practical utility. Our approach offers potential applicability in diverse product category assessments, emphasizing its relevance for informed decision-making in sustainable product development.

Keywords: life cycle assessment; global warming potential; meta-analysis; PET bottle; packaging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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