Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Potential of European Union’s Circularity Related Targets for Plastics

Anna Tenhunen-Lunkka (), Tom Rommens, Ive Vanderreydt and Lars Mortensen
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Anna Tenhunen-Lunkka: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd
Tom Rommens: VITO
Ive Vanderreydt: VITO
Lars Mortensen: EEA European Environmental Agency

Circular Economy and Sustainability, 2023, vol. 3, issue 1, 475-510

Abstract: Abstract Current rising concerns about environmental and climate impacts in production, consumption and end-of-life of plastics have led to efforts to switch from linear to circular economy of plastics in Europe. Greenhouse gas emissions are likely to decrease with a transition to a circular system; however, a systematic and integrated perspective on plastics and the carbon cycle is currently missing in the debate on plastics. In this study, a model to estimate greenhouse gas emissions of the current mostly linear plastics value chain of the EU in 2018 and a future scenario, 2025 model, were created. By 2025 if current policy targets are reached, the plastic packaging recycling rate should be 50%, PET-based drinking bottles should include 25% recycled content, 77% collection target for plastic bottles, 10 Mt recyclates should enter the markets, uptake of bio-based plastics is estimated by European bioplastics to increase from current 1 to 1.32% and landfilling will continue to decrease according to the current trend at 3.85%. Total greenhouse gas emissions caused by the current plastics value chain are estimated at 208 million tonnes of CO2-eq. The 2025 model estimates that total plastics value chain emissions will be 182 Mt of CO2-eq. Reduction potential is approximately 26 Mt of CO2-eq or 13%.

Keywords: Plastics; Plastic value chain; Circular economy; Climate change; Greenhouse gas emissions; Climate change mitigation; Carbon footprint (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1007/s43615-022-00192-8

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