Research article from Science
30 Sep 2021

Table of Contents

RAOUL MEYS $^{1,2}$, ARNE KÄTELHÖN $^{1,2}$, MARVIN BACHMANN $^1$, BENEDIKT WINTER $^{1,3}$, CHRISTIAN ZIBUNAS $^1$, SANGWON SUH $^4$, ANDRÉ BARDOW $^{1,3,5}$

$^1$ Institute for Technical Thermodynamics, RWTH Aachen University, Schinkelstr. 8, 52062 Aachen, Germany.
$^2$ Carbon Minds GmbH, 50933 Cologne, Germany.
$^3$ Energy and Process Systems Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
$^4$ Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA.
$^5$ Institute of Energy and Climate Research–Energy Systems Engineering (IEK-10), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany.

Abstract

  • Implementation of circular technologies in the plastics supply chain: (i) chemical and mechanical recycling, (ii) biomass utilization, and (iii) carbon capture and utilization (CCU)—to exchange the fossil carbon feedstock.
  • Our study shows that by combining recycling, biomass utilization, and CCU, net-zero GHG emission plastics could be achieved with lower energy demands and lower operational costs than those associated with current fossil-based production technologies combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS).
  • We built and used a global bottom-up model for plastics production and waste treatment based on >400, mostly industrially validated, life-cycle assessment compliant and harmonized technology datasets representing the life cycle of >90% of global plastics.
  • We project five pathways for life-cycle GHG emissions of plastic from “cradle-to-grave” in the year 2050.
  • Two scenarios for fossil-based plastic waste treatment: landfilling and energy recovery.