Recycling of Cable Plastics - A Life Cycle Assessment of Several Different Alternatives

Abstract

This paper presents a life cycle assessment of seven different recycling alternatives for cable plastic waste: "Mechanical recycling in the Vinyloop process", "Chemical recycling in the Stigsnaes process", "Energy recovery in a garbage incineration facility", "Energy recovery in a cement kiln", "Open burning in China", "Granulation and energy recovery in China" and "Cable stripping in China". The functional unit is one ton of cable plastic waste after metal separation. The conclusion is that the Chinese alternatives are not preferred from an environmental point of view due to the large energy consumption and emissions output from the transport by ship from Sweden to China. From this the conclusion can be drawn that regardless of the method used in Sweden, or in the near vicinity of Sweden, the recycling of plastics from Sweden in China is less desirable from an environmental point of view. Of the alternative methods, the Vinyloop process is somewhat better for the environment than the Stigsnaes process, but only because the existing Vinyloop plant is located in Italy. The Stigsnaes process is still preferred until a Vinyloop plant is constructed nearer to or in Sweden