Life Cycle Assessment of Novel Antibacterial Polylactide-Hemp-Nanosilver-Biocomposites

Climate change is one of the most complex and time-sensitive crises humanity is facing, thereby driving a quest for more sustainable product alternatives across all sectors. In hygiene-critical sectors like medicine, the development of sustainable materials is imperative because of the predominant use of single use plastics. Polylactic acid (PLA) has emerged as a bio-based alternative for clinical applications because of its degradation profile. To further enhance antibacterial properties and sustainability performance, a novel biocomposite based on PLA with hemp hurd filled with silver nanoparticles (AgNP) was developed. Here we present a life cycle assessment (LCA) based on ISO 14040 and 14044 to evaluate the added value of the antibacterial biocomposite compared to conventional antibacterial materials from an environmental perspective. The environmental impacts are analyzed in comparison to virgin PLA, fossil-based polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) combined in a disinfecting wipes and sterilized application. Our results show that the novel biocomposite has in general higher environmental impacts than its counterparts. Notably, our findings suggest a significant impact derived from high energy demand required for AgNP synthesis. To be able to compete with other materials, the energy demand needs to be minimized, which should be the focus of further research.