Performing accurate life-cycle analysis of plastics
Rosanna Cavanaugh, President, Key Tech Corp., Packaging materials supplier
I am trying to clarify something I was told recently. When a life-cycle analysis (LCA) is completed on plastics, it is done considering the raw material being crude oil and the processes employed, including drilling, refining, cracking, etc. However, what I was told was that plastics are actually made from the byproducts of gasoline or fuel manufacturing and are never really made straight from crude. Given most of the oil drilled is used for gasoline or fuel, then is it correct to start there when doing LCA, or is it more correct to start somewhere else? Seems there is something not quite right about starting from crude oil? What am I missing here? Anyone?
Read 3 responses to this question: greenerpackage.com/node/1714
