| Title | Material flow analysis and circularity assessment of plastic packaging: An application to Portugal |
|---|---|
| ID_Doc | 16675 |
| Authors | Gonçalves, M; Freire, F; Garcia, R |
| Title | Material flow analysis and circularity assessment of plastic packaging: An application to Portugal |
| Year | 2024 |
| Published | |
| Abstract | Material flow analysis (MFA) has been used to investigate plastic flows, albeit with limitations in providing a comprehensive assessment. This article proposes an MFA-based approach to assess circularity and presents an application to plastic packaging in Portugal, assessing flows (from polymer production to post-consumption treatment), calculating circularity indicators with different scopes, and analyzing circular economy scenarios. Results show that plastic packaging has a low circularity due to short lifespans and low recycling rates. The recycled input rate indicates an 11 % contribution of recycled materials in reducing the use of virgin materials. The circular economy scenarios analyzed show that meeting the European Plastics Pact targets for 2025 is theoretically viable; however, achieving them requires ambitious enhancements, such as improvements in recyclability and incorporating more recycled materials towards a more circular plastic packaging system. The MFA-based approach proposed can be applied to other products and materials. |
| https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107795 |
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