TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary... i Introduction... i Objectives... i Energy, Carbon Footprint, and Energy Recovery Assessment Results... ii End-of-Life Options for Flexible Packaging Results... iv List of Acronyms and Abbreviations... x 1.0 Background... 1 1.1 Introduction... 1 1.2 Scope and Objectives... 1 1.2.1 Study Design... 2 1.2.1.1 Energy and Carbon Footprint Assessment... 2 1.2.1.2 End-of-Life Assessments... 4 2.0 Energy and Carbon Footprint Assessment of Flexible Packages... 5 2.1 Technical Approach... 5 2.1.1 Streamlining the Life Cycle Assessments... 5 2.1.2 Selection of Data Sources... 5 2.1.2.1 Package Manufacture... 6 2.1.2.2 Packaging of Product... 6 2.1.2.3 Package Descriptions... 6 2.1.3 Validation of Data Sources... 6 2.1.4 General Assumptions... 7 2.1.4.1 Transportation Distances... 7 2.1.5 System Boundaries... 8 2.1.6 Construction of LCI Models... 9 2.2 Results and Discussion of Energy Use and Carbon Footprint of Flexible Packages... 9 2.2.1 Total Energy Consumption... 10 2.2.2 Energy Consumption without Raw Materials Conversion... 11 2.2.3 Carbon Footprint... 13 2.2.4 Potential Energy Recovery... 13 2.3 Discussion and Conclusions... 15 2.4 Literature Cited and Data Sources... 17 3.0 End-of-life Options for Flexible Packages... 18 3.1 Current End-of-life Options for Manufactured Goods and Products... 18 3.2. Municipal Solid Waste in America... 18 3.3. End-of-Life Hierarchies for Packaging... 21 3.3.1 Recycling... 22 3.3.1.1 Historical Development... 23 3.3.1.2 Current Recycling Infrastructure... 23 3.3.1.3 Current Recycling Technologies... 24 3.3.1.4 New Recycling Technologies/Developments... 25 3.3.1.4.1 Sorting Technologies... 25 3.3.1.4.2 New Uses for Old Packaging... 28 v
3.3.1.4.3 Converting Plastic Waste into Pre-Polymer Products... 29 3.3.1.4.4 Plastic Rail Ties from Waste Material... 31 3.3.1.5 Recycling Insights from Industry... 31 3.3.2. International Recycling Insights... 32 3.3.2.1 Extended Producer Responsibilities... 32 3.3.2.2 Recycling in Great Britain... 32 3.3.2.3 Interviewing Recyclers in England... 33 3.3.3 Waste-to-Energy... 34 3.3.3.1 Historical Development... 34 3.3.3.2 WTE = Renewable... 36 3.3.3.2.1 Current National WTE Infrastructure... 37 3.3.3.2.2. Current WTE Technologies... 38 3.3.3.2.3. Thermal Treatment/Combustion Options of MSW... 39 3.3.3.2.4 Mass Burn/Grate Incinerator... 40 3.3.3.2.5. Rotary Kilns... 41 3.3.3.2.6. Fluidized Beds... 42 3.3.3.2.7. Pyrolysis and Gasification... 43 3.3.3.2.8. Refuse Derived Fuel... 45 3.3.3.2.9. Emissions Controls... 46 3.3.3.2.10 WTE Ash Creation... 48 3.3.3.2.11 Current WTE Spatial Considerations... 48 3.3.3.2.12 WTE Compatibility with Recycling... 48 3.3.3.2.13 Tipping Fees in North America... 49 3.3.3.2.14 The Economics of WTE... 51 3.3.3.3 New WTE Technologies/Developments... 52 3.3.3.3.1 Cement Kilns... 52 3.3.3.3.2 Waste to Ethanol... 52 3.3.3.3.3 Plastofuel Nuggets... 53 3.3.3.3.4 Air Force Mobile Waste-to-Energy... 54 3.3.3.3.5 Small Scale WTE Collaboration... 55 3.3.4 WTE Insights from Industry... 56 3.3.5 International WTE Insights... 57 3.3.6. WTE in Europe... 57 3.3.7 WTE in Asia,,... 59 3.3.8 Market and Consumer Insights... 62 Appendix A Flexible and Alternative Packaging Systems Case Studies... 65 Case Study 1: Dry Goods Package... 67 Case Study 2: Beverage Packages... 77 Case Study 3: Parcel Mailer... 85 Case Study 4: Whole Meat Cuts Package... 89 Case Study 5: Salty Snacks Package... 93 Appendix B Interviews with Companies Offering End-of-life Options for Flexible Packaging... 99 vi
List of Tables Table ES-1. Summary Results of Energy Use, Carbon Footprint, and Potential Energy Recovery of Flexible Packaging Systems... iii Table 1. Packages Assessed... 4 Table 2. Transportation Distance Assumptions... 7 Table 3. Total or System Energy Consumption for Flexible Packages and Alternatives... 10 Table 4. Pellets-to-Grave Energy Consumption for Flexible Packages and Alternatives from Package Manufacture through End-of-Life (without raw materials conversion)... 11 Table 5. Carbon Footprint for Flexible Packages and Alternatives... 12 Table 6. Potential Energy Recovery for Flexible Packages and Alternatives at End-of-Life... 14 Table 7. Potential Percentage Energy Recovery for Flexible Packages and Alternatives at End-of-Life... 15 Table 8. EPA Data on Generated MSW Amounts vs. End-of-Life Options... 20 Table 9. Biocycle and Columbia University Data on Generated MSW Amounts vs. End-of-Life Options... 21 Table 10. Packaging Hierarchies from Three Global Organizations... 22 Table 11. International WTE Facilities... 37 Table 12. A Comparison of Air Emissions from Several Electricity Generation Sources... 46 Table 13. End-of-life Scenarios Compared Using MSW-DST... 47 Table 14. Historical Breakdown of Landfill Tipping Fees in the U.S.... 50 Table 15. Energy Recovery Values from Various Combustion Sources... 54 Table 16. WTE in Japan... 61 Table A-1. Raisin Package Details... 67 Table A-2. Beverage Package Details.... 77 Table A-3. Mailer Package Details.... 85 Table A-4. Whole Muscle Meat Cuts Package Details.... 89 Table A-5. Salty Snack Package Details.... 93 List of Figures Figure ES-1. Example system and life cycle stage boundary definition.... ii Figure 1. Example System and Life Cycle Stage Boundary Definition.... 8 Figure 2. EPA Historical Data on Total Amount of MSW Generated and Recycling Rates.... 19 Figure 3. EPA Historical Data on Total Amount of MSW Generated, Compared Against Per Capita Waste Generation.... 19 Figure 4. Biocycle and Columbia University Regional Breakout of Landfilling, Recycling, and WTE in the U.S. for 2004.... 21 Figure 5. Single Stream Recycling of Residential Materials.... 23 Figure 6. Material Identification Codes for Recycling.... 24 Figure 7. Successful Separation of Mixed Plastics Waste Stream (both rigid and flexible) Using NIR and Stadler Technology... 26 Figure 8. NIR Scan Showing the Polymer Reading... 27 vii
Figure 9. Three NIR Sorting Technologies... 27 Figure 10. Stadler Separation Technology... 28 Figure 11. The Polyflow Depolymerization Process... 30 Figure 12. The Polyflow Small-scale Process Reactor.... 31 Figure 13. A Timeline of Major WTE Milestones.... 35 Figure 14. Operational WTE Plants in the U.S., by State.... 38 Figure 15. Activities in a WTE Facility.... 39 Figure 16. A Grate Incinerator WTE Facility... 41 Figure 17. A Rotary Kiln WTE Facility.... 42 Figure 18. A Fluidized Bed Mechanism.... 42 Figure 19. The Pyrolysis Process.... 44 Figure 20. The Gasification Process.... 44 Figure 21. Refuse Derived Fuel Process.... 45 Figure 22. Net Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Scenario (MMTs of carbon equivalents).... 47 Figure 23. A Comparison of How WTE Availability Affects Recycling Rates.... 49 Figure 24. Historical Breakdown of Landfill Tipping Fees in the U.S.... 50 Figure 25. Prototype Transportable WTE System.... 54 Figure 26. Interstate Interchange Where Small-scale WTE Could be Implemented.... 56 Figure 27. Global WTE Capacity... 57 Figure 28. Absolute Energy Recovery from MSW Incineration.... 58 Figure 29. WTE in China.... 60 Figure 30. Consumer Insights on Importance of Sustainability Issues and Purchasing Habits.... 62 Figure A-1. Raisin Package Total Energy Consumption... 68 Figure A-2. Raisin Package Pellets-to-Grave Energy Consumption... 69 Figure A-3. Raisin Package Carbon Footprint... 70 Figure A-4. Raisin Package Energy Consumption and Potential Energy Recovery in MJ... 71 Figure A-5. Raisin Package Percentage Potential Energy Recovery... 72 Figure A-6. Flexible Raisin Pouch Life Cycle Flows... 73 Figure A-7. Paperboard Box Life Cycle Flows... 74 Figure A-8. Paperboard Canister Life Cycle Flows... 75 Figure A-9. Beverage Package Total Energy Consumption.... 78 Figure A-10. Beverage Package Pellets-to-Grave Energy Consumption... 79 Figure A-11. Beverage Package Carbon Footprint... 79 Figure A-12. Beverage Package Energy Consumption and Potential Energy Recovery.... 80 Figure A-13. Beverage Package Percentage Potential Energy Recovery.... 81 Figure A-14. Flexible Beverage Pouch Life Cycle Flows... 82 Figure A-15. Aluminum Can Life Cycle Flows... 83 Figure A-16. Mailer Total Energy Consumption.... 86 Figure A-17. Mailer Pellets-to-Grave Energy Consumption... 87 Figure A-18. Mailer Carbon Footprint... 87 Figure A-19. Mailer Energy Consumption and Potential Energy Recovery... 87 Figure A-20. Mailer Percentage Potential Energy Recovery... 88 Figure A-21. Whole Muscle Meat Cuts Package Total Energy Consumption... 89 Figure A-22. Whole Muscle Meat Package Pellets-to-Grave Energy Consumption... 90 Figure A-23. Whole Muscle Meat Cuts Package Carbon Footprint... 90 viii
Figure A-24. Whole Muscle Meat Cuts Package Energy Consumption and Potential Energy Recovery... 91 Figure A-25. Whole Muscle Meat Cuts Package Percentage Potential Energy Recovery... 91 Figure A-26. Flexible Whole Muscle Meat Cuts Package Life Cycle Flows... 92 Figure A-27. Salty Snack Package Total Energy Consumption... 94 Figure A-28. Salty Snack Package Pellets-to-Grave Energy Consumption... 94 Figure A-29. Salty Snack Package Carbon Footprint... 95 Figure A-30. Salty Snack Package Energy Consumption and Potential Energy Recovery... 95 Figure A-31. Salty Snack Package Percentage Potential Energy Recovery... 96 Figure A-32. Flexible Salty Snack Bag Life Cycle Flows... 97 ix