Can we improve the environmental benefits of biobased PET production through local 1 biomass value chains? A life cycle assessment perspective

TL;DR

This study evaluates the environmental impacts of biobased PET production from various EU biomass sources, highlighting Miscanthus as the most sustainable option to enhance low-carbon economy goals.

Contribution

It introduces an integrated life cycle and sensitivity assessment tool to optimize biomass supply chains for greener biobased PET production.

Findings

Miscanthus reduces GHG emissions significantly.

Local EU biomass chains improve environmental performance.

Miscanthus outperforms other biomass options in sustainability.

Abstract

The transition to a low-carbon economy is one of the ambitions of the European Union for 2030. Biobased industries play an essential role in this transition. However, there has been an on-going discussion about the actual benefit of using biomass to produce biobased products, specifically the use of agricultural materials (e.g., corn and sugarcane). This paper presents the environmental impact assessment of 30% and 100% biobased PET (polyethylene terephthalate) production using EU biomass supply chains (e.g., sugar beet, wheat, and Miscanthus). An integral assessment between the life cycle assessment methodology and the global sensitivity assessment is presented as an early-stage support tool to propose and select supply chains that improve the environmental performance of biobased PET production. From the results, Miscanthus is the best option for the production of biobased PET: promoting EU local supply chains, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (process and land-use change), and generating lower impacts in midpoint categories related to resource depletion, ecosystem quality, and human health. This tool can help improving the environmental performance of processes that could boost the shift to a low-carbon economy.