Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of a Pre-Commercial Chemical Recycling Process for Post-Industrial Plastic Waste

Chemical recycling technologies are gaining attention, yet their environmental benefits remain debated due to high energy demand, low yields, and limited data quality. This study conducts a comparative life cycle assessment of a 130 kg/h pyrolysis plant converting post-industrial packaging waste into high-value chemicals. Its environmental performance is benchmarked against waste incineration and virgin chemical production. The chemical recycling process emits 1.4 kgCO2-eq/kg feedstock, 50 % lower than for incineration. Considering product substitutions, emissions of the recycling process are reduced up to ‑0.9 kgCO2-eq. Compared to virgin production, the chemical recycling process provides a suitable alternative, generating up to 40 % less CO2 emissions. It also results in lower impacts on acidification and fossil fuel depletion, although freshwater and marine eutrophication are higher than those of fossil-based production. The results show high dependency on data and methodological assumptions that can reduce the emissions by up to 64 % but can increase them by 114 %.