Page 182 - CW E-Magazine (9-1-2024)

Special Report

cals and materials. However, even at
this state of technology, the renew-
able material processes show various
advantages concerning the environmental
footprint in the near future. This insight
highlights the need for a transition from
fossil-based to renewable materials and
chemicals to achieve net-zero targets.

REFERENCES
Vom Berg, C., Carus, M., Stratmann,
M. and Dammer, L. 2022: Renewable
Carbon as a Guiding Principle for Sus-
tainable Carbon Cycles. Renewable
Fig. 3: GWP of LDPE from pyrolysis process and virgin PE in baseline scenario (Germany 2030) Carbon Initiative (RCI) (Ed.), Hürth,
FU = functional unit Germany, 2022-02. Download at https://
(BASF 2020a)
renewable-carbon.eu/publications/prod-
uct/ renewable-carbon-as-a-guiding-prin-
ciple-forsustainable- carbon-cycles-pdf/

BASF, 2020a. Evaluation of pyro-
lysis with LCA – 3 case studies. BASF
SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany 2020-07.
Download at https://www.basf.com/
global/en/who-we-are/sustainability/
wedrive- sustainable-solutions/circular-
economy/mass-balance-approach/chem-
cycling/lca-forchemcycling. html

BASF, 2020b. ChemCyclingTM:
Fig. 4: Sensitivity analysis of the GWP of LDPE using different energy to substitute the energy Environmental Evaluation by Life Cycle
recovered from MPW incineration Assessment (LCA) – Slidedeck, BASF
[BASF 2020a] SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany, 2020-09.
future defossilisation of energy and the incineration of MPW. If these energy Download at https://www.basf.com/
electricity sources would benefi t the sources are fossil-based, the production global/en/who-we-are/sustainability/
pyrolysis system. The defossilisation of of virgin PE is more favourable in terms wedrive- sustainable-solutions/circular-
the energy industry is a mid-term goal for of climate change. If the energy sources economy/ mass-balance-approach/chem
Germany and other European countries. are defossilised, the LDPE produced in cycling/lca-forchemcycling. html
the pyrolysis system is more favourable
CONCLUSION compared to virgin production. This Together for Sustainability, 2022. The
The LCA shows that the recycled shows that as the world moves away product carbon footprint guideline for the
LDPE produced through pyrolysis is from fossil energy sources, the pyroly- chemical industry - specifi cation for pro-
a more favourable choice in terms of sis process for the recycling of MPW duct carbon footprint and corporate scope
climate change, compared to virgin LDPE becomes increasingly attractive from a 3.1 emission accounting and reporting.
production in Germany in 2030, when climate change perspective. 2022-11. Download at https://www.tfs-
using MPW which would otherwise initiative.com/app/ uploads/2023/04/TfS_
have been incinerated. Due to the use In general, the production processes PCF_guidelines_2022_ English.pdf
of the upstream system expansion for bio-based, CO -based and recycling
2
approach, the results show a high sensiti- chemicals and materials currently do Sphera, 2019. Product sustainabi-
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used to replace the energy obtained from tion processes for fossil-based chemi- sphera.com/productsustainability-data/

182 Chemical Weekly January 9, 2024

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