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Plastic Bottle Life Cycle Analysis

A comprehensive LCA comparing PET, recycled PET, and aluminum cans for beverage packaging.

Executive Summary

This study evaluates the environmental footprint of common beverage packaging solutions, focusing on the impact of material circularity and transport distances in the European market.

Key Impact Indicators

Carbon Footprint

42.5kg CO2 eq

Water Consumption

120Liters

Fossil Resource Use

15.2MJ

Key Findings

  • 1

    Recycled PET (rPET) reduces Global Warming Potential by 40% compared to virgin PET.

  • 2

    Aluminum cans have higher initial manufacturing impact but significantly better end-of-life recovery rates.

  • 3

    Transport distance is a critical factor, accounting for up to 15% of the total footprint in regional distribution.

Impact Breakdown

Raw Materials55%
Manufacturing20%
Transport15%
End of Life10%

* Breakdown represents the percentage contribution to the primary environmental hotspot.

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