Household Food Wraps Life Cycle Assessment

Betsy Boatner

Rob Frederick

Hyung Chul Kim

Yasmin Ullah

April 12, 1999

Goal Definition

Conduct a life cycle assessment of:

• PVC (Reynolds Plastic Wrap)

• PVDC (Saran Wrap)

• PE (Handi-Wrap)

• Al (Reynolds Aluminum Foil)

Overview

• Introduction

• Life Cycle Inventory Analysis

• Life Cycle Impact Assessment

• Life Cycle Interpretation

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

Performance Characteristics

Consumer objective: coverage

• Ability to seal/enclose

• Cling

• Resist tearing

• Hot/cold, clarity, and gas permeability

are outside of the scope

LIFE CYCLE INVENTORY

System Boundary

Al, PVC, PVDC, PE

Production

Wood

Pulp

Cardboard

Production

Film Manufactur

e

Wrap Use

End of Life

Landfill IncinerationRecycle

Wrap Manufactur

e

Tube & Box Manufacture

Input

Output Human Health

Recycling

Bauxite

Petroleum

Raw Material

Extraction

Manufacturing Use End of Life

ElectrolysisEmulsion

PolymerisationReaction

Calendering

Mining Extraction

PVC Food Wrap Production

Rock Salt Methane Plasticizer

PVC Food Wrap

Cl2 Chlorination VCM

Stabilizer

EmulsionPolymerisation

ReactionCalendering

Mining Extraction

PVDC Food Wrap Production

Electrolysis Cl2 Chlorination VinylChloride

Chlorination

VinylideneChloride PVDC

Food Wrap

Rock salt Methane

PE Food Wrap Production

Oil Well

Drilling

Refinery

OilSteam

CrackingEthylene

PolymerisationExtrusion

Polyethylene Food Wrap

Water

Rolling

Stabilizers Additives

Aluminum Foil Production

Cathode/AnodeManufacture

NaOH LimestoneNa-Al-Ca Fluoride

Bauxite

Al oxideManufacture Electrolysis

Carbon

Al metal

CastingRolling/

Annealing

Mining Mining

Aluminum Foil Wrap

Cost Comparison

$3.09 $3.09

$1.65

$2.59

$0.00

$0.50

$1.00

$1.50

$2.00

$2.50

$3.00

$3.50

PVC (Reynolds)100 sq. ft.

PVDC (Saran)100 sq. ft.

PE (Handi Wrap)100 sq. ft.

Al (Reynolds)75 sq. ft.

Weight Distribution

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

PVC (Reynolds)100 sq. ft.

PVDC (Saran)100 sq. ft.

PE (Handi Wrap)100 sq. ft.

Al (Reynolds)75 sq. ft.

gra

ms

TubeBoxWrap

Material Consumption

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

PVC (Reynolds

PlasticWrap)

PVDC (SaranWrap)

PE (HandiWrap)

Al (ReynoldsAlum. Foil)

Mas

s (k

g)

crude oil/nat. gas

rock salt

limestone

bauxite

Energy Consumption

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

PVC (Reynolds

Plastic Wrap)

PVDC (Saran Wrap)

PE

(Handi Wrap)

Al (ReynoldsAlum. Foil)

En

erg

y (

MJ

)

feedstock

precomb.+ comb.

• Aluminum production has high electricity demands

Air Emissions of Criteria Pollutants

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

PVC (Reynolds) PVDC (Saran) PE (Handi-Wrap) Aluminum(Reynolds)

gra

ms

PM

VOC

CO

SOX

NOX

Water Emissions

0 4000 8000 12000 16000

PVC (Reynolds)

PVDC (Saran)

PE (Handi-Wrap)

Aluminum (Reynolds)

grams

SuspendedSolids

0 20 40 60 80 100

PVC (Reynolds)

PVDC (Saran)

PE (Handi-Wrap)

Aluminum (Reynolds)

grams

Nitrogen

Water Emissions (cont’d)

Salts and Acids

Metals

0 20000 40000 60000 80000 100000

PVC (Reynolds)

PVDC (Saran)

PE (Handi Wrap)

Aluminum (Reynolds)

grams

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

PVC (Reynolds)

PVDC (Saran)

PE (Handi Wrap)

Aluminum (Reynolds)

grams

Water Emissions (cont’d)

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

PVC (Reynolds)

PVDC (Saran)

PE (Handi-Wrap)

Aluminum(Reynolds)

grams

Total Organic Carbons

Transportation Energy

0

200

400

600

800

PVC (Reynolds

PlasticWrap)

PVDC (SaranWrap)

PE (HandiWrap)

Al (ReynoldsAlum. Foil)

En

erg

y (J

/mile

) fo

r fu

nct

ion

al u

nit

cardboard

wrap

• Cardboard tube for plastic wrap weighs more than for aluminum

End of Life

• Aluminum foil has 9% recycle rate • Scrap aluminum foil is worth $1050 per ton / $0.85 per roll

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

PVC (Reynolds

PlasticWrap)

PVDC (SaranWrap)

PE (HandiWrap)

Al (ReynoldsAlum. Foil)

We

igh

t (g

) p

er

fun

cti

on

al u

nit

recycled

incinerated

landfill

LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENTLIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Critical Volume

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

PVC(Reynolds)

PVDC (Saran) PE (HandiWrap)

Aluminum(Reynolds)

10

0 m

3 o

f p

ollu

ted

air

• Pollutants included are Fl, Cl, NH3, Pb, Hg, HCl, CO, SOX, NOX, Hydrocarbons, and Dust/Part.

GWP100 Relative to CO2

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

PVC(Reynolds)

PVDC(Saran)

PE (HandiWrap)

Aluminum(Reynolds)

kg

of

CO

2 e

qu

iva

len

t

• Greenhouse gases included are CO2, N20, CH4, and Halon-1301.

Health Concerns:Manufacturing of PVC/ PVDC

Dioxin

- carcinogen, potential endocrine disruptor & teratogen- exposure linked to diabetes- Vinyl Institute: 24.3 g/year- Greenpeace: 283-565 g/year (Danish study in support)- EPA: insufficient data to evaluate claims

Plasticizers

- DEHA: potential human carcinogen, teratogen, mutagen, & endocrine disruptor- DEHP: potential human carcinogen, teratogen,

& endocrine disruptor- Swedish study: testicular cancer & PVC exposure

Health Concerns:Manufacturing of PVC/PVDC (cont’d)

Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM)- human carcinogen - rare liver cancer, documented evidence from occupational exposure

- lung, spleen, & brain cancer, degenerative bone disease

Hydrogen Chloride Gas- "meat wrapper asthma"

Equity- mean percent non-white 57% higher than national average

in communities surrounding the 14 U.S. ethylene and/orvinyl chloride feedstock facilities

Health Concerns:Use of PVDC/PVC Food Wrap

Migration of Plasticizers: DEHA & DEHP

- plasticizer content: average 16.3%

- migration level varies depending on:content, surface contact, length of contact,fat content of food, & temperature

- numerous studies:Consumers Union: 51-270 ppm (avg 153) in cheese

- FDA: risk from DEHA and DEHP de minimus – not regulated

- C.E.C.: DEHA migration limit of 18 ppm

Health Concerns:End of Life of PVDC/PVC Food Wrap

Incineration

- Dioxin: hotly contested

- Vinyl Industry: Rigo study

- Greenpeace & others: strong criticism

- EPA: jury is out (to lunch)

Recycling Challenges

- Volume, storage, & collection infrastructure

- Additives act as contaminant preventing PVC recycling

- Cross-resin contamination:

* PVC & PET recycling: hydrochloric acid

* different plastic films indistinguishable

International Actionto Reduce & Eliminate PVC-Based Products,

with Focus on Food Packaging

- Environmental Guidelines for Sydney Olympics:minimize and avoid use of PVC

- German Parliament: recommended complete phase out

- Switzerland: PVC containers are banned

- Denmark: reduction in PVC packaging to 85% of weight in 1987 by 2000

- Japan: law passed requiring manufacturers to recycle toxic materials that produce dioxin when burned (2000)

*American Public Health Association: call for timed phase-out

Health Concerns:Use of Aluminum Foil

Link to Alzheimers

- Evidence of aluminum in brains of patients with disease

- No evidence of direct correlation between disease &aluminum

- Content ingested from foil and utensil innocuous; water primary source - used in purification

Health Concerns: Aluminum Production & Recovery

Production

- Link between aluminum smelting & asthma &

chronic airway disease

- Acid mine drainage

Recycling

- Neurobehavioral, rheumatic, & respiratory impairments*

(Al, Mn, VCM)

LIFE CYCLE INTERPRETATION

Report Card

PVC PVDC PE AlMaterial Intensiveness + + -Energy + + -Health - - + Air Pollutants + -Water Pollutants - + -GWP + + -Critical Volume - + -End of Life - - -

Recommendations

• Examine changes in manufacturing techniques to reduce migration

• Conduct more research on migration and health effects

• Investigate alternative plasticizers (e.g., polymerized, benzoic acid based)

• Recover and utilize chlorine discharges

Recommendations (cont’d)

• Reuse or recycle aluminum foil

• Avoid use of heavy duty foil

• Minimize contact of PVC/PVDC wrap with food

Which would you choose?