Life cycle assessment of the recycling of Al-PE (a laminated foil made from polyethylene and aluminum foil) composite packaging waste

The recycling of Al-PE (a laminated foil made from polyethylene and aluminum foil) composite packaging waste composed of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and aluminum is of great environmental significance. This project, which evaluated the recycling of Al-PE composite packaging waste, was based on previously determined optimum conditions for using formic acid as separation reagent. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was utilized to examine and compare the environmental impacts of different disposal methods. Data for mass and energy fluxes and for environmental emissions were obtained from the literature and from site investigations. The results show that the environmental impacts from Al-PE packaging material waste treatment were highest for landfill disposal, followed by incineration and then recycling, and that the latter two treatments had overall beneficial effects on the environment. The landfill, incineration and recycling scenarios contributed most of their environmental impacts in the Carcinogen, Respiratory Inorganics and Fossil Fuel categories, respectively. If emissions reduction is the primary governmental goal, incineration would be the better choice, while Al-PE recycling would be the better choice for saving energy.