Probabilistic Material Flow Analysis of Seven Commodity Plastics in Europe

The omnipresence of plastics in our
lives and their ever-increasing
application range continuously raise the requirements for the monitoring
of environmental and health impacts related to both plastics and their
additives. We present a static probabilistic material flow analysis
of seven polymers through the European and Swiss anthropospheres to
provide a strong basis for exposure assessments of polymer-related
impacts, which necessitates that the plastic flows from production
to use and finally to waste management are well-understood. We consider
seven different polymers, chosen for their popularity and application
variety: low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene
(HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), expanded polystyrene
(EPS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
We include synthetic textile products and consider trade flows at
various stages of the life cycle, thus achieving a complete overview
of the consumption for these polymers. In Europe, the order of consumption
is PP > LDPE > PET > HDPE > PVC > PS > EPS. Textile
products account
for 42 ± 3% of the consumption of PET and 22 ± 4% of PP.
Incineration is the major waste management method for HDPE, PS, and
EPS. No significant difference between landfilling and incineration
for the remaining polymers is found. The highest recycling share is
found for PVC. These results can serve as a basis for a detailed assessment
of exposure pathways of plastics or their additives in the environment
or exposure of additives on human health.