Life-Cycle Assessment of Recycling Postconsumer High-Density Polyethylene and Polyethylene Terephthalate

Table 9

Energy and water use for recycled PET resin (MBtu of energy and liter of water per ton of resin).

	Process	Transport	EMR	Total	Total %	Water use [37]
PET: cut-off, volume-based collection (50% compaction)
Collection (50% compaction)	0.053	1.51	0	1.563	14	0
Sorting/separation	0.22	0.08	0	0.3	2.7	0
Reclaimer processing to flake	8.3	0.92	0	9.22	83	405
Total for PET flake	8.573	2.51	0	11.083		405
Percent by category	77	23	0	0
Conversion of flake to pellet	4.87	0		4.871		0
Total for PET pellet	13.44	2.5		15.94		405
Percent by category	84.3	15.7		100
PET: system expansion, volume-based collection (50% compaction)
Allocated virgin resin production	15.7	0.8	17.3	33.8	86.58	0
Collection (50% compaction)	0.028	0.78	0	0.808	2.07	0
Sorting/separation	0.12	0.45	0	0.57	9.89	0
Reclaimer processing to pellet	3.4	0.46	0	3.86	9.89	189
Total for PET flake	19.248	2.49	17.3	39.038		189
Percent by category	49	6	44
Conversion of flake to pellet	2.39	0	0	2.39		0
Total for PET pellet	21.638	2.49	17.3	41.428		189
Percent by category	52.23	6.01	42	52.23