Are Polymers Toxic? Case Study: Environmental Impact of a Biopolymer

Abstract

In this paper, the analysis of the environmental impacts of a biopolymer based on starch is presented. These impacts were calculated from a cradle to gate LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), based on UNEEN ISO 14040: 2006 and UNEEN ISO 14044, using as functional unit 1 kg of produced biomaterial. The impact categories analyzed were global warming, ozone depletion, acidification and eutrophication. The results indicate that the electricity causes the highest impacts in the global warming and ozone depletion categories, but compared to synthetic polymers, the emissions are low. Finally, in the case of eutrophication, the impacts are similar to other biopolymers but higher in comparison with petroleum-based polymers like HDPE (High Density Polyethylene), LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene), PP (Polypropylene), PS (Polystyrene) and PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate).