Recycle or Dispose Off? Lifecycle Environmental Sustainability Assessment of Paint Recycling Process

Abstract

People are so metimes confronted with the need to decide whether a product should be recycled or disposed off. The purpose of this project was to assess whether it is more environ mentally sustainable to recycle paint than to dispose it off in a landfill or not. Lifecycle assessment method was used to analyze potential environ mental costs and benefits associated with paint recycling. Data used for the analyses were collected from a recycled paint manufacturing company, literature, and a database. The lifecycle impact analyses of the paint recycling p rocess were based on monthly production of a recycled latex paint brand. Results of the analyses revealed that the process have a monthly 122760.8kg CO 2-eq global warming potential (GWP), 1481.6 ma x kg O 2-eq eutrophication potential (EP), and 106.8kg C 2 H 4-eq photochemical o zone creat ion potential (POCP). The LCA results showed an environ mental benefit o f eliminating 31,237.29kg CO 2-eq GWP, 0.02kg CFC-11eq Ozone depletion potential (ODP), 5943.58kg C 2 H 4 eq POCP and 197.83 ma x kg O 2 eq EP by recycling latex paint rather than disposing it off in the landfill and producing equal amount of latex paint to replace it. Results also revealed that recycling of paint containers and plastics reduces the GWP by 25.34%, ODP by 29.79%, POCP by 15.39%, and EP by 12.47%. Paint recycling is therefore not only econo mically wise but it is also ecologically sustainable.