Assessing the circularity potential of plastics with a substitutability approach: A case study in Argentina

Abstract

Resource depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, and pollution associated with production, consumption, and disposal of plastics demand solutions. Material circularity is presented as a key strategy to address this problem. However, a comprehensive study of these systems is needed to determine whether it is possible to completely close the material loop. When evaluating plastics recycling as a circularity strategy, it is essential to consider the conservation of mass in the cycle and the conservation of quality. In this sense, substitutability is a concept that measures the ability of the recycled material to replace virgin material. This paper presents the results of the circularity potential of six main types of plastics for five scenarios in Argentina, based on recycling rates and market shares to measure the conservation of quantity and quality in the material cycle. The results show a low circularity potential for all plastics, the best indicator being 13.6% for HDPE and the worst being 3% for PS.