Table 3. Inputs used in the life cycle assessment of PET, PC bottle production, transportation, and PET bottle recycling

Input Amount LCI database (providers from Ecoinvent 3.6)
PET bottle production
Polyethylene terephthalate, granulate, bottle grade 0.06 kg Polyethylene terephthalate production, granulate, bottle grade | Cutoff, U - RoW
Polyethylene, high density, granulate 0.004 kg Polyethylene production, high density, granulate | Cutoff, U - RoW
Polypropylene, granulate 0.001 kg Polypropylene production, granulate | Cutoff, U - RoW
Water, completely softened 1 kg Water production, completely softened | Cutoff, U - RoW
Electricity, medium voltage 0.1106 kWh Electricity production, medium voltage, petroleum refinery operation | Cutoff, U - RoW
Plastic processing factory 1.0 E-10 item Plastic processing factory construction | Cutoff, U - RoW
Transport*
Transport, freight, lorry, unspecified 0.065 kg×50 km Transport, freight, lorry, all sizes, unregulated to generic market for transport, freight, lorry, unspecified | Cutoff, U - GLO
PET bottle recycling**
Electricity, medium voltage 0.01725 MJ Electricity production, medium voltage, petroleum refinery operation | Cutoff, U - RoW
Sodium hydroxide, without water, in 50% solution state 0.00031 kg Market for sodium hydroxide, without water, in 50% solution state | Cutoff, U - GLO
Tap water 0.0122 kg Tap water production, conventional treatment |Cutoff, U - RoW
Natural gas, burned in gas motor, for storage 0.398 MJ Natural gas, burned in gas motor, for storage | Cutoff, U - RoW
Diesel 8.2875 E-6 kg Market for diesel | Cutoff, U - RoW
Wire drawing, steel 0.0001 kg Market for wire drawing, steel | Cutoff, U - GLO
Plastic processing factory [13] 1.0 E-10 item Plastic processing factory construction | Cutoff, U - RoW
Nitrogen, liqui1d 0.00497 kg Air separation, cryogenic | Cutoff, U - RoW
PC bottle production
Polycarbonate 0.06 kg Polycarbonate production | Cutoff, U - RoW
Polyethylene, low density, granulate 0.004 kg Polyethylene production, low density, granulate | Cutoff, U - RoW
Polybutadiene 0.001 kg Polybutadiene production | Cutoff, U - RoW
Water, completely softened 1 kg Water production, completely softened | Cutoff, U - RoW
Electricity, medium voltage 0.1106 kWh Electricity production, medium voltage, petroleum refinery operation | Cutoff, U - RoW
Plastic processing factory 1.0 E-10 item Plastic processing factory construction | Cutoff, U - RoW
Each transport distance is assumed to be 50 km for simplicity.
Obtained from Smith et al. (2022) [11].