Comparative life cycle assessment of two different waste materials for recycled fiber

Recycling of post-consumer materials can save natural resources and solve the waste disposal problem, but most previous studies focused on the environmental benefits of recycled products versus the products made from virgin materials. This paper analyses the environmental performance of two recycled fiber produced by waste bottle (Scenario A) and textile waste (Scenario B) based on the methodology of life cycle assessment (LCA). The method of economic allocation combine with cut-off principle is adopted to shift the environmental loads from previous to following life cycle of the recyclable waste materials. To compare with Scenario A, Scenario B reduces the environmental loads by approximately 21%-48% in the eight environmental impact categories. In Scenario B, the consumption of acrylic acid should be the key improvement factors. And the optimization of electric power is the most effective measure to improve the environmental benefits.