Household Food Wraps Life Cycle Assessment Betsy Boatner Rob Frederick Hyung Chul Kim Yasmin Ullah April 12, 1999

Goal Definition Conduct a life cycle assessment of: PVC (Reynolds Plastic Wrap) PVDC (Saran Wrap) PE (Handi-Wrap) Al (Reynolds Aluminum Foil)

Overview Introduction Life Cycle Inventory Analysis Life Cycle Impact Assessment Life Cycle Interpretation

INTRODUCTION

Performance Characteristics Consumer objective: coverage Ability to seal/enclose Cling Resist tearing Hot/cold, clarity, and gas permeability are outside of the scope

LIFE CYCLE INVENTORY

System Boundary Al, PVC, PVDC, PE Production Wood Pulp Cardboard Production Film Manufacture Wrap Use End of Life Landfill Incineration Recycle Wrap Manufacture Tube & Box Manufacture Input OutputHuman Health Recycling Bauxite Petroleum Raw Material Extraction ManufacturingUseEnd of Life

Electrolysis Emulsion Polymerisation Reaction Calendering MiningExtraction PVC Food Wrap Production Rock Salt Methane Plasticizer PVC Food Wrap Cl 2 Chlorination VCM Stabilizer

Emulsion Polymerisation Reaction Calendering MiningExtraction PVDC Food Wrap Production Electrolysis Cl 2 Chlorination Vinyl Chloride Chlorination Vinylidene Chloride PVDC Food Wrap Rock salt Methane

PE Food Wrap Production Oil Well Drilling Refinery Oil Steam Cracking Ethylene Polymerisation Extrusion Polyethylene Food Wrap Water Rolling Stabilizers Additives

Aluminum Foil Production Cathode/Anode Manufacture NaOH Limestone Na-Al-Ca Fluoride Bauxite Al oxide Manufacture Electrolysis Carbon Al metal Casting Rolling/ Annealing Mining Aluminum Foil Wrap

Cost Comparison

Weight Distribution

Material Consumption

Energy Consumption PVC (Reynolds Plastic Wrap) PVDC (Saran Wrap) PE (Handi Wrap) Al (Reynolds Alum. Foil) Energy (MJ) feedstock precomb.+ comb. Aluminum production has high electricity demands

Air Emissions of Criteria Pollutants

Water Emissions Suspended Solids Nitrogen

Water Emissions (cont’d) Salts and Acids Metals

Water Emissions (cont’d) Total Organic Carbons

Transportation Energy Cardboard tube for plastic wrap weighs more than for aluminum

End of Life Aluminum foil has 9% recycle rate Scrap aluminum foil is worth $1050 per ton / $0.85 per roll

LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Critical Volume Pollutants included are Fl, Cl, NH3, Pb, Hg, HCl, CO, SOX, NOX, Hydrocarbons, and Dust/Part.

GWP 100 Relative to CO 2 Greenhouse gases included are CO2, N20, CH4, and Halon-1301.

Health Concerns: Aluminum Production & Recovery Production - Link between aluminum smelting & asthma & chronic airway disease - Acid mine drainage Recycling - Neurobehavioral, rheumatic, & respiratory impairments* (Al, Mn, VCM)

LIFE CYCLE INTERPRETATION

Report Card

Recommendations Examine changes in manufacturing techniques to reduce migration Conduct more research on migration and health effects Investigate alternative plasticizers (e.g., polymerized, benzoic acid based) Recover and utilize chlorine discharges

Recommendations (cont’d) Reuse or recycle aluminum foil Avoid use of heavy duty foil Minimize contact of PVC/PVDC wrap with food

Which would you choose?