Life cycle assessment of polyvinyl chloride production and its recyclability in China

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the second most widely consumed plastic, is a 21st century material generally used in pipes, cables, and other construction applications. Life cycle assessment (LCA) of polyvinyl chloride production and its recyclability in China was conducted to investigate the environmental impact generated from PVC industry. Uncertainty analysis was conducted using the Monte Carlo simulation. Results showed that the key materials contributing to the general environmental burden were chlorine, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides for both scenarios. The primary PVC scenario had an overwhelmingly great environmental impact in most categories except for agricultural land occupation. The impact on climate change can be decreased by 36.21% and 15.53% respectively in producing 1 ton of primary PVC considering alternative energy sources, such as proportionally replacing coal-based electricity generation by hydropower and hybrid power according to the State Grid structure. The key factors in reducing the overall environmental impact of PVC production are promoting the use of recycled PVC, reducing NMVOC emissions, and raising the renewable energy ratio.