| Abstract [eng] |
The depletion of non-renewable resources, the growing amount of plastic waste in the world and the growing contribution to all of it from the agricultural sector are driving the search for alternative or more environmentally friendly uses of plastic products and one of the possible solutions to the problem: eco-innovation,bioplastics, but here are still difficulties in properly assessing and / or adapting their use in agriculture. There is a lack of research to assess the impact of bioplastics on the basis of life cycle assessment (LCA), in particular to assess this impact on mulching films used in agriculture, from an environmental and social point of view. Therefore, this study carried out a comparative analysis between mulching films made of different materials but with the same function throughout their life cycle in order to find out whether the innovative alternatives being developed are indeed more environmentally and socially superior than the currently widespread conventional ones. In order to carry out this type of study, the SimaPro 9.1 program adapted for life cycle assessments and the databases and data found in the literature on the selected films were used: polylactic acid or polylactide (PLA) based film, polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) based film and a film made from traditional low density polyethylene (LDPE). The environmental assessment of these films showed that the highest environmental impact is generated during the production of plastic pellets, and the highest potential environmental impact from the point of view of full environmental BCV is predicted for PBAT plastic films. And the results of the social assessment for the raw materials used in the production of pellets showed that the highest social risks associated with LDPE and PBAT pellets are due to the components associated with the oil industry, while the crop demand for PLA pellets was responsible for the highest risks. It has also been observed that the production of the required components for PLA, PBAT or LDPE pellets in Lithuania (LT) or Poland (PL) can be expected to be more socially responsible than in China (CN). However, the social lyfe cycle assesment metods are still relatively inaccurate, and LCA limitations showed the need for further research in the future. |
