容器回收之減碳與環境永續效益評估

Abstract

回收容器是資源回收的重要政策之一，且已執行多年，唯國內回收容器可減少多少碳足跡及具有多大的環境永續效益，目前尚未有適當的方法或數據可供用以評估，本研究因而建立一套方法評估之。 本研究所擬建立的方法主要包括減碳和環境永續效益評估分析等兩大部分，首先界定本研究的範疇，含選定研究標的容器，然後依據所收集各容器原料與能源投入、製造、運輸、回收再利用與廢棄處置等過程中之投入及所排放之廢棄物等資料以軟體進行生命週期評估，再依據所得數據進行減碳和環境永續效益評估。減碳與環境永續效益採用一次回收法、回收路徑法及循環回收法等方法評估。除了分析及比較各方法所得到之結果，最後亦進行情境分析。 研究結果顯示，以1kg為功能單位時，製作鋁容器的排碳環境衝擊皆最高，因而回收效益亦最高，但總效益則以玻璃最好，PET容器次序之，最後為PE容器。當以1L為功能單位時，仍以鋁容器的衝擊及效益最高，其次為玻璃，最後為鐵容器。所得成果除了可供評估容器回收減碳量和環境永續效益以外，亦可作為相關決策的參考數據，所建立的方法也預期可供進行其他回收相關評估時使用。

Container recycling is one of the important policies for resource recovery and has been implemented for many years in Taiwan. However, so far no appropriate method is available for estimating the carbon footprint reduction and environmental sustainability benefits for recycling containers. This research is thus initiated to establish methods to assess these benefits. The methods to be developed in this study include two major parts for estimating the carbon footprint reduction and environmental sustainability benefits, respectively, for recycling containers. First, the containers to be studied are selected and their recycling and reuse scopes are defined. A software, SimaPro, is used to perform the life cycle assessment (LCA) of each container recycling, based on the data collected for material and energy inputs, production, transportation, recycle, reuse, and waste disposal. The carbon footprint reduction and environmental sustainability benefits are estimated based on the LCA results. The carbon footprint reduction and environmental sustainability benefits are evaluated by three methods: one-time recycling, recycling pathway, and recursive recycling. Finally, several possible scenarios with different material flow ratios for major life cycle stages are analyzed. According to the LCA results for the functional unit of 1kg, the aluminum container has the highest impact and thus has the highest recycling benefit too. However, for the total overall recycling benefit, the top three are glass, PET, and PE containers instead. For the impact estimated based on the functional unit of 1L, the top three are aluminum, glass and iron containers. The results provide not only the estimations of carbon footprint reduction and environmental sustainability benefits, but also useful reference data for making related decisions. The methods established are also expected to be applicable for assessing other recycling tasks.