51视频

Environment and Ecology Research Vol. 13(2), pp. 269 - 280
DOI: 10.13189/eer.2025.130208
Reprint (PDF) (1663Kb)

How We Can Reduce Environmental Impacts through Recycling

Pertiwi Andarani ^1,*, Ariadne Yovita Adiyoga Hervana ², Ariesta Sulistyo Asih ³, Syafrudin Syafrudin ¹, Hardianti Alimuddin ^4,5, Wiwik Budiawan ^6
1 Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia
² Undergraduate Program of Environmental Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia
³ Study Program of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, UPN Veteran Jawa Timur, Indonesia
⁴ Graduate School of Engineering, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan
⁵ Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Hasanuddin, Indonesia
⁶ Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia

ABSTRACT

The widespread use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles presents significant environmental challenges. This study employs a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), following ISO 14044:2006 guidelines, to evaluate the environmental impacts of three PET bottle recycling scenarios: 24%, 50%, and 86% recycling rates. Using a standardized 40-gram PET bottle as the functional unit, the study assesses key environmental impact categories, including water consumption, fossil resource scarcity, and global warming potential (GWP). The results indicate that increasing recycling rates significantly reduces environmental impacts, with the GWP decreasing from 0.12 kg CO_2eq in the 24% recycling scenario to 0.0497 kg CO_2eq in the 86% scenario. Water consumption is also reduced from 0.0139 m³ to 0.0056 m³, while fossil resource scarcity decreases from 0.236 kg oil_eq to 0.0952 kg oil_eq. However, the land use category showed only a marginal reduction from 0.00252 m² crop_eq to 0.00218 m² crop_eq, indicating diminishing returns at higher recycling rates. Despite the benefits of recycling, this study emphasizes that reducing consumption should be the top priority in addressing PET-related environmental burdens. Minimizing unnecessary consumption and promoting sustainable production practices are critical to achieving long-term sustainability goals. These findings highlight the need for a holistic waste management strategy that prioritizes reduction, followed by reuse and recycling, to effectively mitigate environmental impacts and support the transition to a circular economy.

KEYWORDS
PET Bottle, Plastic Waste, Life Cycle Assessment, Recycling

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Pertiwi Andarani , Ariadne Yovita Adiyoga Hervana , Ariesta Sulistyo Asih , Syafrudin Syafrudin , Hardianti Alimuddin , Wiwik Budiawan , "How We Can Reduce Environmental Impacts through Recycling," Environment and Ecology Research, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 269 - 280, 2025. DOI: 10.13189/eer.2025.130208.

(b). APA Format:
Pertiwi Andarani , Ariadne Yovita Adiyoga Hervana , Ariesta Sulistyo Asih , Syafrudin Syafrudin , Hardianti Alimuddin , Wiwik Budiawan (2025). How We Can Reduce Environmental Impacts through Recycling. Environment and Ecology Research, 13(2), 269 - 280. DOI: 10.13189/eer.2025.130208.