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Transforming PET recycling via solar-assisted sorption-enhanced gasification for a circular economy: integrated techno-economic and life cycle assessment
Laboratory for Chemical Technology (LCT), Department of Materials, Textiles and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Architecture, Ghent University, B-9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium; Energy Conversion and Systems Research Group, Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Aalto University, Sähkömiehentie 4J, 02150, Espoo, Finland.
Institute of Sustainability for Chemicals, Energy and Environment (ISCE2), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 1 Pesek Road, Jurong Island, 627833, Republic of Singapore, 1 Pesek Road, Jurong Island; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117585 Singapore.
CAS Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 1 Fusionopolis Way, #16-16 Connexis, Singapore.
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2025 (English)In: Green Chemistry, ISSN 1463-9262, E-ISSN 1463-9270, Vol. 27, no 43, p. 13920-13935Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the fifth most produced plastic in Europe, has become a focus of intense research due to the growing need for sustainable recycling solutions. In previous studies, a novel solar-assisted, sorption-enhanced gasification process was proposed, offering a breakthrough method to recover hydrogen and other valuable chemicals while capturing fossil CO2. This research takes the concept further by performing a gate-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) of the proposed method and comparing its techno-economic-environmental performance across selected European locations using an integrated evaluation metric. The LCA demonstrated an avoided global warming potential of 1639.13 kg CO2 eq. per tonne of PET waste recycled, highlighting the environmental advantages. Among the selected sites, Aldeire in Spain showed the most promising economic returns, boasting an internal return rate above 12%, thanks to its abundant solar energy. However, the location in Germany exhibited the best overall environmental performance. The findings confirm that this innovative process significantly outperforms current PET recycling systems, offering a cleaner, more sustainable alternative. Coupled with a comprehensive techno-economic analysis, the proposed recycling approach proves viable and highly beneficial for implementation in Southern Europe. These insights offer valuable guidance to policymakers as they seek to advance PET recycling technologies, driving Europe toward a more resource-efficient, circular economy and a carbon-neutral future. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) , 2025. Vol. 27, no 43, p. 13920-13935
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Energy Engineering Environmental Sciences Environmental Management
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URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-375327DOI: 10.1039/d5gc01106jISI: 001595973600001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105026069980OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-375327DiVA, id: diva2:2027088
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QC 20260112

Available from: 2026-01-12 Created: 2026-01-12 Last updated: 2026-01-12Bibliographically approved

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Wang, Wujun

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