How can I model a material with X% recycled content in a cradle-to-cradle model with 0:100 allocation?

Question

Hi everyone,

I am modeling a system in which a plastic product is produced from X% recycled granulate (the rest is virgin). Finally after recycling, Y% of the whole product mass is recovered as recycled granulates (X>Y).

I am using 0:100 recycling allocation approach. My inputs from outside system boundary are recycled/virgin granulates (burden cut-off). The system models the recycling process downstream and the output (avoided product) is the recycled granulate for which I consider credit.

Q: Does my model lack the burden of (X-Y) recycled granulate and the virgin content in the upstream? Does it make sense to expand my system boundary upstream to entail production of virgin content and (X-Y)% recycled content? is that not double-counting and in contrast with 0:100 approach?

Answer 1

Hello miladg,

from my point of view if you attempt to use the 0/100 approach, you must model the input material as 100% virgin material and include it into the system boundary.

This is because it is assumed that in the same way as you claim the credit for your recycled output, somebody else has alredy claimed the credit for providing the recycled material that you are using. Therefore, you are not allowed to claim the benefit of using the recycled material in your product. This seems counterintuitive at first, but it is the nature of the approach.

I recommend reading the chapter on the CFF in the PEF method.

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021H2279

In the formula, if the A-factor is 0, the formula represents the 0/100 approach. As you can see, in that case the recycled input (R1) also carries the burden of virgin material (Ev)

Hope this helps,

Paul