Materials Today: Proceedings 56 (2022) 2245–2251

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Materials Today: Proceedings

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Environmental impacts of polypropylene (PP) production and prospects

of its recycling in the GCC region
Amzan Alsabri, Furqan Tahir, Sami G. Al-Ghamdi ⇑
Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science & Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Undoubtedly, plastic products are widely used by nearly everyone, either in plastic bags, bottles, house-
Available online 13 December 2021 hold items, and many others. Hence, plastic products are replacing almost all other items, and as a result,
they are causing environmental hazards as well. Polypropylene (PP) is a common plastic used to create
Keywords: end goods for customers, such as plastic packaging, and it accounts for 16 % of the entire plastics industry.
Environmental Impacts The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has emerged as a global exporter of petrochemical products, includ-
GCC ing chemicals, consumer care products, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, textiles, and agricultural products
LCA
in the past few years. This has led to the growing demand for PP production and raises the environmental
Plastics
Polypropylene
concerns associated with PP waste. In this work, the life cycle assessment (LCA) studies are consolidated
Recycling to analyze the environmental impacts related to PP production and waste. Furthermore, several options
of utilizing plastic waste have been presented and discussed from the environmental perspectives and for
the GCC region.
Copyright Ó 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Confer-
ence on Applied Research and Engineering 2021 This is an open access article under the CC BY license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

1. Introduction As a thermoplastic polymer, PP is viewed as one of the most

promising goods because of its physical properties, adaptability,
Polypropylene (PP) is an inexpensive thermoplastic polymer and environmentally friendly record [5,6]. Additionally, PP is one
with exceptional properties like fire resistance, simplicity, high of the most utilized polymers for the fabrication of microporous
heat distortion temperature, and dimensional solidity. PP is a membranes, as it has good thermal stability, chemical resistance,
widely used plastic to make end products for customers, such as mechanical strength, and low cost [7,8].
plastic packaging, and accounts for 16 % of the worldwide plastics PP can be blended with different types of biodegradable poly-
market [1]. Several combinations of PP with natural and artificial mers such as polylactic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic starch
fibers are gaining importance because of their thermal and (TPS); it was proven that during the recycling process of PP, the
mechanical properties and the ability to produce new products presence of several biodegradable polymers could be detected as
that are processed with PP [2]. impurities that affect the thermal and mechanical properties of
In terms of its chemical composition, PP is a downstream petro- the recycled PP as well as the PP recycling chain with biopolymers
chemical product derived from an ‘‘olefin monomer,” propylene since it is significant for the PP based materials final applications
[3]. PP was first identified in 1954 and was quickly utilized because [9]. Moreover, the elimination process of the impurities in the
it has the lowest density among plastics and is known as a thermo- recycled PP requires further techniques followed by undesired
plastic as it turns into a liquid upon reaching its melting point [4]. environmental impacts. It is much harder to be recycled or sepa-
Being thermoplastic in nature, PP is considered highly useful in rated than recycling pure PP [9].
many industries because it can be heated, cooled, and reheated In 2016, the GCC polymer industry produced 22 exclusive prod-
without causing significant degradation to its base composition. ucts, excluding various products, which amounts to twice the
number of products produced in 2005 in this region. The GCC
statistics show that most of these products were commodities
⇑ Corresponding author. and engineering polymers produced in the Middle East for the first
E-mail addresses: [email protected] (A. Alsabri), [email protected] time [10]. Conventionally, the manufacturing sector in the GCC is
(F. Tahir), [email protected] (S.G. Al-Ghamdi).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2021.11.574
2214-7853/Copyright Ó 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the International Conference on Applied Research and Engineering 2021
This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
A. Alsabri, F. Tahir and S.G. Al-Ghamdi Materials Today: Proceedings 56 (2022) 2245–2251

seen as an essential part of diversifying the economy. The sales of made up of two halves held together under pressure to overcome
PP are forecast to grow at a rate of 6.3 % from 2013 to 2019 [4]. the melting force. Then, the injected material is left to cool and
According to the global PP market outlook for 2017, PP production solidify in the mold. Afterward, the halves are cooled, removed
capacity is increasing rapidly [10]. from the mold, and then processed for use in packaging. One type
Additionally, by 2019, PP revenues are expected to exceed of packaging, called rigid packaging, is used for making containers
$124.01 billion, and this number is estimated to increase yearly for items such as food storage boxes, water bottles, and jar caps.
at a rate of 6.3 % [4]. Only thirty years ago, there was a surplus Water bottles can be made in several shapes, and they can be
of petrochemical imports into the GCC. Within this short span of round, flat, tall, short, and square. The best choice for easily pro-
time, the scenario has completely reversed. The GCC has emerged ducing containers with a variety of shapes is injection molding
as a global exporter of petrochemical products, including chemi- [11]. Other household products produced this way include toys,
cals, consumer care products, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, tex- sports equipment, storage systems, garden furniture, and medical
tiles, and agricultural products. The GCC will undoubtedly focus appliances such as disposable syringes. PP fibers belong to the
on improving this industry as it plays a crucial role in the region’s youngest generation of large-scale chemical fibers, classified as
economic development, providing significant employment oppor- the second largest in the world in terms of production, coming in
tunities, an improved lifestyle, and a demand surplus for other eco- after polyethylene terephthalate (PET) production [12]. There are
nomic activities and industries. numerous fibers applications such as staple fibers, nonwoven fab-
rics, slit film, and monofilaments. PP fibers and filaments are used
1.1. General background about PP grades and applications as the supporting structures of tufted carpets because jute fibers
absorb moisture too quickly. For this very reason, PP fibers are con-
Multiple technologies available from technology licensors are sidered ideal. Because of their high humidity resistance, slit film
used in the petrochemical industry for PP manufacturing, including fibers are in demand to make feed and fertilizer packs, as well as
the UNIPOL and Lyondell Bassell technologies. There are many sandbags to prevent mold attacks. PP is also used in the automotive
grades of PP, and each grade is used for distinct applications due industry to make many parts, including battery cases and hinge
to differences in physical properties such as rigidity, transparency, covers. The density of PP is around 0.9 g/ml, making it the lightest
heat resistance, etc. The producers also manipulate the grade of PP thermoplastic, and as a result, many of the plastics used for new
produced based on market demand. Different grades are formed car parts are made of PP. This is because most car manufacturers
due to the differences in the chemical components. They can be aim to reduce the overall weight of their cars to save on gas
explicitly adjusted at the chemical reaction unit, which is consid- expenses for their clients [3]. Moreover, most interior trim and sev-
ered the dominant unit of the whole technical process for PP pro- eral exterior components are made completely of PP or PP com-
duction. Each PP plant has technology for producing PP resin at pounds. Interior trim like quarter panels, pillars, doors, and
different grades, and the technical details for this process are very consoles are all molded of PP. Thus, PP has become a major mate-
confidential as they differ from plant to plant. UNIPOL technology rial for exterior automotive parts as weight reduction plays an
is considered one of the most widely used technologies among PP important factor in car and truck manufacturing.
production plants. Still, the chemicals used in the reaction process
differ from one plant to another, including the additives or cata- 1.2. Leading global PP production plants
lysts. Each producer determines the PP grades to be produced
based on market demand. To understand the uses and applications The global PP market is led by several leading producers world-
of PP, it is essential to understand the different grades of thermo- wide, located in the United States of America, Asia, and the Middle
plastics, of which there are two categories. One is commodity ther- East [10]. These PP producers vary in terms of the technology used
moplastics, which cover the majority of plastics such as PP, for the manufacturing of PP resin and the various PP grades pro-
polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, and polystyrene. Because of cer- duced and supplied to the market. The three main PP producers
tain properties, commodity thermoplastics are considered ideal in the Middle East, considered the leading PP producers in the
for industrial purposes. PP has a high flexural pressure resistance, region, are ARAMCO in Saudi Arabia, BOROUGE in the United Arab
high impact strength, high glass-transition point, good electrical Emirates, and EQUATE in Kuwait. In 2012, the GCC’s manufacturing
resistance, not readily absorb water, lightweight, dimensionally sector, including the petrochemical industry, has contributed to
stable, and non-toxic [3]. nearly 9.3 % of the region’s gross domestic product (GDP). The
Based on its physical and chemical characteristics, PP can be value-added contribution of the manufacturing sector, as of 2012,
categorized into three different types. Homopolymer PP (HPP) is was estimated to be the US $143.6 billion. Strictly speaking, petro-
a type of PP that contains only propylene monomers in a semi- chemicals and chemicals represent 31 % or the US $45.2 billion of
crystalline solid form. Random copolymer PP (RCP) contains ethy- the total value-added to the economy [13].
lene as a co-monomer in the PP chains at levels between 1 and 8 %. Breaking this down further and looking at the figures country-
Finally, impact copolymer PP (ICP) is a form of HPP and contains a wise, Saudi Arabia’s manufacturing industry contributed to 10.1
co-mixed RCP phase of 45–65 % ethylene. Out of these types, HPP is % of the real GDP in 2012. The improved contribution to the man-
the most commonly used PP material in plastic manufacturing ufacturing sector in 2012 was estimated to be the US $71.6 billion
industries. According to one study, the approximate market share [13]. In 2012, the industrial region of the UAE grew by 11.7 %, in
for the different kinds of PP is as follows: HPP 65 – 75 %, ICP 20 contrast with the preceding year, where only 9 % was added to
– 30 %, and RCP 5 – 10 % [3]. the GDP. The manufacturing sector, which includes the chemical
Furthermore, PP’s excellent material and physical properties and refining sector, represented 9.9 % of Qatar’s nominal GDP in
allow it to be used as the base material for many applications, 2012, with 8 million tons per annum production capacity. By vol-
including in films, fibers, tapes, sheets, thermoforms, injections, ume, PP is classified as one of the largest growing polymers in
and molding purposes [3]. For this reason, PP and its sub-types the GCC, accounting for 34 % of the total. Over the past five years,
have numerous applications in terms of manufacturing, and it is PP capacity growth has been one of the highest among other poly-
widely used in both household and industrial applications. In gen- mers in the region. Between 2008 and 2012, the average annual
eral, this type of molding requires a process that starts with gran- expansion rate of CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) was
ules of polymer material that is heated up until it melts. Then, the 23.6 %, and PP production increased from 3.4 million tons a year
molten material is injected into a closed mold. The mold is usually in 2008 to 8 million tons per year in 2012 [13]. Thus, the export
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production of the GCC expanded at an average rate of 10.4 %, plac- to product (Cradle to Gate) or from the extraction of raw materials
ing it among the top compared with other regions. For example, to product end life (Cradle to Grave). The LCA tool is being accepted
compared with Asia, the production growth rate was estimated and widely applied in this century because it is considered one of
to be only 8.6 %, closely following the GCC region. According to the best environmental management tools to assess environmental
the latest reports released in 2016 by the Gulf Petrochemicals burdens. It suggests better alternative solutions for recycling or
and Chemicals Association (GPCA), the capacity of the GCC polymer disposal systems. A combination of the two methods in waste
industry has been expanded by 5 %, which makes it reach 27.1 mil- management would play a key role in eliminating the effects that
lion tons, and it is expected to continue growing by 3 % per annum arise from PP manufacturing [31–33].
by 2022 [14]. The PP production capacity represents 27.9 % of the In terms of better and effective production methods, some
total 27.1 million tons GCC polymer production capacity, whereas improvements could from the LCA results eliminate pollution that
the global PP capacity was estimated to be 73.7 million tons, and results from the PP manufacturing process. This necessitates fur-
the GCC region represents 7.6 % for overall global PP production ther research using the Best Available Technique approach [23].
capacity per annum [14]. The main leaders for the polyolefins Effective research must be able to address these gaps if a perma-
industry growth are Saudi Arabia which represents 11 % CAGR nent solution is to be obtained. With the advancement of global
per annum, Oman with 10.7 % CAGR per annum, and United Arab markets, competition between industries has increased, and it is
Emirates which has the highest contribution, 24.2 % CAGR per expected that this competition will continue increasing. However,
annum for the period 2006 up to 2016. In 2016, the GCC con- this increase in competition has resulted in a greater need for bet-
tributed to 9 % of the 300 million tons of the global thermoplastic ter and more advanced developmental methods that can help sus-
capacity, and the local polymer consumption has been increased tain a greener and safer environment and competitiveness [34].
by 4 % which makes it reach 5 million tons. The manufacturing process of PP pellets consists of four main
steps, namely: feed and purification, reaction, pelleting, and pack-
aging (Fig. 1).
1.3. Purpose of this study
LCA is a commonly used tool for evaluating the use of power
and energy, water, and other resources, as well as the release of
The growing usage of plastics has led to more extensive plastic
harmful pollutants into the air, the removal of industrial wastes,
waste quantities, out of which a small percentage is recycled, and
and other detrimental consequences as a result of various indus-
the rest goes to landfills or incineration processes [15]. Plastic
trial manufacturing processes [35–37]. For example, a previous
waste results in deteriorating soil and underground water qualities
LCA study was carried out in California State specifically for plastic
and participate in global warming. These harmful effects will result
bags made from various types of polymers in order to examine the
in climate change impacts such as heatwaves, increased frequency
environmental impacts and durability of reusable plastic bags
of disasters, water scarcity, etc. [16–18]. Plastic waste and the
against single-use bags [38]. It was concluded that the environ-
associated effects need to be minimized by recycling and utiliza-
mental impacts of reusable PP bags are lesser than the single-use
tion [19]. For this purpose, this study consolidates the works
PP bags. Besides, the equivalent carbon emissions for PP were
focused on the sustainable assessment of PP production and its
assessed to be 1.34 kg CO2 eq. per unit kg of PP.
recycling. First, the life cycle assessment (LCA) of PP is discussed,
Ingarao et al. [39] conducted LCA of food packing materials, i.e.,
and then several options have been analyzed for PP waste utiliza-
PP, glass, and tin steel. The sustainable assessment showed that the
tion in the GCC region.
PP as a packing material has lower global warming potential
(GWP) and requires lesser energy as compared to other packaging
2. LCA studies of PP in the literature materials. GPCA (Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association)
studied the environmental impacts associated with plastic produc-
The difficulty in disposing of plastics has prompted an attempt tion in the GCC countries [40]. As per their estimations, the GWP of
to recycle them, even though this strategy does not entirely solve the PP pellets production was found to be 1.95 kg CO2 eq. per unit
the problem. According to one study, annual plastic production is kg of PP. In another study by Narita et al. [41], the environmental
more than 335 million tons globally, out of which only 9 % is cur- impacts associated with PP production in Japan were studied in
rently being recycled, which results in a high risk of plastic pollu- which they implemented the cradle to gate approach. They pre-
tion [20,21]. Consequently, plastic waste is found everywhere in dicted the GWP as 1.4 kg CO2 eq. per unit kg of PP, Their estimated
the atmosphere, and it has been suggested as an ecological indica- GWP was near to the value evaluated by [38]. We also conducted a
tor for the ‘‘Anthropocene Era” [22]. Therefore, the main focus of LCA of PP production for one the manufacturing plant located in
this study is to closely examine the impacts of manufacturing, GCC. Our results showed GWP of 1.58 kg CO2 eq., fossil fuel deple-
specifically with a focus on PP, and its effects on the environment, tion of 1.722 kg Oil eq., and terrestrial acidification of 4.9 g SO2 eq.
without neglecting the impacts of the other phases of PP life cycle for a unit kg production of PP pellets. Fig. 2 summarizes the equiv-
or emphasizing that the other phases don’t have a major impact on alent carbon emissions for 1 kg of PP production in different
the environment [23]. Furthermore, because of the environmental regions. The results vary as the LCA results strongly depend on
impacts associated with PP production, the research works in bio- the region’s energy mix, energy efficiency, type of process, recy-
plastics manufacturing have risen significantly in the past years cling ratio, and process efficiency.
[6]. Greener production is defined as the application of environ- Overall, the different research works undertaken on PP and its
mentally friendly ideas, techniques, and technologies to produce associated products show that, despite a growing interest in the
ecologically sustainable production that uses safer and non-toxic usage of plastics, there are still substantial research gaps to be
manufacturing ingredients [24–27]. focused. As a result, future research in this field should emphasize
LCA is a tool for determining the environmental effect of a pro- efficient processes, the use of renewables for required heat and
cess or product. The extraction, processing, production, usage, and electricity (as they are cleaner alternatives and the cost has been
disposal of raw materials are all part of the LCA [19,28,29]. LCA substantially reduced in the past decade [42–45]), improved recy-
quantifies the environmental impacts such as acidification, global cling methods, and the development of configurations that would
warming potential, ozone depletion, and fossil fuel depletion etc. make PP less polluting, as it is used as a raw material in the man-
[30]. The LCA can be carried from the extraction of raw materials ufacture of a wide range of commercial applications [19].

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Fig. 1. PP pellets production steps.

Fig. 2. The global warming potential (GWP) for PP production in Japan [41], GCC [40], US (1 [38] and 2 [65]), Germany [65] and present study.

3. Environmental impacts of plastic recycling in the GCC chemical based plastics is growing rapidly, the disposing scenarios
may significantly deteriorates the environment that includes car-
According to the GPCA, the rate of post-consumer recycling of bon emissions, human toxicity, marine life, and soil and under-
PP worldwide is about 1 %, meaning that huge amounts of PP find ground water quality [47]. The reduction in plastics usage,
their way to landfills, subsequently compounding the plastic pollu- reusing, energy recovery, and recycling of plastic waste can reduce
tion quandary [13]. One of the main reasons why PP and plastic, in the environmental impacts. Furthermore, extracting energy and
general, have low recyclability in GCC countries relative to the US producing chemicals from plastics waste using gasification or
or Europe stems from the fact that there is virtually no conclusive pyrolysis are better alternatives than the landfill or incineration.
legislation on recycling in most GCC countries. PP can take up to Because most of the collected waste plastics are from packaging
30 years to degrade naturally; it also has many unknown negative applications, where product life spans are relatively short, packag-
impacts on the biosphere. For example, burning it can discharge ing accounts for most PP recovered for recycling (more than 70%).
toxins such as vinyl chloride and dioxins; what this means is that In practice, this means that raising recycling targets for packaging
the only viable way to solve the PP waste problem is through novel trash alone may help society retain more material, but it will not
approaches that can degrade it and approaches through which be enough to achieve entirely circular material flows. To improve
polypropylene can be recycled. Apart from these, the manufactur- the waste plastic managing system’s environmental performance,
ing process of PP requires, like many other manufacturing pro- LCA may be used to prioritize waste PP collection and recycling
cesses, the expending of power. In GCC countries, fossil fuel from various uses [48]. Government restrictions improved aware-
contributes to almost the entirety of power generation. Fossil fuels ness of global warming and climate change through plastic inciner-
have been shown to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. ation and disposal [49]. When comparing incineration with energy
A number of waste hazard management of PP, both conven- recovery to incineration without energy recovery, a reasonable
tional and novel, has experimented. One of the viable approaches proportion of environmental consequences is decreased. Further-
of managing PP waste is recycling. Gonçalves and other proposed more, when comparing the energy consumption of end-of-life sce-
the use of reverse logistic in the recycling of PP highlighting recov- narios, recycling produces better outcomes for polymers than
ery actions and benefits of recovery action including the decreasing incineration [50].
of waste materials and raw materials, valuable spare parts, finan- In a literature survey conducted by Fini et al. [51], it was con-
cial opportunities among other benefits [46]. As the need of petro- cluded that the aminolysis is better for thermoplastics, while irra-

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diation process is suitable for thermosets among ten recycling Nowadays, reducing plastic waste is considered one of the main
methods. Furthermore, they observed that the common recycling environmental concerns. Implementing the LCA tool for polymer
application for themosets is the asphalt mixtures, and for thermo- recycling can minimize or eliminate this concern that threatens
plastic is the cementitious soil and mixtures. The natural fibers’ the environment. This strategy focuses on managing waste in the
renewability and thermoplastic polymers’ recyclability make for polymer industry in the GCC. Unfortunately, this region is facing
an appealing eco-friendly material [52]. In one study, Yin et al. a dramatic increase in plastic consumption and plastic waste,
[53] evaluated LCA findings and discovered that industrial recycled resulting from an incremental population increase, and this issue
PP fiber outperforms virgin PP fiber and industrial recycled PP fiber is critical as the waste management system has not been properly
in terms of environmental benefits such as carbon emissions, ter- applied [59]. Polypropylene is one of the most recyclable materials,
restrial acidification, and fossil fuel depletion. Tuladhar and Yin and in fact, in 2006, the amount of recycled plastics was estimated
[54] conducted the environmental assessment of the PP macro- to be around 4.4 million tons of plastics. However, the optical prop-
fibers from PP waste that can be utilized in reinforced concrete erties of a recycled PP should be maintained since recycling pro-
applications. They used melt spinning and hot drawing processes cesses might cause depletion in the optical properties of the PP
to produce macro-fibers, and their study was based in Australia. [3]. Most of the waste within the environment is made of polyethy-
It was observed that the environmental impacts of PP macro- lene (PE), including high-density (HDPE) and low-density poly-
fibers are much lower than the virgin PP and steel reinforced mesh. ethylene (LDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate (PC),
The carbon emissions of recycled PP macro-fibers were 50 % lesser PET, polystyrene, and PP [60]. The outcome of the previous studies
than that of virgin PP, and the water and the fossil fuel consump- will thus help identify the importance of using recycled polymeric
tion were reduced by 99 % and 91 %, respectively. In a similar study materials and underline the clear benefits of the LCA results, which
by Yin et al. [53], the sustainable assessment of recycled PP for the proved that recycling of plastic waste is considered the suitable
application of concrete footpaths was carried out. It was concluded solution for the plastic waste management system since it has
that the environmental burden of recycled PP was significantly the lowest environmental impacts on the defined impact assess-
reduced as compared to virgin PP. ment categories such as human toxicity and global warming in
Bora et al. [1] performed the LCA for different PP recycling terms of plastic recycling compared to direct manufacturing from
options that include pyrolysis, gasification, incineration, and petroleum [60]. There is a lack of proper waste management
mechanical recycling. They found that the chemical recycling pro- strategies that would give practical solutions for the PP waste man-
cesses exhibit lower environmental impacts, and among chemical agement process. Even though recycling has been cited as being
recycling processes, pyrolysis was found to have lower impacts one of the most important waste management strategies, the real-
than gasification. Antelava et al. [55] carried out a literature survey ity remains that the solution is in determining the best strategy to
of sustainability aspects for plastic waste utilization via the pyrol- handle the recycling process is missing [61].
ysis process. They deduced that the thermo-chemical recycling of Natural fibers provide mechanisms to strengthen the various
plastics is more beneficial than landfilling as it damages the soil polymer blends all over the world. Therefore, a life cycle assess-
and underground water quality in the long term. Galve et al. [56] ment has been carried out to produce different blends of PP using
compared the environmental impacts of recycled PP, virgin PP reinforced wood staples. This is achieved by compression molding
and polyamide 6 using the LCA. They observed that the carbon and using 10 %, 30 %, and 50 % fiber content by mass. Additionally,
footprints and total LCA impact be reduced by 42.8 % and 29.8 %, environmental impacts caused by transportation are also analyzed
respectively, compared to the virgin PP results. Table 1 summarizes using the LCA [62]. To conduct this current study, ‘‘Material Service
the LCA studies for PP waste recycling and energy and chemicals Density” is introduced, which is defined as the ‘‘volume of material
production from PP waste. satisfying a specific strength requirement known as tensile
strength.” Tensile strength allows for specific volumes and concen-
trations of different materials to resist against a given mechanical
load [63]. This study was conducted on wood-fiber-reinforced and
Table 1
PP, showing that when the material service density was used as the
LCA studies focusing on PP waste recycling and reuse.
functional unit, the wood-fiber-reinforced composite was more
Study Process/Application Remarks environmentally friendly than PP [52].
Tuladhar Macro-fibers for The carbon emissions of recycled PP Another factor that should be taken into consideration is the
and Yin reinforced concrete macro-fibers were 50 % lesser than New Plastics Economy initiative, which is known as a vision for a
[53,54] application that of virgin PP, and the water and
circular economy for plastic that helps in changing the global flows
the fossil fuel consumption were
reduced by 99 % and 91 %,
for plastics fundamentally, where their main objective is to provide
respectively. a root cause analysis for plastic pollution by eliminating plastic
Bora et al. Pyrolysis and Chemical recycling processes exhibit waste which is beneficial for the environment, economy, and soci-
[1] gasification lower environmental impacts than ety [64]. One of the main goals of the New Plastic Economy initia-
the incineration and mechanical
tive is to improve recycling by making all plastics fully recyclable
recycling.
Antelava Review of Pyrolysis process exhibits more and to eliminate the hazardous chemicals used in manufacturing
et al. [55] thermochemical environmental benefits as compared and recycling processes [64]. Therefore, the PP manufacturing
plastics recycling to other thermochemical processes. plant should acknowledge the vision of a circular economy for
Galve et al. Recycled PP as plastic Recycled PP can reduce the carbon
plastics to eliminate the effects that arise from the increment in
[56] part footprints by 42.8 % as compared to
virgin PP.
PP productions due to its high demand. Thus, the LCA ensures that
Beigbeder PP bio-composites PP composites showed better results steps are taken to improve overall performance and that manufac-
et al. [57] with wood flour than the energy recovery and turing and production are feasible and eco-friendly. There remains
landfilling options. a gap that hinders effective waste management, which would offer
Al-Eijji and Recycled PP with PP composites with wood flour
a lasting solution for environmental damage. This does not elimi-
Al- glass fibers and wood exhibited better environmental
Qahtani flour results than with the glass fibers. nate the fact that PP is cheap and has high flexural strength due
[58] to its semi-crystalline nature, low friction coefficient, and better
chemical resistance to many bases and acids.

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Concrete 2013.
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cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/221/1/012011 012011.
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to influence the work reported in this paper. New point of view on materials development, IOP Conf. Ser. Mater. Sci. Eng.
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Acknowledgement Reducing Environmental Impacts in the Manufacturing Phase, Polymers
(Basel) 12 (2020) 1901, https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12091901.
[28] F. Tahir, A. Mabrouk, S.G. Al-Ghamdi, I. Krupa, T. Sedlacek, A. Abdala, M. Koc,
The publication of this article was funded by Qatar National Sustainability Assessment and Techno-Economic Analysis of Thermally
Library. Enhanced Polymer Tube for Multi-Effect Distillation (MED) Technology,
Polymers (Basel) 13 (5) (2021) 681, https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13050681.
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