Plastic Waste Output as a Component of Sustainable Purchasing

One of the major shortcomings with current green fleet modernization is its lack of focus on the total environmental impacts (or "carbon footprint" if we wanna get really technical) of its operations from a lifecycle analysis standpoint.

In other words, how can we calculate the energy savings or emissions reductions that take place apart from the emissions created by vehicles themselves? After all, vehicles not only produce emissions from the fuel they burn, but require a series of maintenance products that consume a variety of plastics and hazardous wastes with significant environmental impacts of their own. Even recycling plastic or paper products creates harmful emissions that are seldom included in lifecycle analysis. This recognition has led to the development of "Sustainable Purchasing" policies in many cities including Seattle, which attempt to procure maintenance and supply products from the most environmentally-friendly source. However, green fleet modernization schemes like Evergreen Fleets have yet to incorporate sustainable purchasing into their official Best Practices.

This story from Inhabitat examined an interesting project recently completed by students at Northeastern University, under guidance of Professor Yiannis Levendis. Their plastic waste compactor converts plastic into electric energy without harmful emissions of traditional recycling. Over 20 years in development, this type of compactor could be very useful as a new Best Practice to incorporate in green fleet modernization.

Photo Credit: Mary Knox Merrill

Via: Physorg

A Breakdown of Life Cycle Analysis

Here is a more detailed portrait from the EPA of life cycle analysis, a concept that analyzes energy or product investment based on its total cradle-to-grave costs of production (including production of sub-products or materials), refinement, distribution, and consumption.

What is very telling about these charts is the degree to which highly-touted alternative fuels - corn-based ethanol, for example, have been promoted without much regard to whether they are significantly "greener" than conventional petroleum gasoline. This is a great example of how production itself becomes politicized in our society, with various interest groups lobbying federal and state legislatures on behalf of energy sources for which there may be little, if any, environmental benefit. Others argue that any displacement of petroleum gasoline itself is an environmental benefit, regardless of whether using the alternative fuels truly reduces overall greenhouse gas emissions.