This project applied the concept of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and carried out life cycle inventory analyses to explore the energy consumption and emissions of pollutants during all stages within different collection models for waste containers. Moreover, it is advised that a supervision mechanism should be employed before implementing "to be collected by recycling companies" model, which could be further supported by providing economic incentives. In terms of "to be collected by sanitation teams" and "to be collected jointly by sanitation teams and recycling companies " models, improvement plans and measures were proposed for the source of generation (general public), the collector (sanitation team) and the classifier to facilitate resource recycling. Forecasting models for price were established through regression analysis based on surveying relevant market prices of the regulated recyclable waste containers. Moreover, the project has identified the "wholesale price index (WPI)" as a reference price for enforcement authorities (sanitation teams) and recycling companies to consider changing the sale price. In order to master the domestic flow of the waste containers, this project has surveyed / analyzed the proportion of the regulated recyclable waste containers which do not entered into the certification recycling system. For aluminum containers, many are recovered, sorted but not certified. The reason is that subsidized fees have been much lower than the market prices and collectors often take the administrative costs of classification and certification in consideration. Besides, waste paper containers are often mixed into waste papers due to profit considerations, so do not enter into the certification recycling system. To investigate the collection and recycling costs for the regulated recyclable waste containers, and to comply with the EPA’s policy (to facilitate the environmentally friendly design of container goods and to promote one-stage subsidy, etc.), the project has proposed recommended levies and subsidies for collecting and recycling containers. By surveying the domestic PLA container industry, the project has concluded that the optimal billing model is "billing from raw material source." In addition, the project has estimated/devised collection and recycling levies and subsidies for PLA containers based on the recycling approach designated by the EPA—"the material recycling (Re-granulation)", and made recommendations to EPA for future consideration.

Life-Cycle Assessment, Recycling, Waste Containers