LCA: Recycle or digest paper cups used for hot beverages?

Researchers conducted a life cycle assessment study (LCA) to compare two end-of-life routes for paper cups used for hot beverages after separate collection: conversion into toilet paper and tissues (recycling) and digestion of the cups to create biogas - and subsequently produce compost.
When evaluating the full environmental profile, the recycling route performed best followed by the digestion route and then processing in the waste energy plant. When only looking at the climate change effect (CO₂ emissions the digestion route performs best followed by the waste energy plant, with recycling in third place (News Item Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, 2 March 2018).
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Click here for the report (in Dutch, 1.16 MB).
Click here for more information about the NVC Project PUMA: the end of packaging as an environmental issue.

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