Saatcioglu Kenan, Venkatraman Prabhuraj D
Manchester Fashion Institute, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Manchester Metropolitan University, Cavendish Street, Manchester M15 6BH, UK; Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Textile and Fashion Design Department, Terzioglu Yerleskesi, 17020, Canakkale, Turkey.
Manchester Fashion Institute, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Manchester Metropolitan University, Cavendish Street, Manchester M15 6BH, UK.
Sci Total Environ. 2025 Apr 25;974:179085. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179085. Epub 2025 Mar 26.
This article employs life cycle assessment (LCA) using openLCA software to compare the environmental and economic indicators of upcycled fashion accessories made from end-of-life polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flex banners with those made from conventional materials like nylon and polyester. Six bags were designed, produced from end-of-life PVC flex banners, and compared to nylon and polyester fabric bags. Data related to the manufacturing process of these bags, including material usage, transport, and production, were analysed for comparison. The LCA results revealed that upcycled bags made from end-of-life PVC flex banners are more environmentally friendly than their nylon and polyester counterparts. Out of the 16 environmental impact categories analysed in the study, U-PVC bags were shown to have a lower impact in 12 categories: 1) fossil depletion, 2) freshwater ecotoxicity, 3) freshwater eutrophication, 4) marine ecotoxicity, 5) marine eutrophication, 6) ozone depletion, 7) particulate matter formation, 8) photochemical oxidant formation, 9) terrestrial acidification, 10) terrestrial ecotoxicity, 11) urban land occupation, and 12) water depletion. Moreover, the carbon footprint of U-PVC bags was 574.89 kg CO, which is lower than the carbon footprints of C-PA bags at 612.56 kg CO and C-PES bags at 609.76 kg CO. Additionally, the average manufacturing cost of U-PVC bags was £49.86, compared to £66.80 for C-PA bags and £67.09 for C-PES bags. This indicates that U-PVC bags are not only more environmentally sustainable but also more economical compared to C-PA and C-PES bags. Our research highlights the potential to upcycle end-of-life PVC flex banners into shoulder backpack bags, demonstrating the viability of PVC upcycling to reduce environmental impact.
本文采用生命周期评估（LCA），利用openLCA软件比较了由废弃聚氯乙烯（PVC）柔性横幅制成的升级再造时尚配饰与由尼龙和聚酯等传统材料制成的时尚配饰的环境和经济指标。设计并制作了6个由废弃PVC柔性横幅制成的袋子，并与尼龙和聚酯织物袋进行比较。分析了这些袋子制造过程中的相关数据，包括材料使用、运输和生产等，以便进行比较。生命周期评估结果显示，由废弃PVC柔性横幅制成的升级再造袋子比尼龙和聚酯袋子更环保。在该研究分析的16个环境影响类别中，U-PVC袋在12个类别中显示出较低的影响：1）化石资源耗竭；2）淡水生态毒性；3）淡水富营养化；4）海洋生态毒性；5）海洋富营养化；6）臭氧层损耗；7）颗粒物形成；8）光化学氧化剂形成；9）陆地酸化；10）陆地生态毒性；11）城市土地占用；12）水资源耗竭。此外，U-PVC袋的碳足迹为574.89千克二氧化碳，低于C-PA袋的612.56千克二氧化碳和C-PES袋的609.76千克二氧化碳。此外，U-PVC袋的平均制造成本为49.86英镑，而C-PA袋为66.80英镑，C-PES袋为67.09英镑。这表明，与C-PA袋和C-PES袋相比，U-PVC袋不仅在环境可持续性方面更强，而且更经济。我们的研究突出了将废弃PVC柔性横幅升级再造为肩背包的潜力，证明了PVC升级再造以减少环境影响的可行性。
