ON EXERGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: SOME METHODS TO EVALUATE ENERGY AND NONRENEWABLE RESOURCES WASTE USING SOME PLASTICS.

摘要

This paper explores the role of energy use in sustainable development and the potential sources to increase energy efficiency; it deals with the exergetic analysis of plastic materials used to the manufacture of disposable polyethylene bags among other materials can be used for substitution of them. We are also interested in plastic (poly(ethylene Terephtalate or PET) bottles. The calculation of the incoming and outgoing Exergy flows during the production processes are carried out. The Exergy loss during the whole life cycle, among other criteria as other important variables considering the sustainability concept, as Green House Gases emissions, are presented as a tool as an aid to trade-off of alternative materials in multi-criteria decision making. The materials analyzed for possible substitutions comparison for the case bags are: Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), LDPE with a pro degrading additive, unbleached Kraft paper, cotton, polypropylene (PP). For the case of polyethylene Terephtalate (PET) bottles, it is included for analysis aluminum and glass as substitution materials, but more important yet, is the possibility of recycling is also considered. A case study for Mexico’s market to prove the methodology will be developed, offering some interesting data about consumption and production of bags and bottles.