Sweeping statements on relative ecological benefits ofPeT and aluminium aerosol cans technically unfounded

摘要

So-called greenwashing of productsusing ecological arguments is on theincrease. The perpetrators, who oftenfocus on one-dimensional indicatorssuch as the carbon footprint, come toastonishingly sweeping and supposedlyclear-cut conclusions. PE InternationalAG (which is now called thinkstep AG)was commissioned by Gesamtverbandder Aluminiumindustrie e.V. (GDA) andAerobal, the international association ofaluminium aerosol manufacturers, whichis managed under the GDA umbrella, toprovide more transparency in the discussionon whether aerosol cans made fromaluminium or plastic (PET) are better'ecologically'. Such cans are used forshaving cream and similar products. Thetask was to carry out calculations on scenarioswith different waste managementsystems and recycling rates in order toevaluate the validity of sweeping environmentalstatements being made by somePET aerosol can manufacturers.