Bisphenol A: Emissions
Phenol carries most of the carbon
What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies. Emission intensity 2.26 t CO2e per t range 2.0-3.0 (indicative) · cradle-to-gate, Europe, data year 2016 Global emissions per year 17.0 Mt CO2e per year 2024 · 2.26 t CO2e/t x 7.5 Mt (indicative)Per t of BPA, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: Plastics Europe Public LCI Database via Climatiq. Global total: derived.
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Feedstock 77% Production / process 20% Movement 3%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feedstock | about 1.75 t CO2e per t (phenol and acetone) | 77% | 0.84 t phenol x 1.81 t CO2e/t plus acetone | derived from Plastics Europe phenol value | |
| Production / process | about 0.45 t CO2e per t (indicative) | 20% | Steam for phenol stripping and crystallisation | indicative | |
| Movement | about 0.05 t CO2e per t (indicative) | 3% | Container shipping | indicative | |
| Use | not applicable | – | Intermediate | Residual BPA can leach from polycarbonate and epoxy linings | n/a |
| End of life | about 2.8 t CO2 per t polycarbonate if incinerated (75.6% carbon) | – | Polycarbonate is recyclable; epoxy thermosets are hard to recycle | Wind blade epoxy waste is a growing issue | stoichiometry |
Other environmental impacts
Endocrine disruption; aquatic toxicity; persistence in landfill leachate.
Levers to cut emissions
- Lower-carbon phenol and acetone (mass-balance bio-feeds)
- Polycarbonate chemical recycling back to BPA
- Recyclable epoxy systems for wind blades
- Substitution in food contact
India
India's BPA footprint is embedded in imports; new Reliance and Deepak chains will set domestic footprints from about 2028-2030.
Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.Low-carbon routes
| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mass-balance bio-circular BPA and polycarbonate (Covestro, SABIC certified grades, indicative) | not published in sources reached | not published | commercial certified volumes (indicative) | indicative |
| Isosorbide-based polycarbonate as a BPA substitute (Mitsubishi Durabio, indicative) | not published | not published | commercial niche | indicative |