# Bisphenol A: Emissions

Phenol carries most of the carbon

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bisphenol_a/emissions/

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 |

 For a climate investor Two angles: building India's first BPA-polycarbonate chain with efficient, renewable-powered utilities (Reliance, Deepak), and recycling, especially of polycarbonate and of epoxy from wind blades, as India's wind fleet ages. Substitution in food contact is driven by regulation rather than cost.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bisphenol_a/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bisphenol_a/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bisphenol_a/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bisphenol_a/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bisphenol_a/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bisphenol_a/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bisphenol_a/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bisphenol_a/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bisphenol_a/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bisphenol_a/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bisphenol_a/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/bisphenol_a/links/index.md)