# Polycarbonate: Emissions

BPA brings most of the carbon

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/polycarbonate/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 3.40 t CO2e per t range 3.0-5.4 · derived: 0.9 t BPA x 2.26 + 0.28 t chlorine x 1.0 = about 2.3-2.4 t, plus about 0.9 t process energy and 0.1 t transport; Carbonfact lists 4.7-5.4 for virgin PC Global emissions per year 18.0 Mt CO2e per year 2024 · 5.2 Mt x 3.4 t CO2e/t (derived)

Per t of polycarbonate pellets, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: BPA tile (Plastics Europe via Climatiq); chlorine tile; Plastics Europe PC eco-profile of about 3.4 (indicative); Carbonfact (upper range). Global total: derived.

#### Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
 Feedstock 71% Production / process 26% Movement 3%

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Feedstock** | about 2.4 t CO2e/t | 71% | benzene, propylene, cumene, phenol and BPA production; chlorine electrolysis | BPA about 2.0 t CO2e per t PC | derived from BPA and chlorine tiles |
| **Production / process** | about 0.9 t CO2e/t | 26% | solvent recovery steam (interfacial) or vacuum and heat (melt) | phosgene generation, washing and drying | indicative |
| **Movement** | about 0.1 t CO2e/t | 3% | container shipping | small | indicative |
| **Use** | not applicable | – | inert | replaces heavier glass in cars, saving fuel | n/a |
| **End of life** | about 2.6 t CO2 per t if incinerated (calculated from about 76% carbon) | – | incineration, landfill, recycling | clean PC (water bottles, discs, glazing) is mechanically recycled; recycled PC is about 3.1 t CO2e/t versus 4.7-5.4 virgin in Carbonfact data | calculated; Carbonfact |

#### Other environmental impacts

BPA release from degraded PC; phosgene and dichloromethane emissions in the interfacial route; brine effluent.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Melt route with CO2-based DPC (Asahi Kasei process) avoids phosgene and uses CO2 as feed (indicative).
- Renewable power and steam at BPA and PC sites.
- Mass-balance bio-attributed or circular-attributed phenol (Covestro and SABIC offer such grades; indicative).
- Mechanical and chemical recycling (alcoholysis back to BPA) of PC waste.

#### India

India makes no PC resin yet; Deepak's 165 kt/yr plant (due FY2027-28 to FY2028-29) and Reliance's planned 0.5 Mt/yr BPA (by 2030) will set its footprint, depending on how much coal-heavy power they use (BPA tile; indicative).
 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Recycled PC** | about 3.1 t CO2e/t (Carbonfact) | near virgin price for clean streams (indicative) | commercial, volume limited by collection | Carbonfact |
| **Asahi Kasei non-phosgene PC from CO2** | lower than interfacial; not published in sources reached | not published | licensed to several Asian plants (indicative) | indicative |

 For a climate investor Most PC emissions sit upstream in BPA. Opportunities are recycling clean PC streams (glazing, bottles, automotive lenses) and low-carbon power at new Indian BPA and PC plants. What has to be true: stable collection of single-polymer waste and buyers that pay for recycled content in electronics and cars.

## Other sections

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