{"id":185567,"date":"2024-01-04T15:10:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-04T14:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/?post_type=product&p=185567"},"modified":"2026-03-18T16:40:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T15:40:03","slug":"rci-non-level-playing-field-for-renewable-materials-vs-fossil-in-lcas","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/product\/rci-non-level-playing-field-for-renewable-materials-vs-fossil-in-lcas\/","title":{"rendered":"Non-Level Playing Field for Renewable Materials vs. Fossil in Life Cycle Assessments: Critical Aspects of the JRC Plastics LCA Methodology and its Policy Implications \u2013 RCI Report (January 2024)"},"content":{"rendered":"

RCI\u2019s scientific background report: “Non-level playing field for renewable materials vs. fossil in Life Cycle Assessments \u2013 Critical aspects of the JRC Plastics LCA Methodology and its policy implications”
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

This RCI Scientific Background Report was mainly motivated by a study published by JRC in 2021 with the title: \u201cLCA of alternative feedstocks for plastic products\u201d, commonly referred to as the JRC Plastics LCA Method (Nessi et al. 2021).<\/p>\n

Alternative feedstocks refer to the same three feedstocks that RCI defines as renewable carbon: biomass, CO2<\/sub> utilisation and recycling. The study describes a methodology developed by the JRC to compare the environmental performance of alternative feedstocks with fossil-based plastic products. However, the methodology has also been subject to criticism from various stakeholders, mainly from the bio-based sector, eliciting responses from the JRC.<\/p>\n

This RCI report is mainly aiming to provide additional context to highlight issues that might arise with implementation of the JRC Plastics LCA methodology, and dives deeper into five aspects:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The fossil footprint is likely underestimated, not transparent and lacks regional differentiation<\/li>\n
  2. Renewable feedstocks are more cirtically evaluated than fossil feedstocks<\/li>\n
  3. Methodological inconsistency and different regulatory support between energy and material use of renewable feedstocks<\/li>\n
  4. Biogenic\/Atmospheric carbon uptake cannot be transparently visualised at factory in PEF \/ JRC Plastics LCA methodologies<\/li>\n
  5. The methodology should acknowledge the wider interface of sustainability assessment, policy design and landscape<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The report contains several recommendations to remedy the above-mentioned aspects.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Critical aspects of the JRC Plastics LCA methodology and its policy implications<\/strong><\/p>\n

    This RCI Scientific Background Report was mainly motivated by a study published by JRC in 2021 with the title: \u201cLCA of alternative feedstocks for plastic products\u201d, commonly referred to as the JRC Plastics LCA Method (Nessi et al. 2021).<\/p>\n

    Alternative feedstocks refer to the same three feedstocks that RCI defines as renewable carbon: biomass, CO2<\/sub> utilisation and recycling. The study describes a methodology developed by the JRC to compare the environmental performance of alternative feedstocks with fossil-based plastic products. However, the methodology has also been subject to criticism from various stakeholders, mainly from the bio-based sector, eliciting responses from the JRC.<\/p>\n

    This RCI report is mainly aiming to provide additional context to highlight issues that might arise with implementation of the JRC Plastics LCA methodology, and dives deeper into five aspects:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. The fossil footprint is likely underestimated, not transparent and lacks regional differentiation<\/li>\n
    2. Renewable feedstocks are more cirtically evaluated than fossil feedstocks<\/li>\n
    3. Methodological inconsistency and different regulatory support between energy and material use of renewable feedstocks<\/li>\n
    4. Biogenic\/Atmospheric carbon uptake cannot be transparently visualised at factory in PEF \/ JRC Plastics LCA methodologies<\/li>\n
    5. The methodology should acknowledge the wider interface of sustainability assessment, policy design and landscape<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      The report contains several recommendations to remedy the above-mentioned aspects.<\/p>\n

      DOI No.<\/strong>: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.52548\/KOTY2900<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":185735,"template":"","meta":{"qubely_global_settings":"","qubely_interactions":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_uag_custom_page_level_css":""},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[48,49],"product_tag":[464,468,410,390,392],"renewable-carbon":[64,65,66],"publication-type":[70,342],"class_list":{"0":"post-185567","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-policy","7":"product_cat-sustainability","8":"product_tag-rci_071025","9":"product_tag-rci_181225","10":"product_tag-rci_270624","11":"product_tag-rci24_lca","12":"product_tag-rci24_lca_1","13":"pa_licence-single","14":"pa_licence-enterprise","15":"renewable-carbon-bio-based","16":"renewable-carbon-co2-based","17":"renewable-carbon-recycling","18":"publication-type-reports","19":"publication-type-rci-papers","21":"first","22":"instock","23":"downloadable","24":"virtual","25":"sold-individually","26":"product-type-simple"},"bundle_layout":"","bundled_by":[],"bundled_items":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop.png",679,960,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop-106x150.png",106,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop-212x300.png",212,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop.png",679,960,false],"large":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop.png",679,960,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop.png",679,960,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop.png",679,960,false],"qubely_landscape":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop-679x750.png",679,750,true],"qubely_portrait":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop-540x320.png",540,320,true],"qubely_thumbnail":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop-140x100.png",140,100,true],"mega-menu":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop-191x270.png",191,270,true],"blog-teaser":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop-380x245.png",380,245,true],"woocommerce_thumbnail":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop.png",679,960,false],"woocommerce_single":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop.png",679,960,false],"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop-200x200.png",200,200,true],"sow-carousel-default":["https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/23-01-05-RCI-Life-Cycle-Assessments-JRC-Plastics_-shop-272x182.png",272,182,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Dominik Vogt","author_link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/author\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Critical aspects of the JRC Plastics LCA methodology and its policy implications This RCI Scientific Background Report was mainly motivated by a study published by JRC in 2021 with the title: \u201cLCA of alternative feedstocks for plastic products\u201d, commonly referred to as the JRC Plastics LCA Method (Nessi et al. 2021). Alternative feedstocks refer to…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/185567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=185567"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=185567"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=185567"},{"taxonomy":"renewable-carbon","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/renewable-carbon?post=185567"},{"taxonomy":"publication-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/publications\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publication-type?post=185567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}