Closed-loop supply chain potential of agricultural plastic waste: Economic and environmental assessment of bale wrap waste recycling in Finland
评估了芬兰农业捆包膜废弃物两种回收场景（一年一次与一年两次收集）的环境和经济影响，发现一年一次收集可节省27%成本并减少36%全球变暖潜能，且收集阶段占总经济成本的32-36%。
It is estimated that 12000 tons of plastic waste is annually generated from the agricultural sector in Finland, and more than half of it comprises bale wrap films. Up to 70% of plastic film waste from the agricultural sector in Finland goes into landfills, and only around 10% is recycled. Recycling plastic material is desirable in order to close the loop in achieving a circular economy. This paper aims to assess the environmental and economic implications of bale wrap collection and recycling within the Finnish context. Two different collection scenarios, S1 (once a year collection) and S2 (twice a year collection), covering 179 farms, were assessed. The research applied vehicle routing problem and environmental life cycle costing to quantify the cost and environmental impact per ton of granulate recycled material produced. It took a consequential approach, where the system boundary was expanded, and product substitution was considered. Overall, S1 offers 27% more economic savings with 36% less global warming potential (GWP) than S2. The collection phase, which has not commonly been included in existing recycling studies, shows significance in both scenarios. Although it only contributed about 0.7-1.2% to GWP, collection accounted for 32-36% of the total economic cost. Critical parameters were primarily associated with the market substitution factor and material loss during the recycling process. This study demonstrates that recycling bale wrap can provide environmental and economic savings. Furthermore, it shows the importance of decision-makers in prioritizing goals to balance environmental and economic objectives.