Polymer sustainability
Verified cradle-to-gate production CO₂ for commodity polymers, with what moves the number, recycling, transport and the methodology behind each figure. Production footprints only — MatQuo does not net end-of-life credits into them.
Production footprint (cradle-to-gate, A1–A3)
From the PlasticsEurope 2026 eco-profiles (crude oil to resin at plant, IPCC 2021 GWP100), per kg of resin:
| Resin | kg CO₂e/kg | Source / note |
|---|---|---|
| HDPE | 2.16 | PlasticsEurope 2026 |
| LDPE | 2.16 | PlasticsEurope 2026 |
| LLDPE | 2.12 | PlasticsEurope 2026 |
| PP | 1.92 | PlasticsEurope 2026 — lowest of the commodity set |
| S-PVC (suspension) | 2.08 | PlasticsEurope 2026 |
| E-PVC (emulsion) | 2.45 | PlasticsEurope 2026 — higher than suspension |
| PET (bottle grade) | 2.19 | CPME 2017 — older vintage & method; comparable only with a caveat |
These are resin production footprints, not the footprint of a finished film, pipe or bottle — conversion adds more. PE, PP and PVC values share the same 2026 method and are directly comparable to each other; PET is from the older 2017 CPME profile and should be read with that difference in mind.
What changes the footprint
Feedstock and energy dominate. The 2026 update raised polyolefin footprints versus older profiles, largely reflecting upstream oil & gas emissions. Real-world numbers move with the production route (naphtha vs ethane cracking), the electricity mix of the site, and any bio-based or recycled feedstock. A converter's own footprint then depends on line efficiency, scrap rate and how much film or wall thickness the application actually needs — which is why lightweighting and downgauging are application-dependent advantages, not universal claims. Use the lightweighting calculator with your own part weights rather than assuming a switch always saves carbon.
Recycling & circularity
EU plastic packaging recycling was 42.1% in 2023 (up from 41.0% in 2022), the lowest of the main packaging materials and below the 55% 2030 target. Recyclability is highly product-specific: mono-material PET and HDPE streams are well established, while multilayer, mixed or contaminated plastics are much harder — so a generic "recyclable" label is misleading. Recycling rate, technical recyclability and recycled content are three different things and should not be conflated.
Transport
Resin ships as pellets in 25 kg bags, FIBCs, octabins or bulk silo. Because polymers are light per unit value, freight is usually a small share of the cradle-to-gate footprint over typical EU distances — quantify it for your lane with the freight CO₂ calculator, which the environmental impact calculator reuses.
Available indicators
Beyond GWP, the 2026 eco-profiles also report indicators such as acidification; MatQuo stores these on the individual records where verified. A cross-material comparison of secondary indicators is not offered because methods and functional units differ across material families.
Methodology & limitations
Boundary: cradle-to-gate (A1–A3), crude oil to resin. Method: IPCC 2021 GWP100 for the 2026 polyolefins/PVC; CML 2017 for PET (hence the caveat). Functional unit: 1 kg of resin. These are European sector-average profiles, not a specific supplier's product declaration.
Related calculators
Sources
PlasticsEurope Eco-profiles (2026 update) for PE, PP and PVC; CPME PET bottle-grade eco-profile (2017); Eurostat packaging recycling (cei_wm020, 2023). Full provenance is shown inside the environmental impact calculator.