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Updated: Jul 16, 2025
A Facile and Eco-friendly Route to Fabricate PolyLactic Acid Scaffolds with Graded Pore Size
Published on: October 17, 2016
An insight into the benefits of substituting polypropylene with biodegradable polylactic acid face masks for
Linxiang Lyu1, He Peng1, Chunjiang An1
1Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada.
Abstract:
Mask waste can affect the natural environment and human health. In this study, the life cycle assessment (LCA) of two types of face masks (Polylactic acid (PLA) and Polypropylene (PP)) was first performed to evaluate the environmental impacts from production to end-of-life, and then, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were estimated for each life stage. The GHG emissions for one functional unit of PP and PLA face masks were estimated to be 6.27E+07 and 5.06E+07 kg CO2 eq, respectively. Explicitly, PLA mask production emissions are 37 % lower as compared to those for PP masks. Packaging has been recognized as a major GHG source throughout the product's life cycle. This study may provide a new insight into the environmental benefits of reducing GHG emissions within PLA face mask life cycles. Biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials can be used in the manufacturing and packaging of face masks.
