Life Cycle Analysis of a Plastic Bottle

               Americans alone used 50 billion plastic bottles last year; every consumer either passively accepting or blissfully ignorant of the fact that the first step in the life cycle of a bottle is drilling and extracting oil from the earth. The nonrenewable natural resource is shipped to refineries where it is processed into tiny plastic pellets. This is known as the material production phase. The majority of plastic bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic. The plastic pellets are purchased by bottle manufacturers who melt and mold the pellets into bottle shapes. Plastic labels are printed and attached in the manufacturing plant. The bottles are filled with treated spring or local tap water, concluding the product manufacturing phase. The bottles are then shipped to retailers and distributors.

               The next stage in the life cycle analysis is product use, beginning when the plastic bottles are purchased from retailers. The contents are consumed and the bottle is then disposed of, leading into the final phase. In the US, only 23% of the plastic bottles purchased by consumers are recycled. The remaining majority now sit in landfills and dumps across the country. The recycled plastics return to the material production phase and are turned into things like carpet and fleece; thus, the cycle continues.