Decision Making in Sustainable Development: Some Methods to Evaluate Energy and Nonrenewable Resources Waste When Using Some Plastics

Lol-chen Alegria Mejia, Carlos E. Escobar Toledo, Barbara M. Ramírez Rayle

Department of Chemical Engineering, National University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico, Mexico.

DOI: 10.4236/ajor.2012.23048                

Abstract

This paper explores a decision making model for a multidisciplinary problem in nature. This problem considers the role of energy use in sustainable development and the potential sources to increase energy efficiency during its whole life cycle; it also deals with multicriteria decision making of plastic materials used in a day to day basis. Exergy analysis of plastic materials used to the manufacture of disposable polyethylene bags comparing them with other materials that can be used for substitution will be important to take decisions. We are also interested in plastic poly (ethylene Terephthalate or PET) bottles. The calculation of the incoming and outgoing Exergy flows during the production processes are carried out. The Exergy loss considering the sustainability concept, Green House Gases emissions, real energy flows needed to the chain of processes, material balances in the productions chains and value added, are presented as a set of criteria to make decisions of alternative materials including the actual ones. A case study for Mexico’s market will be developed in order to prove the methodology. It offers some interesting data about consumption and production of bags and bottles.

Keywords

Sustainability; Exergy; Polyethylene Bags and PET Bottles Uses and Recycling; Multiple Criteria Model to Aid Decision Making

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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