C12 (Double) or
LCAs—Life Cycle Assessments
C14 (Triple)
LCA Stage Plastic water bottle
Description
Extraction and  Made from crude oil and
processing of raw natural gases – finite
materials resources – requires
processing by way of
fractional distillation.
 Lots of energy required.
 PET waste can be recycled
and used effectively.
Manufacturing and  Oil is refined and
packaging transformed to plastic
pellets.
 Pellets are heated and
expanded to shape the
bottles.
 Bottles are then cooled,
sterilized and capped.
Use and reuse  Can only be used several
Reusable glass bottle
Score Description Score
(1-10) (1-10)
4  Made from sand, silica, 6
limestone, soda ash – finite
resources – requires energy
of fractional distillation.
 Lots of energy required.
 Unusable waste present
during manufacturing.
 Glass waste can be recycled
and used effectively.
6  Obtain certain amount of 4
gob of molten glass.
 Shaping the glass by
pressure from compressed
air or metal plunger.
 Let the glass cool down.
8  Can be reused lots of times 4
 times (1-3 times)
 Only 10-20% plastic bottles
are collected and recycled
Disposal  Recyclable – requires
energy
 Takes about 500 years to
decompose in landfills,
takes up places in landfills
 Pollutes the oceans and
damages marine life
Transport and  Crude oil from oil rig is
distribution at all transported to refinery
stages  Refined oil from refinery to
factories
 Bottles from factories to
stores
 Bottles from stores to your
home
 Bottles picked up by waste
management services.
  Total:  28
as glass is very strong.
 About 40-50% glass
containers are collected and
recycled.
5  Recyclable – requires 5
energy
 Takes about 1 million years
to decompose in landfills,
takes up places but much
smaller amount compared to
plastics.
5  Raw materials are 5
transported to refinery.
 Refined materials from
refinery to factories.
 Glass products from
factories to stores.
 Glass products from stores
to your home.
 Glass picked up by waste
management services.
Total:  24
 In conclusion, glass bottles take lower impact on the environment due to its longevity (can be reused multiple times). Its manufacturing process is more

simple therefore requires less energy. The disposal stage of both materials are quite on the same level, although plastics take half of the time of glass to

decompose but the amount of plastics given out to the environment is overwhelming.