Comparative assessment of recycled plastic for household appliances: an experimental and life cycle approach

The aim of this master's thesis is firstly to give a panoramic about plastic production and waste generation, with an introduction chapter where all the problems, performance and future perspective have been highlighted. To do so, annual report from both plastic producers and government agencies have been consulted, as well as scientific papers. Secondly, a mechanical characterization of N types of recycled plastic used in Electrolux product components has been executed, with the purpose of assessing whether the use of recycled plastic is suitable for an industrial production context, comparing the results obtained with a virgin plastic. A life cycle assessment (LCA) has been then conducted on the produced components, with the goal of determining the potential environmental benefits of using recycled plastics compared to virgin ones.