Material flow analysis of End-of-Life disposition of polyethylene-based packaging and alternatives in China

• Conducted an MFA to trace the flow of polyethylene (PE) packaging in China. • Compared the EOL treatments of PE packaging products and alternative materials. • Only 35% of PE packaging waste is recycled, with most ending up incinerated. • Industrial PE packaging is recycled more efficiently than household PE packaging. • Three alternative packaging materials achieve recycling rates exceeding 65%. As packaging consumption continues to rise in China, improving End-of-Life (EoL) management is critical for resource recovery and environmental protection. This study employs material flow analysis to track and compare the EoL disposition of polyethylene (PE), paper, metal, and glass packaging across key applications. Results reveal that PE packaging exhibits the lowest recycling rate of 35% compared with paper (69%), metals (67%), and glass (66%). Packaging with simple compositions and mature recycling systems—such as aluminum cans (95%), beverage glass bottles (92.9%), corrugated boxes (80%), industrial-grade PE film (e.g., stretch film and heavy-duty sacks, >80%), and food-grade high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles (70%) — achieve higher recycling rates. In contrast, complex or contaminated types, including chemical barrels (15%), flexible household PE packaging (<10%), courier bags (16.4%), and kraft shopping bags (15%) are largely incinerated. These results underscore the need for material-specific data, coordinated actions across the packaging value chain, and targeted, data-driven policies to enhance China’s packaging waste management.