Telecommunications are essential to modern society, enabling real-time information exchange, connecting people, and driving economic and social development. Poles play a crucial role in supporting this network by providing the physical infrastructure for overhead cable distribution. However, these conventional poles are mainly produced with wood and/or concrete, which can have a significant environmental impact throughout their life cycle, from resource extraction to end-of-life. Therefore, finding more sustainable solutions in pole manufacturing is vital to reduce environmental impact and enhance the eco-efficiency of telecommunication systems. The study aims to evaluate and compare the environmental and economic performance of eco-poles produced from plastic waste with those made from concrete.
The environmental and economic performance was evaluated using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) methodology, which follows the International Standard Rules (ISO) 14040:2006 [1] and 14044:2006 [2]. Life cycle inventory considered mass allocation and an attributional approach, and the impact assessment method used was the CML-IA (v3.10). Various formulations were optimized, leading to the identification of the most suitable formulation, consisting of plastic waste reinforced with recycled fibres. This optimized formulation was tested at a 1/10 scale in a laboratory setting to validate the production process before transitioning to an industrial scale. In the end, the pole at a 1/10 scale presented a better environmental and economic performance than the pole produced with concrete but a comprehensive assessment of a full-scale pole should be performed to determine if this trend persists.
In conclusion, this study demonstrates the potential of using plastic waste in pole production, promoting a circular economy and enhancing resource efficiency for a more sustainable infrastructure. In the future, the lifespan of telecommunication poles must be taken into account to choose the best option considering the long-term impact.
This research was supported by the ‘Sustainable Plastics’ Consortium, co-financed by NextGenerationEU.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, H.G.V.N. and I.C.; Methodology, H.G.V.N. and I.C.; Software, I.C.; Validation, C.B.-S. and B.S.; Formal Analysis, I.C.; Investigation, H.G.V.N. and I.C.; Resources, D.M., B.R. and R.G.; Data Curation, D.M., B.R. and R.G.; Writing—Original Draft Preparation, H.G.V.N.; Writing—Review and Editing, I.C. and C.B.-S.; Visualization, B.S.; Supervision, C.B.-S. and B.S.; Project Administration, C.B.-S.; Funding Acquisition, C.B.-S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This work was developed within the framework of the ‘Sustainable Plastics’ Consortium, co-financed by NextGenerationEU, and reflects the consortium’s mission to accelerate the transition towards a more circular and sustainable plastics economy through applied research and industrial innovation.
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement
Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement
The data supporting the findings of this study are not publicly available due to industrial confidentiality and commercial restrictions but may be provided by the authors upon reasonable request.
Conflicts of Interest
Author Diogo Martins was employed by the company Ucomposites A/S. Authors Bruno Rodrigues and Rui Gonçalves were employed by the company Resifluxo. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
References
- ISO 14040:2006; Environmental Management—Life Cycle Assessment—Principles and Framework. International Organization for Standardization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2006.
- ISO 14044:2006; Environmental Management—Life Cycle Assessment—Requirements and Guidelines. International Organization for Standardization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2006.
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).