A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Bio-based and Petrochemical Consumer Products in the United States: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Consumer goods industry is progressively moving towards bio-based feedstocks to reduce environmental footprint and to promote sustainability. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the premier tool for evaluating the environmental footprint of these products, but conclusions vary widely based on methodological choices and regional contexts. The objective of this systematic review is to synthesize the most recent LCA studies (2017–2025) comparing bio-based and petrochemical consumer products in the U.S., draw lessons learned across these studies and propose research questions. The review adhered to PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive search of Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases was conducted using Boolean operators for terms related to LCA, biomanufacturing, and specific product categories. Seventy-eight studies were identified, with 48 meeting the strict inclusion criteria (original LCA, U.S. focus, comparative, peer-reviewed). Bio-based products consistently demonstrate a reduced global warming potential (GWP), with a median reduction of 35-60% compared to their petrochemical counterparts. Interestingly, such advantages generally come with high eutrophication enhancement (median increase: 15-40%) and land use burdens. The system boundary, specifically the inclusion of end-of-life and land-use change, was identified as the most significant source of variability and controversy in results. Biomanufacturing constitutes a promising route to decarbonize but one that we believe is inadequately served by a sole reliance on the GWP metric. Future work should employ established LCAs that include trade-offs, circular economic thinking and wider sustainability indicators to inform and steer a real sustainable transition.