Plastic pollution is not a new problem. Much of the plastic used today cause environmental harm in several ways. It takes a long time to degrade, and in many cases, it doesn\u2019t at all, leading to ever more accumulated harmful micro and nano plastic in our ecosystem. Additionally, the chemical process to produce plastics and the incineration of plastic waste<\/a> increases carbon dioxide<\/a> (CO2<\/sub>) emissions from 800 million tons CO2 in 2020 to 2750 million tons CO2 in 2050. Petroleum, an active contributor to climate change, is the main feedstock for plastics. It constitutes more than 99% of the plastic<\/a> that is being used today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The chemical and plastics industry need to employ more sustainable practices and create products and materials that feed into the circular economy<\/a>. This will in turn reduce plastic pollution and overall carbon footprint. We\u2019re already seeing great progress as governments and the private sector set net-zero targets and look for greener alternatives for our everyday products, but more drastic action needs to take place. By developing and adopting sustainable technologies, improving business practices, and collaborating with key stakeholders, we stand a better chance of reducing plastic pollution and achieving a circular, greener future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Technology is playing a key role in creating sustainable alternatives to fossil-based plastics. A lot of research and development has been conducted around plant material as feedstock by using plant-based sugars (glucose), replacing the need to use fossil fuels. By using biomass, which is \u201ccarbon above the ground\u201d as feedstock for producing plastics, no extra carbon is added into the cycle biomass-plastic-CO2-biomass. An example of this is polyethylene furanoate (PEF), a 100% plant-based, a closed-loop recyclable plastic alternative that can be used in packaging, bottles, textiles, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While it\u2019s great to see sustainable technologies emerge, it is important that they compete or even supersede in performance with their fossil-based counterparts. With lower gas permeability towards CO2<\/sub>, oxygen (O2<\/sub>), and humidity, PEF can preserve the integrity and quality of the product within the packaging for longer periods of time, reducing food waste<\/a> and extending functional shelf life. PEF is also stronger and has a better heat resistance and with better barrier properties, this enables thinner or light-weighted packaging solutions. Additionally, experiments show that PEF does show biodegradation \u2013 shown to fully degrade within a year under industrial composting conditions, rather than centuries which is the case for some of the plastics we use today. Even when plastics degrade slowly, they will not accumulate in the environment for decades\/centuries like conventional plastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is vital that new innovations can be reused again multiple times until the end of their lifecycle, after which they can be recycled. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, it is estimated that at least 20% of plastic packaging<\/a> can be replaced by reusable systems. Reusing plastic is closely linked to a decrease in plastic consumption, and therefore an overall reduction in waste pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAddressing the pollution problem with sustainable technologies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Zero waste<\/h3>\n\n\n\n