An increasing number of companies are stepping away
from traditional, oil-based plastics in search of a more
sustainable, biobased alternative. While the primary drivers for
this behaviour are environmental factors, more and more companies
are discovering the sound business benefits of making the
switch.
Reduced dependency on fossil fuels:
• better for our global environment.
• avoids the unpredictable pricing and increasing scarcity
of oil.
Today, about 4% of the world's oil production is converted into
plastics, while an additional 2% of oil is used in the
oil-to-plastics conversion process. Mass volume markets include
shopping bags, packaging, appliances and automotive parts.
Producing plastics from annually renewable resources reduces this
dependency on fossil fuels. Read
more about our responsible sourcing policy.
Reduced carbon footprint:
• consumers are increasingly conscious of their
environmental impact.
• environmentally positive label claims can positively
affect product sales.
Oil based plastics require fossil fuel as a key raw material. In
addition, oil based plastics like PP and PS require more energy
during the plastic development process when compared with
bioplastics. A Life Cycle Analysis for a typical PP or PS plastics
shows a carbon footprint of approx 2.0 kg CO2
equivalents per kg of plastic (from cradle to factory gate). These
CO2 emissions are 4 times higher than
the CO2 emissions for Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) resin.
Multiple end-of-life options:
• valuable raw materials can be reclaimed and recycled into
new
products, reducing the need for new source
materials.
• negative environmental impact of 'used' plastic products
can be greatly
reduced, if not eliminated.
Waste problems for traditional oil-based plastics are a known
issue and becoming increasingly pressing. Plastic products which
are not recycled are currently dumped in landfill sites or -
through littering and wind patterns - find their way into
unintentional waste dumps such as the Great
Pacific Garbage Patch. To this effect, alternative end-of-life
options for plastic products can be of great advantage to the
health of our planet. Bioplastics have multiple end-of-life
options that can ensure their safe and efficient re-use or
recovery. For instance, valuable raw materials can be returned to
the producer, who can recycle these into new products.
Alternatively, energy can be recovered from used products or
plastics can be safely decomposed.
Read more about PLA end-of-life options.