Page 44 - Plastics News August - 2023

FEATURE

cation portfolio continues to diver- to the non-biodegradable SAP that At the moment, bioplastics account
sify. Segments, such as automotive & is derived from petrochemicals. The for only <1% (2,300 KT) of the to-
transport or building & construction, major SAP players, such as Nippon tal polymer market. However, due to
remain on the rise with the growing Shokubai (Japan) and Evonik (Ger- rising demand for bioplastics and con-
capacities of functional polymers. many), are producing bio-based SAP sumer preference for sustainability, it
Consumers have a preference for (partially bio-based SAP) in order to is expected to grow exponentially at
environmentally friendly products. develop more sustainable products a CAGR of 23% between 2022 and
This is more visible in personal care for a variety of industries. Moreover, 2028. Companies are already increas-
and cosmetics, as well as in agricul- companies such as Magic SRL (Italy), ing production capacity to meet the
ture and horticulture. Bio-SAP (Super Polygreen Group (Israel), UPL (India), growing demand in the near future.
Absorbent Polymer) is a major exam- etc., are also manufacturing fully bio- Developing new grades to address
ple of a biopolymer in this industry. content SAP. As the market continues the aforementioned challenges (bio-
Super absorbent polymer (SAP) is to embrace bio-based materials, the degradability and cost) could take up
mostly employed in hygiene applica- trend will accelerate in industries such to a decade to become a significant
tions, agriculture/horticulture, and as FNB and personal care. component in the packaging industry.
other industries due to its water-ab- Are bioplastics going to play a sig-
sorbing and water-retention capabili- nificant role in the packaging in-
ties. Bio-SAP is a drop in biopolymer dustry in the coming years?

Benefits from circularity way more than just environmental

Circular model will improve the and operational models will require a ucts are recovered at the end of life.
performance of the plastic indus- fundamental shift in the way plastics Moreover, using materials designed
try's supply chain are designed, produced, used, and for durability, reusability, and recy-

lastics have become ubiquitous in disposed of. The shift will require col- clability can improve operational ef-
Pour daily lives, and their produc- laboration among stakeholders across ficiency by reducing waste, minimis-
tion has been on the rise for several the supply chain, including producers, ing the need for raw materials, and
decades. However, the negative im- manufacturers, retailers, and consum- reducing quality control issues.
pacts of waste from the plastic indus- ers. This will involve the development Circularity can also help businesses
try on the environment and human and implementation of technolo- improve their demand forecasting by
health are becoming increasingly ap- gies and processes for designing and promoting the use of recycled and
parent. Growing awareness of the en- producing more sustainable plastic sustainable materials, which have de-
vironmental toll linked to the plastics products, promoting the recycling mand patterns different from those
industry has driven increased calls for and reuse of plastic materials, and im- of virgin plastics. Circular material
the adoption of more circular systems plementing new business models to loops often mean materials flow from
in the plastics industry. profit from a circular economy. a greater diversity of origins, reducing
The aim of a circular economy is to The benefits of a circular economy reliance on limited sources. Accurate
keep resources in use for as long as what’s the incentive for the plastic demand forecasting helps businesses
possible by minimising waste, pro- industry to adopt circular practices? reduce costs and improve their bot-
moting recycling and reuse, and elimi- Let's take a closer look at how the tom line by minimising the need for
nating waste and pollution. In the con- adoption of circularity can benefit overproduction, underproduction, or
text of the plastics industry, circularity businesses, particularly in the specific emergency orders.
would mean reducing plastic waste area of supply chain management. Another benefit comes in the area of
and pollution by keeping plastic ma- By prioritising the use of recovered supplier relationships. By incentivising
terials in use for as long as possible materials and other reusable materi- suppliers to develop more sustain-
while also re-evaluating our methods als, businesses can reduce their reli- able and circular products, buyers
for sourcing plastic raw materials. ance on virgin plastic materials, which can develop more collaborative and
Moving to more circular economic can lead to cost savings when prod- cooperative relationships with their

44 PLASTICS NEWS August 2023
44 PLASTICS NEWS
August 2023