Page 67 - Plastics News Issue May 2025
P. 67
IN THE NEWS
♦ Comply with environmental agriculture poli- Strategic Pathways for Adoption
cies.
The complete exploitation of bioplastics requires
5. Textile Industry industries to take these necessary steps:
PLA and bio-polyesters function as raw materi- 1. Invest in R&D: The Company should work
als for producing textiles with sustainable prop- with research organizations to create ad-
erties. vanced sustainable polymers.
♦ Opportunities: 2. Pilot Projects: Organizations need to imple-
ment limited first deployments which assess
♦ PLA and bio-polyesters serve the increasing market potential and user response.
market interest in eco-fashion products.
3. Supply Chain Partnerships: Suppliers and re-
♦ Reduce dependence on synthetic fibers.
cyclers who work with the company should
♦ The company plans to introduce eco-friendly guarantee the scalability of materials.
apparel lines which would appeal to consum- 4. Government Collaboration: Encourage poli-
ers who want sustainable fashion products.
cymaking groups to establish economic in-
Challenges in Industrial Adaptation centives together with infrastructure sup-
port and government subsidies.
There are multiple drawbacks which suppress
these benefits. 5. Circular Design Principles: Manufacturing fa-
cilities need to work with designers through
♦ Cost Competitiveness: At present Bioplas- creating products with capabilities for end-
tics maintain higher production costs than of-life material reuse and recycling or com-
standard plastic materials do. posting.
♦ Performance Limitations: The performance Case Studies of Industrial Integration
of bioplastics does not surpass petroleum-
based plastics regarding their durability or Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle
heat resistance capability.
The Coca-Cola Company developed a PET bot-
♦ Lack of Infrastructure: Most industrial facili- tle consisting of sugarcane-derived materials
ties which perform composting and recy- which decreased its dependence on oil-extract-
cling do not currently offer their services. ed raw materials.
♦ Supply Chain Constraints: Limited raw mate- Ford’s Bio-Based Car Parts
rial availability and scalability issues.
Ford Motor Company establishes vehicle interior
Businesses need to consider complete product components with foams made from soybeans
life cycle assessments together with availability alongside wheat straw composite materials and
ratings and overall cost analysis when changing nylon produced from castor oil.
operations.
May 2025 PLASTICS NEWS 67
