Page 49 - Plastics News July 2026
P. 49
FEATURE NEWS
structure of polymer or polymer engineering de-
partments
Environmental Sustainability
Plastics have a very good environmental profile.
Plastics contribute to environmental sustainabil-
ity by reducing the weight and volume of pack-
aging, which further helps reducing transporta-
tion-related emissions. Additionally lightweight
plastic materials in vehicles and airplanes, help
improve fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse
gas emissions.
Plastics products also provide whole life cost
savings; - Reduced fuel use in transit due to their Plastics Packaging reduces waste( be it food /
lightweight. consumer goods). Plastics make an immense
contribution to the environmental sustainability
Reduced maintained requirements, for example through their energy saving potential and intrin-
PVC windows do not require painting. sic recyclability and energy recovery options.
Reduced energy required for heating when plas- Only 4% of the world’s oil production is used for
tics insulation is used. plastics and much less energy is used to pro-
duce it compared to other materials be it Paper,
Glass, Metal. Plastics are durable yet lightweight
and thus save weight in cars, aircraft, packaging
and pipework.
When plastics have completed their use phase,
whether as a car bumper or a bottle, they can ei-
ther be recycled or if this is not economic or en-
vironmentally beneficial the calorific value of the
plastic can be recovered through energy from
waste incineration to provide a much source of
home-grown power. As a consequence plastics
Reduced wastage (food / consumer goods); due can be viewed as ‘borrowing’ the oil.
to the unparalleled protective properties of plas-
tics packaging. Social Sustainability
Completing the final pillar of sustainability, plas-
The plastics industry is a leader in research and tics are also socially sustainable.
development, and innovation. Plastics materi-
als and applications are constantly developed Plastics have brought about various social ben-
and improved Significant industrial research and efits, such as improving access to safe drink-
development is supported by a University infra- ing water through plastic pipes and packaging,
July 2026 PLASTICS NEWS 53
