BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC AND' SUSTAINABLE? Without plastics would consume more energy and greenhouse gases. This is the conclusion drawn from a study that was commissioned by PlasticsEurope trying to answer the question: plastics are sustainable?
In comparison with other materials in Europe, the plastic is still suffering from a rather ugly image as environmental aspects and resource consumption. Because of a study that was commissioned by the association of plastics manufacturers called PlasticsEurope eV, Denkstatt-GmbH has studied the real effects of the typical products of plastic during their entire life cycle through its study by entitled "The effects of plastic on energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in Europe." The study focuses on the effects on energy consumption and climate change.
The positive contribution of plastics fossil
For examples of plastic products that have been examined in detail, are solely plastics that are produced by fossil fuels, although the role of renewables is becoming increasingly important in the plastics industry. According
PlasticsEurope, the objective of the study was first to document that the use of plastics fossil is also a positive contribution to the achievement of energy efficiency and climate protection.
The first part of the study updates a previous study from the years 2004/2005.
In this case, the total market of plastic products substitutable is compared with the mix of alternative materials.
The second part deals with the beneficial effects of plastic with regard to improving energy efficiency and climate protection, now and in the future and, as stated in the introduction, all right "things in the right light."
During the production of plastic products, energy resources that are used are largely from non-renewable consumption of which causes the release of greenhouse gases.
However - based on the results of the study - even more CO2 emissions would be created if the plastic products have been replaced by alternative materials.
use of plastics - saving resources
The results showed that the energy that is required for the production, use, exploitation and disposal of plastics in Europe is currently ca.
Gigajoule 4.3 billion per year, while global emissions of greenhouse gases is about. 200 million tons a year. The study concluded that the plastic products mainly contribute to saving energy and reducing greenhouse gases to the point that they replaced traditional materials. Both energy consumption as well as the amount of greenhouse gas emissions would increase considerably if the plastic products should be replaced by other materials, up to a theoretical maximum. For example, Denkstatt had calculated that, If the substitution of plastics in Europe an increase in energy consumption of approx.
2100 gigajoules, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions would increase by 110 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
Denkstatt still sees great potential for plastics in the future, then, in 2020, the benefits could be estimated using nine to fifteen times higher than emissions from the production and waste management. The estimated energy saving would obviously vary depending on the scope of packaging which obviously play a more important role.
Esempio di packaging alimentare Una ramificazione importante è anche la perdite evitate attraverso l'uso di prodotti di plastica, ad esempio, dei prodotti alimentari attraverso l'imballaggio protettivo. Così, imballaggi di plastica impedisce spesso i prodotti alimentari freschi da rovinare troppo veloce. Le perdite di prodotto alimentare così evitato allo stesso modo significa meno consumo di energia e di gas serra che sarebbero associati con la produzione di nuovi alimenti. Secondo lo studio, la stima ha mostrato che i benefici di CO2 delle perdite di derrate alimentari che vengono avoided are 4-9 times higher in the scope of 10 to 20 per cent of the mass of CO2 emissions that are created during the production of packaging.
The beneficial effects would have a much larger effect on greenhouse gas emissions than producing the packaging for this scope.
If we assume that 70 percent of all food packaging - then by other materials - prevents the loss of 20 percent of packaged foods and that the ratio of CO2 that exists for the manufacture of packaging and production of food as in the examples above, then the corresponding benefit CO2 in plastic for food packaging is estimated at 190 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, it says further.
about preventing the above.
ten percent loss of food, some 22 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions could be avoided, according to studio estimates. The complete study is available for download at 'Address www.plasticseurope.org.
- www.plasticseurope.org
ARTICLE TRANSLATED FROM THE SITE http://www.interpack.de
