Both the chemical and plastics sectors are currently affected by various social prejudices that generate a bad image of both the industry and its products. However, both industrial sectors are aware on the one hand of the advantages that their products and services suppose for the current society, and on the other, of the increasingly real need to reduce the environmental impact generated.
That is why both in the chemical industry and in the plastic one we find multiple advances and initiatives that promote the conservation of the environment, the reduction of carbon emissions, the commitment to more sustainable activities, the use of recycled and recyclable materials, etc. all of them are increasingly present in the current moment of both sectors, which is constantly evolving towards a greener and more sustainable future.
Developments in the chemical and plastic industry for the benefit of the environment
There are several researches and developments that allow the use of plastic as a raw material for fabrics. Nike sport equipment for the Soccer Selection of different countries, the new Original Multifunctional Headwear range from BUFF, 3D printed shoes from Reebok or Adidas, garments and footwear that use marine debris as raw material thanks to Adidas and Ecoalf, labor protection with Tychem TK from DuPont, use of CO2 as raw material…
Initiatives of interest for the preservation of the environment
Advantages brought by plastic materials to our daily lives
Thanks to the reduction of weight of the cars (up to 15%) we can save up to 750 liters of fuel during the useful life of the vehicle. The use of plastics in airplanes saves up to 20% of fuel. Even the reduction of weight in plastic containers with respect to other materials (up to 4 times lighter), Co2 emissions are reduced due to the transportation of products, which travel thousands of kilometers before reaching the final consumer.
- Isolation of buildings, with the consequent improvement of energy efficiency. The data: plastic insulation saves 250 times more energy than was used to manufacture them.
- In agriculture, drip irrigation systems, manufactured with plastic, allow to save between 30% and 60% of the water used with conventional irrigation methods.
- Plastic is the main material used in security elements such as airbags, seat belts…
- Applications and advances in medicine: cannulas, probes, gloves, hygienic material, implants…
- Conservation of food in better condition and for more time thanks to the development of new packaging materials
In conclusion, all companies in the sector are aware that they have to join the green revolution if they want to obtain an improvement in global problems and achieve a higher competitiveness in terms of their business model. It is the challenge of sustainable development, something that the United Nations already promoted in 2015. Increasingly, most of the resources for the chemical sector will be focused for uses that suppose a greater benefit for the planet, so that the companies of the sector they must trace their own path to position themselves with strength and to evolve within this new paradigm that is committed to sustainability and the environment.