Plastics and Sustainability Grey is the New Green

Michael Tolinski (Deceased, 2016) was the Managing Editor of Plastics Engineering magazine (SPE/Wiley), author of Additives for Polyolefins (2009) published by Elsevier/William Andrew's Plastic Design Library, and Plastics and Sustainability, 1st edition (2012) published by Wiley-Scrivener.Conor Carlin is the Managing Director of ILLIG LP, the North American subsidiary of ILLIG Maschinenbau GmbH & Co., a Germany-based designer and manufacturer of thermoforming, tooling, and packaging systems. A member of Society of Plastics Engineers sinc 2000, he serves as editor for SPE Thermoforming and Recycling Division publications. Carlin has contributed articles on plastics and sustainability for international industry press in the US, Europe, and Asia. In 2017, he was elected to the SPE Executive Board as VP of Marketing and Communications, and re-elected in 2020 as the first VP of Sustainability. For 10 years he was an active mentor to cleantech startups in the Boston-Cambridge cluster, focusing on energy efficiency and biofuels. Carlin has degrees from Boston University (BA, International Relations / French) and the FW Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College (MBA).

• Acknowledgements xiNotes on the 2nd Edition xiiiPreface xv1 General Introduction 11.1 The Contradictions of Plastics 31.2 Plastics and the Consumer Lifestyle 41.3 Plastics Controversies 71.3.1 PVC and Phthalate Plasticizers 91.3.2 Plastic Shopping Bags 101.3.3 Health Effects of BPA (Bisphenol-A) 131.4 The Desire to be Green 151.4.1 Consumer Interest in Sustainability 151.4.2 Sustainability: Views and Counterviews 181.5 The Course of This Book 24References 262 Plastic Life Cycles 292.1 Green Principles 302.2 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) 342.2.1 Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) 362.2.2 LCA: Controversies and Limitations 372.2.3 LCA/LCI: Plastics-Related Examples 402.2.3.1 PET and HDPE 402.2.3.2 Bio/Fossil-Fuel Polymer Comparison 412.3 Plastic Lifetimes 422.3.1 The “Cradle”: Polymer Feedstocks and Production 422.3.1.1 Fossil-Fuel Feedstock Sources 432.3.1.2 Bio-Based Feedstock Sources 442.3.2 “Gate-to-Gate”: General Plastics Use-Life Impacts 462.3.3 The “Grave”: Disposal, Recycling, and Biodegradability 482.3.3.1 “Permanent” Disposal? 482.3.3.2 Biodegradable Plastics 492.3.3.3 Recycling 512.3.3.4 Limitations and Challenges 562.4 A Hierarchy of Plastics for Sustainability 62References 633 Polymer Properties and Environmental Footprints 673.1 Background on Polymers and Plastics 683.1.1 Green Chemistry Principles 703.2 Common Commodity Thermoplastics 743.2.1 Polyethylene (PE) 743.2.1.1 Synthesis 743.2.1.2 Structure and Properties 773.2.1.3 End-of-Life 773.2.2 Polypropylene (PP) 793.2.2.1 Synthesis 793.2.2.2 Structure and Properties 803.2.2.3 End-of-Life 803.2.3 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC, or “Vinyl”) 813.2.3.1 Synthesis 823.2.3.2 End-of-Life 853.2.4 Polystyrene (PS) 853.2.4.1 Synthesis 853.2.4.2 End-of-Life 863.2.5 Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) and Related Polyesters 873.2.5.1 Synthesis 873.2.5.2 End-of-Life 893.3 Traditional Engineering Thermoplastics 903.3.1 Nylon or Polyamide (PA) 903.3.1.1 Synthesis 903.3.1.2 End-of-Life 913.3.2 Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) 923.3.2.1 Synthesis 923.3.2.2 End-of-Life 933.3.3 Polycarbonate (PC) 933.3.3.1 Synthesis 933.3.3.2 End-of-Life 943.4 Traditional Thermosets and Conventional Composites 943.4.1 Unreinforced Thermosets 953.4.1.1 Synthesis 953.4.1.2 End-of-Life 963.4.2 Conventional Composites 973.4.2.1 Production 973.4.2.2 End-of-Life 973.5 Biopolymers: Polymers of Biological Origin 983.5.1 Polylactic Acid (PLA) 1013.5.1.1 Synthesis 1013.5.1.2 Structures and Properties 1033.5.1.3 End-of-Life 1043.5.2 Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs): PHB and Related Copolymers 1053.5.2.1 Synthesis 1063.5.2.2 End-of-Life 1073.5.3 Starch-Based Polymers 1083.5.3.1 Synthesis 1083.5.3.2 End-of-Life 1083.5.4 Protein-Based Polymers 1083.5.4.1 Synthesis 1093.5.4.2 End-of-Life 1093.5.5 Algae-Based Polymers 1093.5.5.1 Synthesis 1093.5.5.2 End-of-Life 1103.5.6 Blends of Biopolymers 1103.6 Additives and Fillers: Conventional and Bio-Based 1113.6.1 Common Additives 1113.6.2 Fillers 1133.6.3 Fiber Reinforcement 1143.6.3.1 Glass and Carbon Fiber 1143.6.3.2 Natural Fiber Reinforcement 1153.6.4 Nanocomposites 1193.7 Concluding Summary 119References 1204 Applications: Demonstrations of Plastics Sustainability 1274.1 Trends in Sustainable Plastics Applications 1304.2 Sustainable Plastics Packaging 1314.2.1 Plastic Bags and Containers 1344.2.2 Bio-Based Plastic Packaging 1364.2.3 “Greener” Foam Packaging 1394.2.4 Key Points 1404.3 Sustainable Plastics in Building and Construction 1414.3.1 Recycled/Recyclable Construction Applications 1434.3.2 Wood-Plastic Composites 1444.3.3 Key Points 1454.4 Automotive Plastics and Sustainability 1464.4.1 Fuel-Saving Contributions of Plastics 1464.4.2 Recycling and Automotive Plastics 1474.4.3 Bioplastics in the Automotive Industry 1494.4.4 Key Points 1504.5 Specialized Applications and Plastics Sustainability 1514.5.1 Electrical/Electronics Applications 1514.5.2 Medical Plastics and Packaging 1524.5.3 Agricultural Applications 1544.6 Conclusions about Sustainable Plastics Applications 155References 1565 Design Guidelines for Sustainability 1595.1 Green Design Principles 1615.1.1 Minimize Material Content 1635.1.2 Exploit a Material’s Full Value 1645.1.3 Fulfill Durability Requirements 1665.1.4 Minimize Non-Functional Features 1685.1.5 Focus on Single-Material Designs 1685.1.6 Incorporate Renewable Content 1715.2 Consumer Preferences in Green Design 172References 1736 Sustainable Considerations in Material Selection 1756.1 Examples: Plastics vs. Metals and Glass 1786.2 High Volume Plastics Applications 1806.2.1 Beverage Bottles: PET vs. rPET vs. Bio-PET 1806.2.2 Thermoformed and Flexible Packaging 1836.2.3 Housewares and Food Service Tableware 1866.3 Bio-Based Plastic Selection 1886.3.1 Bio-Based Resins: PLA, PHA, TPS, PE 1886.3.2 Natural Fiber Plastics Reinforcement 1936.3.3 Engineering (Bio)polymers 1966.4 The Selection Process: A Visual Approach 198References 2027 Processing: Increasing Efficiency in the Use of Energy and Materials 2057.1 Optimizing Resin Recycling 2067.1.1 Reprocessing Scrap and Post-Industrial Material 2067.1.2 Recycling Post-Consumer Plastic 2087.1.2.1 The Recycled Resin Challenge 2127.1.3 Advanced Recycling 2137.1.3.1 Dissolution (“Advanced Physical Recycling”) 2137.1.3.2 Depolymerization (“Chemical or Molecular Recycling”) 2147.1.3.3 Gasification/Pyrolysis (“Chemical or Feedstock Recovery”) 2157.2 Optimizing Plastics Processes for Sustainability 2167.2.1 Optimizing Water Use 2167.2.2 Optimizing Energy Consumption 2187.2.2.1 Refurbishing Equipment for Energy Savings 2197.2.3 Choosing New Machinery for Sustainability 2217.2.4 Sourcing Options for “Green” Energy 222References 2238 Conclusion: Grey is the New Green 2258.1 Trends Affecting Future Global Plastics Use 2268.1.1 Consumer Needs and Market Growth 2278.1.2 Fossil Fuel Availability and Price 2298.1.3 Alternative Feedstock Trends 2328.1.4 Industry Priorities for Sustainability 2338.1.5 Plastic Bans and Controversies 2358.1.5.1 Bag Bans 2358.1.5.2 Post-Consumer Plastic Recycling 2368.2 Future Progress in Promoting Plastics Sustainability 2388.2.1 Improved Partnerships 2388.2.1.1 Increasing Recycling Rates 2398.2.1.2 Plastic Litter: Minimizing the Damage 2408.2.1.3 Educating the Public about Plastics and Sustainability 2418.2.1.4 Implementing Bio-Based Materials 2458.2.1.5 Improving the Life-Cycle Impact of Plastics 2468.2.1.6 Sustainability in the Product Development Process 2468.2.1.7 Effective Government Regulation 2488.2.2 New Sustainability-Enhancing Approaches 2488.2.2.1 Energy-Efficient Transportation 2498.2.2.2 Flexible Solar-Energy Systems 2508.2.3 New Research & Development 251References 252Index 255