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WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Plastic packaging does not add to the world’s environmental burden

WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Plastic packaging does not add to the world’s environmental burden. Plastic packaging means less waste, less energy, fewer resources, less cost and lowest environmental impacts. WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Retail packaging under unprecedented attack. WHEN MORE MEANS LESS

francis-vaughan
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WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Plastic packaging does not add to the world’s environmental burden

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  1. WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Plastic packaging does not add to the world’s environmental burden • Plastic packaging means less waste, less energy, fewer resources, less cost and lowest environmental impacts

  2. WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Retail packaging under unprecedented attack

  3. WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Modern storage and distribution systems reduce spoilage • In the less developed world up to 50% of all food is wasted between harvest and home. In a ‘packaging-oriented’ society wastage is reduced to around 3% 50% WASTE HARVEST TO HOME 3% FOOD CHAIN WASTAGE

  4. LONGER ON THE SHELF LONGER IN THE FRIDGE LONGER LIFE AT HOME WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Plastic reduces waste by extending shelf life • Research shows that shrink wrap extends the life of a cucumber on the shelf from around three days to more than ten days • Extended shelf life means less preservatives plus extended life in the home

  5. WHEN MORE MEANS LESS • Plastic is the lightest of all packaging materials and has the lowest environmental footprint GLASS100.8g METAL CAN23.7g PLASTIC3.1g CARTONBOARD 24.8g Average pack weight per 100g of product

  6. WHEN MORE MEANS LESS plastic film laminates offer major weight savings and resource reduction • Excellent resource reduction - for goods like fresh-ground coffee PLASTIC POUCH 6 GRAMMES METAL CAN 104 GRAMMES

  7. PLASTIC POUCHES3.56%IS PACKAGING WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Reduction in transport, warehousing and associated environmental damage GLASS JARS36%IS PACKAGING • Without plastic packaging, a retailer’s vehicle fleet would make 50% more journeys

  8. WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Constant improvements to plastic without sacrificing strength or durability • The plastics sector takes the initiative to achieve major weight reduction

  9. WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Today’s plastic supermarket bag has 70% less plastic than in the 1980’s • The most convenient and, if re-used, environmentally-sound option for taking goods home A 70% REDUCTION IN PLASTIC USED WITHOUT LOSS OF STRENGTH

  10. WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Plastic protects more than half of everything on your shelf • Yet plastic represents only one fifth of the weight of your packaging

  11. WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Environmental impacts would be far greater without plastic • Weight of packaging increases fourfold • The energy for packaging up 50% • Volume of waste goes go up 60%

  12. WHEN MORE MEANS LESS The packaging we use is reducing compared with consumption • Household consumption rose by over 20% and GDP by 17% • Packaging has shown only a 4% growth

  13. WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Packaging environmental impacts in the household are minimal 88Gj PRODUCTION OF GOODS 63Gj HOME HEATING • Production energy for goods has more than twelve times the impact of the packaging that protects them 39Gj FAMILY TRANSPORT 7 Gj ALL PACKAGING

  14. WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Using plastic packaging in Western Europe saves millions of barrels of oil and tonnes of CO2 101 million barrels of oil saved • Plastic packaging saves Europe 101 million barrels of oil and 42.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions- equivalent to that generated by 3.38 million people Equivalent to CO2 from 3.38million people

  15. WHEN MORE MEANS LESS Benefits of weight, volume, cost, energy, lifestyle and environmental impacts

  16. 4: A VALUABLE RESOURCE

  17. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OPTIONS FOR PLASTIC PACKAGING PLASTICS FROM RENEWABLE RESOURCES A VALUABLE RESOURCE Three Key Issues THE DEGRADABILITY AND COMPOSTABILITY DEBATE

  18. A VALUABLE RESOURCE Conventional plastics already conform to environmental ‘best practice’ hierarchy • Reduce, re-use, recycle and recover is the official best environmental practice hierarchy RECOVER

  19. A VALUABLE RESOURCE REDUCE - plastic reduces raw material, energyinputs, transportation, storage and overall environmental impacts

  20. A VALUABLE RESOURCE REDUCE - Plastic also reduces food wastage through extended shelf life • Meat stays fresh for twice as long in MAP packaging • 27% more waste occurs when fruit is not sealed in a tray

  21. A VALUABLE RESOURCE RE-USE - returnable plastic crates substantially reduce one trip packaging • Returnable crates have a life of 25 years or more

  22. A VALUABLE RESOURCE RECYCLE – two key options are mechanical recycling or chemical/feedstock recycling • Mechanical recycling is straightforward for single polymers which can be returned to high value-added applications • But technically and economically difficult with mixed plastics packaging

  23. A VALUABLE RESOURCE RECYCLE – two key options are mechanical recycling or chemical/feedstock recycling • One option to ship to China for hand sorting • Another is to produce low value wood substitutes

  24. A VALUABLE RESOURCE RECYCLE – two key options are mechanical recycling or chemical/feedstock recycling • Chemical recycling in a German steelworks • Feedstock recycling back to oil derivatives for fuels, petrochemicals, lube oils

  25. A VALUABLE RESOURCE RECYCLE –Our industry already recycles more than 450,000 tonnes of plastic every year • Waste plastic is recycled into damp proof membrane, dustbin bags and long-life products • Including litter bins and fashion clothing

  26. A VALUABLE RESOURCE RECYCLE – not always viable for lightweight plastic products • Small, lightweight food contact packaging may be tainted with food residues • But re-use in other plastic products is high – for example 80% of households re-use their supermarket carrier bag e.g. for bin liners

  27. A VALUABLE RESOURCE • Plastic forms a very small part of the domestic waste stream

  28. A VALUABLE RESOURCE ENERGY RECOVERY - an important fourth option energy, district heating or waste-derived fuel • Plastic has more calorific value than coal or fuel oil – yet the UK burns coal for power generation every day and buries plastic

  29. 1.5 HOURS • PLASTIC BOTTLE • A VALUABLE RESOURCE • Plastic is a reclaimable ‘borrowed resource’ • A single plastic bottle will provide enough power to light a 60 watt bulb for 1.5 hours

  30. A VALUABLE RESOURCE • Plastic is a reclaimable ‘borrowed resource’ • Plastic waste has a proven value as waste-derived fuel for power generation and in industrial plants and processes

  31. A VALUABLE RESOURCE Energy from Waste is proven throughout Europe • Energy from Waste captures energy content, replaces fossil fuel and reduces the volume of waste going to landfill

  32. CHINEHAM DUDLEY MARCHWOOD TEESSIDE A VALUABLE RESOURCE Government policy is now changing on energy from waste • EfW is set to triple in the UK by 2020 • Sites like these across the UK ensure hundreds of thousands of homes benefit from energy from waste

  33. A VALUABLE RESOURCE We welcome bioplastics to our family of polymers but are they a magical solution for every application? • Biodegradable plastics can be made from both renewable and fossil resources • But all conventional polymers can also be made from renewable resources

  34. A VALUABLE RESOURCE Bioplastics offer a renewable resource base for a range of speciality applications • Speciality applications include mulching film for agriculture or waste bags in closed loop garden waste collections

  35. MATERIAL WEIGHT kg ENERGY Gj POST CONSUMER WASTE kg GG EMISSIONS Kg/CO2 equiv PLA 148 14.5 118 510 PS (HIPS) 123 13.3 98.4 576 126 719 PET 158 16.1 105 9.82 84 345 PP A VALUABLE RESOURCE LCA’s however are not always persuasive Comparison of different plastics for 0.5 litre drinks cup

  36. A VALUABLE RESOURCE Bioplastics also require consideration of technical and commercial implications • Temperature sensitivity • Brittleness and durability • Need for laminates for water/fat resistance • Cost-effectiveness

  37. A VALUABLE RESOURCE There is also much confusion over definitions DEGRADABLE? OXO-DEGRADABLE? PHOTO DEGRADABLE? BIO-DEGRADABLE? COMPOSTABLE?

  38. A VALUABLE RESOURCE Aerobic versus anaerobic biodegradation Breakdown of organic materials by micro-organisms can occur in the presence or absence of oxygen Under aerobic conditions, CO2, water and biomass are produced Under anaerobic conditions (such as those found in landfill) methane will also be produced

  39. A VALUABLE RESOURCE Waste management options for Biopolymers Industrial Composting (windrow, in-vessel, anaerobic digestion) Suitable for materials certified to EN 13432 Home Composting Suitable for materials certified to the OK Compost Home Scheme Recycling Includes organic recycling (composting) Incineration Recover energy value within biopolymer Anaerobic Digestion Units (emerging technology) Creation of anaerobic conditions to generate and capture methane for energy Landfill Through anaerobic biodegradation, may create methane which could be captured for energy but May also be released to atmosphere

  40. EN 13432 FOR INDUSTRIAL COMPOSTING A VALUABLE RESOURCE Industrial and home composting • EN 13432 test protocol comprises: • biodegradation (6 months) • disintegration (pilot test) • plant growth and compost quality tests • heavy metals testing • Not all materials certified to EN 13432 are suitable for home composting. Additional testing is required under ambient (20˚C) conditions which are found in home composting and waste water environments

  41. A VALUABLE RESOURCE Degradable plastics which end up in landfill contravene the EU Landfill Directive • CO2 and Methane can be generated by degradable materials in landfill and composting but conventional plastics remain inert in landfill • Degradable materials could be banned from landfill • Degradable materials still have significant environmental/carbon impacts • GM issues • Impact on local authority recycling/green waste programmes

  42. A VALUABLE RESOURCE In summary - plastics are a natural resource which help reduce environmental impacts • Plastic offers good waste management options including reduction, re-use, recycling and beneficial recovery REDUCES MATERIALS AND FOOD WASTE RE-USABLE AND DURABLE RECYLABLE FOR LONG-LIFE APPLICATIONS RECOVERABLE POWER AND HOT WATER

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