Tom van Aken , CEO of Avantium , showcases PEF
The environmental impact of the
world ’ s industrial revolution has been dominating front-page news for years . People , now more than ever , are aware of the need to change their daily habits to minimise their environmental impact , especially when it comes to plastic consumption . Conventional plastics contribute to environmental harm in two ways . First , they take a long time to degrade , if at all ; the millions of tonnes of plastic litter that ends up in the oceans is one of the most visible and alarming signs of this problem . Many plastic materials that we are using today are not suitable for effective recycling . Second , plastics production itself actively contributes to climate change . Petroleum is the main feedstock , and many of the chemical processes needed are energy-intensive and emit large volumes of CO 2
. Although the industry does recognise the need to shift towards more sustainable feedstocks , chemical companies expect the process will be slow and expensive . However , an increasing number are making it their mission to discover innovative ways to adopt better materials from sustainable sources in order to drive fossil-based carbon out of the chemicals industry and transition to 100 % recyclable plastics .
Prepared to pay
Consumers are actively demanding sustainable ‘ circular ’ products , where waste materials can be directly
Avantium ’ s pilot plant at Geleen , Netherlands
recycled into new items . There is a common misconception that ‘ green ’ must also mean ‘ expensive ’, and big brands have often used this to contextualise their refusal to shift towards sustainable measures . Simply put , “ Consumers aren ’ t willing to pay for it ”. A recent social sciences study from the University of Amsterdam on consumer behaviour , however , showed that consumers are in fact increasingly prepared to pay more to do the right thing and help their planet . Nearly 73 % of respondents stated that they would be prepared to pay more for a proven sustainable package than a more conventional counterpart . Interestingly , a clear contributing factor to this willingness to pay a ‘ green premium ’ is guilt - most likely sparked by TV images showing environmental consequences in the natural world , which have made consumers reflect on their habits and strive to better themselves by making sustainable and circular choices . There is a clear motivation from consumers who want to
feel good about using brands that are environmentally friendly . Understanding these key drivers to consumer demand is vital so that businesses can tailor products to market needs .
Better plastics
As great as it is that consumers , as well as policymakers and campaign groups , are increasing the pressure on businesses , and are evidently prepared to pay more to make a positive impact on the world around them , it is important to remember that the problem is not plastics themselves . Simply put , without plastics , many industries we know today just would not exist . Instead , it is how the plastics are made , used and discarded that needs to change . Since the first plastics were developed over a century ago , conventional wisdom has been that they can only be made from petroleum . This is no longer the case . A growing number of companies and researchers are making it their mission to discover new ways to create better
54 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981