Prototype paper bottle with PEF
plastics from sustainable sources and ultimately transition to the renewable and circular chemical industry . One approach is to use plant matter as a feedstock , replacing fossil oil . Using plant-based sugars , a wide range of plant-based chemicals and plastics can be created , which are just as robust and flexible as oil-based alternatives . One example is polyethylene furanoate ( PEF ), which is 100 % plant-based and completely recyclable . PEF lends itself especially well to packaging . When compared with polyethylene terephthalate ( PET ), it has better CO 2 and oxygen barrier properties , and is mechanically stronger , with better heat resistance . This makes possible thinner or lightweight packaging , meaning in turn that less raw product is therefore needed to make better quality packaging .
The 3 Rs
Sustainable feedstocks only address half the problem . Of course , evaluating the design and production of plastics is a huge step in the right direction , but plastic products that fully respect the ‘ 3 Rs ’ ( reduce , reuse , recycle ) must be evaluated too . Packaging labelled as ‘ recycled ’ often only contains around 30 % recycled material . Here , too , novel new materials and technologies can provide answers . The good news is that the recycling pathways for PEF are similar to those for PET and others . The goal , however , should be to create a plastic that is designed for recycling , which creates a circular economy of carbon , and can also biodegrade in an ‘ acceptable ’ time period if the product does end up in nature , intentionally or otherwise . Experiments show that PEF degrades in months or years , rather than centuries , and therefore will not accumulate like conventional plastics .
A positive future
As the scale of the climate crisis is becoming increasingly clear , transformation in the industry has never been more urgent . Consumers are driving the transition by considering sustainability in their buying behaviour , which in turn is driving retailers and brand owners to adopt fossil-free and circular products . Although they still may face many challenges in achieving the scale and pace of change demanded by the scientific consensus on climate change , it is positive to see leading brands , after having embraced the circular concept of ( design for ) recycling , now also actively pursue alternatives to the oil-based plastics they have relied on up to now , closing that other loop , the carbon loop . As environmental experts in this cutting-edge industry we must ensure we are champions of this change and welcome the new technologies and materials into the market , which are both plant-based and circular , to make a step towards a sustainable , fossil-free future . •
Caroline van Reedt Dortland
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
AVANTIUM k + 31 20 586 0110 J mediarelations @ avantium . com j www . avantium . com
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