Today we use predominantly linear economies for many materials, including plastics. Many
people and organizations around the world are looking for ways to make our material economy circular. Greg Beckham, Senior Research Scientist, NREL
To help achieve this goal, scientists have conducted work that aims to study plastic production and its impact on the environment.
We are talking about 18 plastics, each of whichproduced on an industrial scale: their global consumption is over 1 metric tons per year. In work, this kind of production is assessed using a resource developed at NREL: it tracks energy and material flows throughout the production supply chain to estimate energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
The polymers considered in this study account for approximately 95% of global production, which collectively amounts to about 360 million metric tons per year.
According to the Energy Information AgencyUSA, as of 2014, plastics production accounted for about 11% of all industrial energy use in the United States. According to a recently published analysis in Science Advances, the United States is responsible for the largest share of plastics waste in the world.
New analysis reflects consumption onlyplastics in the USA and takes into account mono-productions, as well as related industries. Polyester fiber, for example, is not counted if it is produced overseas to make clothing that is then imported into the United States.
The team is now continuing to develop MFI tools that will enable users to analyze global supply chains in the future, not just those based on US manufacturing.
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