Plastics and sustainability : towards a peaceful coexistence between bio-based and fossil fuel-based plastics

Select an Action

Place Hold(s)
Add to My Lists
Email
Print

Title:

Personal Author:

Tolinski, Michael.

Publication Information:

Hoboken, N.J. : John Wiley & Sons ; Salem, Mass. : Scrivener Pub., c2012.

Physical Description:

xv, 277 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.

ISBN:

9780470938782

Abstract:

"This book addresses an issue of current importance to plastics and manufacturing industry readers, and also to society as a whole. Its guiding question concerns the production, consumption, use, and disposal of plastic products, and how our cultural practice of relying on plastic products can (if it can) fit our needs for a sustainable economy and world. It discusses all possible footprints of plastics use, not just focusing on greenhouse gas production, but also on toxicity and human health, societal standards, and effects on ecosystems"-- Provided by publisher.

Subject Term:

Plastics.

Biodegradable plastics.

Biopolymers.

Plastics -- Toxicology.

Sustainable engineering.

On Order

Summary

Clearly lays out the issues related to plastics' effects on the environment, while also serving as a practical, non-academic guide for making sustainability decisions about plastics recycling and the newest bio-based plastics

Company managers, product developers, policy makers, environmental researchers, and plastics industry engineers are under increasing pressure to find ways of minimizing the environmental footprint of plastic products. This accessible book is designed to help readers understand the life-cycle impacts of various plastics, clarifying the technical research and practical arguments to show when bio-based and recycled plastics might be useful options for reducing the overall energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste associated with traditional plastics.

Plastics and Sustainability compares traditional fossil fuel-based plastics with bio-based plastics in terms of properties, environmental impacts, and costs -- indicating what the most effective approaches could be for using recycled, biodegradable, or various bio-based materials. The book makes objective comparisons between bioplastics and all commonly used plastics, focusing on how they affect production economics, product requirements, and retailer and consumer needs. It incorporates research concerning life-cycle assessment, production techniques, and commercial applications, and presents "green" guidelines about product design, recycling, processing efficiency, and material selection. The book also reports on recent industry developments and commercial trends in an effort to synthesize conclusions that are necessary for finding the right balance between bio-based and fossil-fuel based plastic products.

Check out the author's blog at http://www.plastech.biz/blog .

Author Notes

Michael Tolinski has been researching and writing about plastics sustainability issues for industry readers regularly since 1998 (and since 2004 as a contributing editor for Plastics Engineering magazine published by the Society of Plastics Engineers). His materials science and engineering degree and previous career as a manufacturing/materials engineer has given him a solid background in plastics and in the practical problems faced by manufacturers. His first book, Additives for Polyolefins, was published in 2009.

Acknowledgements	p. xi
Preface	p. xiii
1 General Introduction	p. 1
1.1 What is Environmental Sustainability?	p. 4
1.2 Facing the Contradictions of Plastics	p. 8
1.3 Plastics at Play in Consumer Lifestyles	p. 10
1.4 Controversies Concerning Plastics: Recent Examples	p. 11
1.4.1 PVC and Phthalate Plasticizers	p. 12
1.4.2 Plastic Shopping Bags	p. 14
1.4.3 Health Effects of BPA (Bisphenol-A)	p. 16
1.5 The Desire to be "Green"	p. 19
1.5.1 Consumer Interest in Sustainability	p. 19
1.5.2 Sustainability: Views and Counterviews	p. 21
1.6 The Course of This Book: A Chapter-by-Chapter Overview	p. 26
References	p. 29
2 The Life Cycles of Plastics	p. 31
2.1 "Green Principles" - A Basis for Discussion	p. 33
2.2 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) - A Baseline Tool	p. 37
2.2.1 Life Cycle Inventory (LCI)	p. 39
2.2.2 LCA: Controversies and Limitations	p. 40
2.2.3 LCA/LCI: Plastics-related Examples	p. 43
2.3 Plastic Lifetimes: Cradle-to-Gate...to Gate-to-Grave	p. 46
2.3.1 The "Cradle": Polymer Feedstocks and Production	p. 46
2.3.2 "Gate-to-Gate": General Plastics Use-life Impacts	p. 50
2.3.3 The "Grave": Disposal, Recycling, and Biodegradability	p. 52
2.4 Towards a Hierarchy of Choosing Plastics for Sustainability	p. 66
References	p. 68
3 Polymer Properties and Environmental Footprints	p. 73
3.1 Background on Polymers and Plastics	p. 75
3.1.1 "Green Chemistry" Principles Most Relevant to Plastics	p. 76
3.2 Common Commodity Thermoplastics	p. 82
3.2.1 Polyethylene (PE)	p. 82
3.2.2 Polypropylene (PP)	p. 87
3.2.3 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC, or "Vinyl")	p. 89
3.2.4 Polystyrene (PS)	p. 91
3.2.5 Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) and Related Polyesters	p. 92
3.3 Traditional Engineering Thermoplastics	p. 95
3.3.1 Nylon or Polyamide (PA)	p. 96
3.3.2 Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS)	p. 97
3.3.3 Polycarbonate (PC)	p. 99
3.4 Traditional Thermosets and Conventional Composites	p. 100
3.4.1 Unreinforced Thermosets	p. 101
3.4.2 Conventional Composites	p. 103
3.5 Biopolymers: Polymers of Biological Origin	p. 104
3.5.1 Polylactic Acid (PLA)	p. 106
3.5.2 Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs): PHB and Related Copolymers	p. 110
3.5.3 Starch-based Polymers	p. 113
3.5.4 Protein-based Polymers	p. 114
3.5.5 Algae-based Polymers	p. 115
3.5.6 Blends of Biopolymers	p. 115
3.6 Additives and Fillers: Conventional and Bio-based	p. 116
3.6.1 Common Additives	p. 117
3.6.2 Fillers	p. 118
3.6.3 Fiber Reinforcement	p. 119
3.6.4 Nanocomposites	p. 125
3.7 Concluding Summary	p. 125
References	p. 126
4 Applications: Demonstrations of Plastics Sustainability	p. 133
4.1 Trends in Sustainable Plastics Applications	p. 136
4.2 Sustainable Plastics Packaging	p. 137
4.2.1 Traditional Plastics Bags and Containers: Use, Disposal, and Recycling	p. 140
4.2.2 Bio-based Plastic Packaging	p. 142
4.2.3 "Greener" Foam Packaging	p. 144
4.2.4 Key Points about Plastics Packaging and Sustainability	p. 146
4.3 Sustainable Plastics in Building and Construction	p. 146
4.3.1 Recycled/Recyclable Construction Applications	p. 149
4.3.2 Wood-plastic Composites	p. 150
4.3.3 Key Points about Plastics Sustainability in Construction	p. 151
4.4 Automotive Plastics and Sustainability	p. 152
4.4.1 Fuel-saving Contributions of Plastics	p. 152
4.4.2 Recycling and Automotive Plastics	p. 154
4.4.3 Bioplastics in the Automotive Industry	p. 155
4.4.4 Key Points: Plastics Sustainability in the Automotive Industry	p. 157
4.5 Specialized Applications and Plastics Sustainability	p. 158
4.5.1 Electrical/Electronics Applications	p. 158
4.5.2 Medical Plastics and Packaging	p. 159
4.5.3 Agricultural Applications	p. 161
4.6 Conclusions about Sustainable Plastics Applications	p. 162
References	p. 163
5 Design Guidelines for Sustainability	p. 169
5.1 Green Design Principles	p. 172
5.1.1 Minimize Material Content	p. 174
5.1.2 Exploit a Material's Full Value in the Design	p. 175
5.1.3 Design Only to Fulfill Service Durability Requirements	p. 178
5.1.4 Minimize Non-functional Features	p. 179
5.1.5 Focus on Single-material Designs	p. 179
5.1.6 Incorporate Renewable Content	p. 182
5.2 The Wildcard: Consumer Preferences in Green Design	p. 183
References	p. 184
6 Sustainable Considerations in Material Selection	p. 187
6.1 A Broad Example of Materials Selection: Plastics vs. Metals and Glass	p. 191
6.2 Material Selection for Common High-Volume Plastics Applications	p. 193
6.2.1 Plastics Selection for Beverage Bottles: PET vs. rPET vs. bio-PET	p. 193
6.2.2 Plastics Selection for Thermoformed and Flexible Packaging	p. 197
6.2.3 Selection for Housewares and Food Service Tableware	p. 199
6.3 Bio-based Plastic Selection	p. 202
6.3.1 Selecting Bio-based Resins: PLA, PHA, TPS, and Bio-based PE	p. 203
6.3.2 Selecting Natural Fiber Plastics Reinforcement	p. 207
6.3.3 Selecting Engineering (Bio)polymers	p. 212
6.4 The Selection Process: A Visual Approach	p. 214
References	p. 219
7 Processing: Increasing Efficiency in the Use of Energy and Materials	p. 221
7.1 Optimizing Resin Recycling	p. 223
7.1.1 Reprocessing Scrap and Post-industrial Material	p. 223
7.1.2 Recycling Technologies for Post-consumer Plastic	p. 226
7.2 Optimizing Plastics Processes for Sustainability	p. 231
7.2.1 Optimizing Process Water Use	p. 231
7.2.2 Optimizing Process Energy Consumption of Existing Machinery	p. 233
7.2.3 Choosing New Machinery for Sustainability	p. 236
7.2.4 Sourcing Options for "Green" Processing Energy	p. 237
References	p. 238
8 Conclusion: A World with(out) Sustainable Plastics?	p. 241
8.1 Trends Affecting Future Global Plastics Use	p. 244
8.1.1 Consumer Needs and Market Growth	p. 244
8.1.2 Fossil Fuel Availability and Price	p. 247
8.1.3 Alternative Feedstock Trends	p. 248
8.1.4 Industry Priorities in Responding to Calls for Sustainability	p. 250
8.1.5 Plastic Bans and (Never Ending?) Controversies	p. 252
8.2 Future Progress in Promoting Plastics Sustainability	p. 256
8.2.1 Improved Partnerships, Standards, Industry Practices, and Public Education	p. 256
8.2.2 New Sustainability-Enhancing Uses of Both Fossil- and Bio-based Plastics	p. 265
8.2.3 From R&D to Real World: Newer, More Renewably Based Polymeric Materials	p. 268
References	p. 269
Index	p. 273

On Order

Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Table of Contents