Researchers suggest way to get net-zero-emission plastics

A team of researchers with members affiliated with institutions in Germany, Switzerland and the United States have created a model that they believe could be used to achieve net zero-emission plastics by 2050. In their published article in the review Science, the group describes their model and implementation requirements.

Numerous studies have shown that the production and use of plastics has become a significant environmental problem as they break down into microplastics, they are found in virtually every water source on the planet causing health problems for organisms. . The production of plastic is also a major contributor to global warming due to the gases emitted during manufacturing. In this new effort, the researchers analyzed data produced by more than 400 research efforts aimed at solving the plastics problem and developed a model that they believe could lead to a net-zero plastic world by 2050. .

The model implements a cycle built around combining the recycling of plastics with the chemical reduction of the carbon dioxide they emit when they are burned or recovered from biomass. They suggest that a recycling rate as low as 70% would be enough to achieve net zero emissions, resulting in energy savings of 34 to 53%. They also suggest that the operational costs involved would be comparable to those of other carbon capture processes. They further suggest that the cost savings associated with implementing their model globally would be around $ 288 billion per year. They point out that plastic production now accounts for around 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions and note that current forecasts suggest that number could rise to 20% over the next 30 years if things continue as they do today. They conclude that the technology exists to solve the plastics problem – all it takes to solve it is the will to do it.

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