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By Agence France-Presse
Because of their role in global pollution, plastics are extremely controversial.
But resilient, flexible, light and malleable materials play a key role in our lives and, according to experts, will remain crucial for a long time
Few things to know about the world of plastic
How it was made
The traditional production process consists in distilling and refining fuel or natural gas, by decomposing hydrocarbons. [19659006makeupthebuildingblocksoftheresultingplasticMonomersbuildmorecomplexmoleculescalledpolymers-thescientificnameforplastics
There are two families of polymers
Thermoplastics, which account for about 80% of global consumption of plastic, melt they are heated and harden when they are cooled.
Then there are thermosets that do not soften after molding.
Use
Five polymers account for the majority – 71% – of global plastic consumption.
There is polyethylene, which is found mainly in disposable packaging, then polypropylene, used in bumpers, dashboards and straws
Polystyrene is used to packaging, insulation boards and jars of yogurt. Also polyvinyl chloride – better known as PVC – used in windows and drains – and then polyethylene terephthalate (PET), commonly used for synthetic fibers or bottles.
Lighter is better
novation in conventional plastics, with new properties added to maximize performance.
The lighter is better, and thinning the volume of plastic is a constant challenge, especially to reduce the amount of plastic that occludes the oceans and make war on waste.
But lighter plastic also means lighter finished products, including in transportation.
"The need for greater lightness in automotive transport is a major factor of innovation" Christophe Cabarry, founder and president of SpecialChem
A few grams per year are shaved, even for products as ordinary as plastic bottles.
What about the environment? [19659007] The wait is launched for the discovery of bioplastics – plastics made from biodegradable materials or natural recyclable materials.
"There is a lot of innovation in the sector," explains Cabarry.
According to European Bioplastics, an industry association, less than half of the bioplastics produced in the world last year, less than half was biodegradable.
The association put its penetration at only 0.75% in 2017 because of the much higher costs of bioplastics. But we recycle, right?
Europe has managed to reuse about 31% of the 26 million tons of plastic waste in 2016.
"Europe has begun a transition from a linear to a The US rate is much lower at 10%, and in the world, only 9% of the nine billion tons of plastic produced to date have been recycled, according to a recent UN report.
About 12 million tons per year, mostly in the form of single-use packaging, are thrown into the world's oceans, creating an ecological nightmare, according to Greenpeace. [59035] (Function (d, s, id ) {
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