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Pathways to sustainable plastics. Unlocking opportunities in biobased plastic
Summary
This report examines pathways toward sustainable plastics production, finding that manufacturing new plastic from recycled content is the preferred circular economy route and that biobased feedstocks from biomass, recycled plastics, and CO2 can enable a transition away from fossil-based polymer production.
Plastics are likely to remain a globally omnipresent material due to their unique characteristics and versatility. In a circular and sustainable future, plastics are produced from renewable carbon feedstocks like recycled plastics, biomass, and CO2 hydrogen, requiring transformation of global value chains. Producing new plastic from recycled plastic is a preferred pathway, as it is the best use of plastic waste. However, even if global recycling rates achieve their theoretical potential, only about 60-70% of plastic volumes can be produced based on recycled feedstock considering losses in production, use, collection, (bio) degradation, microplastic formation, and recycling yields. Consequently, significant production volumes of sustainable virgin plastic will still be required to replace.