Plastics resources
Published on 7 December 2023
Publication
Alain Jonas, from UCLouvain, examines the resources used in plastics processing, exploring opportunities, limits and how the circular approach can positively influence resource availability.
Avoid categories
- Raw materials
The plastics industry is mainly petroleum-based, with a minimal share of biobased materials and a growing line of recycled materials, limited by material type. Challenges include global resource management, the cost of recycled material and land-use choices. Circularity, seen as a necessity, involves reducing the use of materials, facilitating recycling and managing unrecovered plastics.