The majority of the roughly 400M tons of plastic produced annually comes from fossil fuels.
The carbon footprint of all related extraction, production, usage and end of life of that industry is approximately 2 Gigatons of CO2e. These are astronomical numbers, so let me add perspective:
The solution we focus on right now is helping manufacturers switch to using Post-Consumer Recycled plastics in an efficient way. This can have the most immediate impact as increased demand for PCR not only reduces the toxic footprint of virgin production, but in turn stimulates more recyclable supply through greater recovery and innovation, a virtuous cycle. Other innovators focus on designing products with less plastic or plastic alternatives, or designing products for re-use.
It’s important to understand that recycled plastics are made from waste that gets collected, sorted, cleaned, and processed into resin or pellets. From there it can be used as a raw material for manufacturing end products, ideally as a substitute for virgin material. Many other innovators are looking at other points in the value chain also including localized collections, AI driven sortation, advanced processing and beyond. All of these solutions are required to make progress on minimizing the impact on our environment.I like the spirit of the question, but I doubt true zero waste, or 100% recycling rates, is a practical outcome, at least in our lifetime.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is traveling to China to talk climate changeCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom is kicking off a weeklong visit to China focused on climate change
Read more »
Newsom travels to China to talk climate changeNewsom will travel through China and sign agreements with local leaders to set mutual commitments on climate goals.
Read more »
Winter forecast: A warmer North, wetter South because of El Nino, climate changeMost of the country is predicted to be warmer than normal with that warmth stretching north from Tennessee, Missouri, Nebraska and Nevada, along with nearly all of California, say federal forecasters.
Read more »
How Gavin Newsom became a climate change crusaderNewsom's interest in cutting emissions is natural for the leader of a state that suffers from increasingly intense wildfires, drought and storms. But it’s also smart politics.
Read more »
Phillies and the Diamondbacks are experiencing abrupt climate change in South PhillyThe game-time temperature Monday will be 35 to 40 degrees lower than it was at start time in Phoenix. It's a red-sweater situation in South Philly, hold the ponchos.
Read more »
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is in China talking climate changeCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom will try to reinforce his state’s role as a global leader on climate change as he begins a weeklong visit to China on Monday, a trip that presents both political risk and opportunity for crucial international collaboration.
Read more »