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Plastics &
Environmental
Impacts
Ecozuri Inc. promotes reusable shopping bags made from 100% recycled plastics. To learn more about our products and offerings, please visit www.ecozuri.com
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Part One: Plastics 101
Ecozuri Inc. promotes reusable shopping bags made from 100% recycled plastics. To learn more about our products and offerings, please visit www.ecozuri.com
----- PLASTIC 101------
Definition: Any of various complex organic compounds produced by polymerization, capable of being molded, extruded, cast into various shapes and films, or drawn into filaments, and then used as textile fibers.
History:Alexander Parkes unveiled the first man-made plastic at the 1862 Great International Exhibition in London. This material --which was dubbed Parkesine, now called celluloid -- was an organic material derived from cellulose that, once heated, could be molded but retained its shape when cooled.
In 1907, chemist Leo Hendrik Baekland, while striving to produce a synthetic varnish, stumbled upon the formula for a new synthetic polymer originating from coal tar. He subsequently named the new substance "Bakelite." Bakelite, once formed, could not be melted. Because of its properties as an electrical insulator, Bakelite was used in the production of high-tech objects including cameras and telephones. It was also used in the production of ashtrays, and as a substitute for jade, marble, and amber. By 1909, Baekland had coined "plastics" as the term to describe this completely new category of materials.
The first patent for polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a substance now used widely in vinyl siding and water pipes, was registered in1914. Cellophane was also discovered during this period.
Plastics did not really take off until after the First World War with the use of petroleum, a substance easier to process than coal into raw materials. Plastics served as substitutes for wood, glass, and metal during the hardship times of World War's I& II. After World War II, newer plastics, such as polyurethane, polyester, silicones, polypropylene, and polycarbonate joined polymethyl methacrylate and polystyrene and PVC in widespread applications. Many more would follow and, by the 1960s, plastics were within everyone's reach due to their inexpensive cost. Plastics had thus come to be considered “common,” a symbol of our consumer society.
Since the 1970s, we have witnessed the advent of 'high-tech' plastics used in demanding fields such as health and technology. New types and forms of plastics, with new or improved performance characteristics, continue to be developed.
Source: American Chemical Council, Literature research www.ecozuri.com
----- PLASTIC 101------
Types:Plastics are divided into three distinct groups: thermoplastics , thermosets and bio-plastics.
Thermoplastics soften when heated and harden on cooling. More than 80 percent of plastics are thermoplastics, examples of which include:
• High density polyethylene (HDPE) - used for bottles for detergents, food products and toys
• Low density polyethylene (LDPE) - for products such as (bin liners, and flexible containers
• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) - used in bottles, carpets & food packaging• Polypropylene (PP) - used in yogurt and margarine pots, automotive parts, fibers, and
milk crates• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) - is made from oil and salt and is used for window frames,
flooring, wallpaper, bottles, and medical products
Thermosets are hardened by a curing process and cannot be re-melted or re-molded.Examples of thermosets include:
• Polyurethane (PU) - used in coatings, finishes, mattresses, vehicle seating, and building insulation
• Epoxy - adhesives, boats, sporting equipment, electrical and automotive components• Phenolics - used in ovens and circuit boards• Unsaturated polyesters – used for windmills, car body parts, and boats
Bio-plastics, which are bio-degradable, are developed from plant materials and bacteria. There are three techniques used to produce bio-plastics:
• Converting plant sugars into plastic• Producing plastics inside micro-organisms• Growing plastics in corn and other crops
Characteristics
• Can be very resistant to chemicals
• Can be both thermal and electrical insulators
• Are generally very light in weight with varying degrees of strength
• Can be processed in various ways to produce thin fibers or very intricate parts
• Are materials with a seemingly limitless range of characteristics
• Are usually made from petroleum, but not always
Source: American Chemical Council, Literature research www.ecozuri.com
----- PLASTIC INDUSTRY OVERVIEW----
Up
stre
am g
oo
ds
and
ser
vice
s
Plastics materials and resinsNAICS 325211
Plastics machinery NAICS 3332201
Molds for plasticsNAICS 33351105
Plastic products
Gov’t docu-mented plastics productsNAICS 3261& 325991
Captive plastic products
Plastics materials and product wholesaling NAICS 424610
Do
wn
stre
am u
sin
g in
du
stri
es
End
use
rs, i
ncl
ud
ing
con
sum
ers,
b
usi
ne
ss a
nd
go
vern
men
t ag
enci
es
Plastic manufacturing industry plus captive plastics products
Plastics industry
Full impact of plastics
U.S. Plastics industry:$374B shipment in 2007
Source: SPI
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----- PLASTIC USAGE ----
80,270 86,101 83,231 83,970 82,354
CAGR(2003-2007)
0.5%
6.5%
-0.3%
-0.4%
1.9%
Total sales & captive use of selected thermoplastic resins* by major market, 2003-2007(millions of pounds, dry weight basis)
* Include LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, PP, Nylon, PVC, PS, Engineering Resins, ABS, SAN, Other Styrene Butadiene Latexes, Styrene Butadiene LatexesSource: American Chemical Council www.ecozuri.com
----- PLASTIC INDUSTRY OVERVIEW----
Up
stre
am g
oo
ds
and
ser
vice
s
Plastics materials and resinsNAICS 325211
Plastics machinery NAICS 3332201
Molds for plasticsNAICS 33351105
Plastic products
Gov’t docu-mented plastics productsNAICS 3261& 325991
Captive plastic products
Plastics materials and product wholesaling NAICS 424610
Do
wn
stre
am u
sin
g in
du
stri
es
End
use
rs, i
ncl
ud
ing
con
sum
ers,
b
usi
ne
ss a
nd
go
vern
men
t ag
enci
es
Plastic manufacturing industry plus captive plastics products
Plastics industry
Full impact of plastics
U.S. Plastics industry:$374B shipment in 2007
Source: SPI
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----- PLASTIC LIFE CYCLE-----
Petroleum
Natural gas
Coal
Monomers Polymers
Additives
Cracking Biogeochemically manipulated
Example products: Plastic films and bags
Manufacturing
Example products: Yogurt containers, closures
Example products: Soft drink bottles
Example products: Toys or kayaks
Extr
usi
on
In
ject
ion
m
old
ing
Blo
w
mo
ldin
gR
ota
tio
nal
m
old
ing
(Part 1: Resin production, product manufacturing stage)
Energy issuesPlastics consume 4% of the world’s oil stock as feedstock. Although, in many cases, the use of plastics actually saves more oil than alternatives, opportunities for energy preservation do exit.
Pollution and toxic materialsIndustrial practices in plastic manufacture can lead to polluting effluents. The exposure to toxic intermediates used can be hazardous. Significant process improvements are employed to avoid the above.
Environmental concerns
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----- PLASTIC LIFE CYCLE-----
Consumer plastic waste
Industrial plastic waste
Discarding
(Part 2: Waste, landfill , incineration and recycle stage)
Recycled plastic flakes for new end product
Monomers for new polymers
Plastic waste in landfill
Reduced volume waste in landfill
Mechanical recycling (collection, sorting, reclamation)
Feedstock recycling(heating, gasification, chemical)
Rec
yclin
g
Land filling
Incineration
Processing
Capacity issuesMajority of the plastic waste ends up in landfill, where they take more than 1,000 years to decompose.
No
t re
cycl
ing
Toxic emissionBurning plastic releases dioxin, a cancer-causing chemical
Oceans and wild lifeOver a billion seabirds and mammals die annually from ingestion of plastics
Environmental concerns
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----- PLASTIC POLLUTION----
HAWAII
AntarcticaFloating plastic bag
Tanzania New ZealandBeach cleanupBeach cleanup
Hawaii
United States
CanadaCanada England, UKEngland, UK SwedenSweden
JapanJapan
PhilippinesPhilippines
ChinaChina
Litter left by touristsLitter left by tourists
VenezuelaVenezuela
HAWAII
AntarcticaFloating plastic bag
Tanzania New ZealandBeach cleanupBeach cleanup
Hawaii
United States
CanadaCanada England, UKEngland, UK SwedenSweden
JapanJapan
PhilippinesPhilippines
HAWAII
Antarctica
HAWAIIHAWAIIHAWAIIHAWAII
Antarctica Tanzania New Zealand
Hawaii
United States
CanadaEnglandEngland Sweden
Japan
Philippines
ChinaChina
Venezuela
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----- PLASTIC POLLUTION – WIDELIFE ----
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----- PLASTIC POLLUTION – CITY ----
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----- PLASTIC POLLUTION – OCEAN ----
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----- PLASTIC USAGE ----
80,270 86,101 83,231 83,970 82,354
CAGR(2003-2007)
0.5%
6.5%
-0.3%
-0.4%
1.9%
Total sales & captive use of selected thermoplastic resins* by major market, 2003-2007(millions of pounds, dry weight basis)
* Include LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, PP, Nylon, PVC, PS, Engineering Resins, ABS, SAN, Other Styrene Butadiene Latexes, Styrene Butadiene LatexesSource: American Chemical Council www.ecozuri.com
----- PLASTIC SALES VOLUME BY TYPE ----
CAGR(2003-2007) 4.0%
Total sales & captive use of selected thermoplastic resins* by resin type, 2006-2007(millions of pounds, dry weight basis)
(1) Except Phenolic resins, (2) Sales & Captive Use Data Include Imports, (3) Canadian production and sales data included, (4) Canadian and Mexican production and sales data included, (5) Includes: engineering resins, polyurethanes (TDI, MDI and polyols), unsaturated (thermoset) polyester, and other resins. Source: American Chemical Council
4.6% -1.8% 2.5%
92,347
94,350
2.2%
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Part Two: Plastic Bags
Ecozuri Inc. promotes reusable shopping bags made from 100% recycled plastics. To learn more about our products and offerings, please visit www.ecozuri.com
----- PLASTIC BAG 101 ---
Definition: Bags that are made out of "film", or thin flexible sheets of plastic. Plastic film is typically defined as any plastic less than 10 mm thick. The majority of plastic films are made from polyethylene resin and are readily recyclable if the material is clean, dry, and not pigmented black.
History:
1957 The first baggies and sandwich bags on rolls are introduced.1958 Poly dry cleaning bags compete with traditional brown paper. 1966 Between 25 and 30 percent of packaging for bread is plastic.1966 Plastic produce bags on rolls are introduced in grocery stores.1969 The New York City Sanitation Department's "New York City Experiment" demonstrates that using plastic bags for refuse curbside pickup is cleaner, safer, and quieter than metal trash can pick-up. This began a shift to plastic can liners among consumers.1974/75 Retailing giants such as Sears, J.C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, Jordan Marsh, Allied, Federated, and Hills make the switch to plastic merchandise bags.1973 The first commercial system for manufacturing plastic grocery bags becomes operational1977 The plastic grocery bag is introduced to the supermarket industry as an alternative to paper sacks. 1982 Kroger and Safeway start to replace traditional craft sacks with polyethylene "t-shirt" bags.1990 The first blue bag recycling program begins with curbside collection.1990 Consumer plastic bag recycling begins through a supermarket collection-site network.1992 Nearly half of U.S. supermarkets have recycling available for plastic bags.1994 Denmark creates first plastic bag tax.1996 Over 80% grocery bags used are plastic.2002 Ireland introduces the worlds first consumer paid plastic bag tax.
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----- PLASTIC BAG 101------
Types:
Resin type Characteristics Usages Examples
LDPE - Low Density Polyethylene
Films with high clarity, moderate stretch & strength characteristics
Bags (e.g., thicker newspaper bags, bread bags) Bubble wrap (may also contain nylon
LLDPE - Linear Low Density Polyethylene
films have moderate clarity, slightly tacky feel to the touch
Bags (e.g. clear, thin newspaper bags) Dry cleaning film
MDPE - Medium Density Polyethylene
films have moderate clarity, poor stretch and strength characteristics
Consumer paper packaging(i.e. toilet paper, paper towel)
HDPE - High Density Polyethylene
films have some opacity, crinkle to the touch, low stretch, can tear easily, high strength
Most grocery bagsT-shirt bagsBags with sealed air for packaging (e.g., air cushion)
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----- THE ALTERNATIVES FOR PLASTIC BAGS----
Paper bags Biodegradable bags Reusable bags
Pro
sC
on
s
• Degradable in well-run landfill
• Hold more stuff • Higher percentage of
recycling (10% -15% versus 1%-3% for plastics)
• Consume forests• Take 4 times as much energy
as needed to produce• Generate 70% more air
pollution and 50 times more water pollution in production
• Take 90% more energy to recycle when recycling rate is low
• 7 times heavier than plastic to transport
• Take up more space in landfill
• Light and convenient like plastic bags
• Biodegradable in certain conditions
• Highly confusing definition of bio-plastics. Many bio-based products are not necessarily biodegradable
• Many biodegradable bags require special processing and facilities. There are limited collection and processing platforms
• When mingled with traditional plastics, this causes contamination and make the product unrecyclable
• Reduce energy usage, landfill, and pollution due to its reusable nature
• If the bags are not reused a sufficient number of times, more energies are wasted as most reusable bags are made from materials that require more energy to produce
• Difficult to remember as it requires living habit changes
• Inconvenient since most products are bulky to carry
NOT THE RIGHT ANSWER NOT AS GOOD AN ANSWER AS IT SOUNDS
THE RIGHT ANSWER – BUT NEED INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS
Source: Literature research www.ecozuri.com
----- THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF PLASTIC BAGS ----
Energy consumptions
The energy used to make one high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic bag is 0.48 megajoules (MJ). To give this figure perspective, a car driving one kilometre is the equivalent of manufacturing 8.7 plastic bags (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004).
Air and Water Pollution
Without enhanced processes, the manufacturing of two plastic bags produces 1.1 kg of atmospheric pollution, which contributes to acid rain and smog, and 0.1 g of waterborne waste, which has the capability of disrupting associated ecosystems, such as waterways and the life that they support. Following manufacturing, the plastic grocery bags are subsequently shipped all over the world. Container ships used to transport these bags to each consumer country use fuels which produce high levels of pollutants, such as sulfur.
Health impacts
Toxic emissions are produced during the extraction of materials for the production of plastic grocery bags. The manufacturing and transportation of such materials contribute to acid rain, smog, and numerous other harmful effects.
Land Pollution Lightweight plastic grocery bags are additionally harmful due to their propensity to be carried away on a breeze and become attached to tree branches, fill roadside ditches, or end up in public waterways, rivers, or oceans. In one instance, Cape Town, South Africa, had more than 3000 plastic grocery bags that covered each kilometer of road.
Impact on wildlife
Most distressing, over a billion seabirds and mammals die annually from ingestion of plastics (Baker, 2002). In Newfoundland, 100,000 marine mammals are killed each year by ingesting plastic (Brown, 2003). However, the impact of plastic bags does not end with the death of one animal. When a bird or mammal dies in such a manner and subsequently decomposes, the plastic bag will again be released into the environment to be ingested by another animal.
Marine Pollution
The North Pacific Tropical Gyre, also known as the Garbage Patch, is seven million tons of floating plastic waste spanning an area twice the size of Texas. There is six times as much plastic in the gyre than there is plankton. Plankton is the area’s most abundant food source. Animals mistake this waste for food, dying either from plastic poisoning or blockage of their digestive system. This plastic absorbs, transports, and releases hydrophobic pollutants (PCB,DDE,DDT) not only harming the oceans food chain, but us as well.
Pro
du
ctio
n a
nd
dis
trib
uti
on
D
isp
osa
l
Source: Literature research www.ecozuri.com
----- PLASTIC SHOPPING BAG LIFE CYCLE-----
Supermarket
Other foods or liquid
General merchandise and
apparels
Fast food convenient stores & service stations
Other retails
Home
Public areas
Garbage
Litter
Home garbage
Home recycled
Landfill disposal/waste
treatment
Litter
Recycling
Reuse
Production Distribution Destination Disposal
Maximally 1-2 times
Only 2% recycled, still a very expensive process
96% goes to LandfillTake >1,000 yrs to breakdown
Use
larg
e am
ou
nt
of
nat
ura
l gas
or
oil
to p
rod
uce
an
d
tran
spo
rt
Pollute land and oceans
500-1,000 bags used per household per yearAverage usage time: 12 minutes
Nat
ura
l gas
or
oil
extr
acti
on
Eth
ylen
e m
anu
fact
uri
ng
Eth
ylen
e P
oly
mer
izat
ion
Bag
pro
du
ctio
n
Up
to
3-4
tri
llio
n a
yea
r w
orl
dw
ide,
10
0 b
illio
n in
US
alo
ne
Source: Nolan-ITU, Literature research
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Part Two: Plastic Bottles
Ecozuri Inc. promotes reusable shopping bags made from 100% recycled plastics. To learn more about our products and offerings, please visit www.ecozuri.com
----- PLASTIC BOTTLE 101 ---
Definition: A plastic bottle is a container constructed of plastic with a neck that is narrower than its body and an opening at the top. Themouth of the bottle is normally sealed with a plastic bottle cap. Plastic bottles are typically used to store liquids such as water, soft drinks, cooking oil, medicine, shampoo, milk, and ink.
History:Plastic bottles were first used commercially in 1947, but remained relatively expensive until the early 1960's when high-density polyethylene was introduced. They quickly became popular with both manufacturers and customers due to their lightweight nature, and relatively low production costs compared with glass bottles . The food industry has almost completely replaced glass in many cases with plastic bottles, but wine and beer are still commonly sold in glass bottles.
Materials Characteristics Usage
High-density polyethylene (HDPE)
Naturally translucent and flexible. The addition of color will make HDPE bottles opaque although not glossy.
Shampoo and detergent bottles, milk jugs, cosmetics, motor oil
Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
Less chemically resistant than HDPE, but is more translucent
For squeeze application
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
Very good alcohol and essential oil barrier properties, generally good chemical resistance
Carbonated beverage bottles
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Naturally clear, have extremely good resistance to oils, and have very low oxygen transmission
Salad oil, mineral oil, and vinegar, shampoos, and cosmetic products
Polypropylene (PP)Excellent moisture barrier, stability at high temperatures Hot fill products such as pancake syrup
Polystyrene (PS) Excellent clarity and stiffness at an economical costDry products including vitamins, petroleum jellies, and spices
Types
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----- THE INCONVENIENT FACTS OF BOTTLED WATER -----
3 billion bottles
6 billion bottles
15 billion bottles
31 billion bottles
US bottled water market (1997 – 2008)Million gallon/ billion bottles
- 18 million barrels of crude oil are requires to produce the 900,000 tons of plastics (PET) that bottle the water
- Only 24% of the plastic bottles are recycled – 76% end up as either garbage or liter- The total amount of energy required to make the bottle, fill the bottle with water,
transport, refrigerate the bottled water, and recover, recycle, or throw away the empty bottle is equivalent, on average, to filling a plastic bottle ¼ full with oil.
Source: NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, Beverage Marketing Corporation, Literature Researchwww.ecozuri.com
----- PET BOTTLE LIFE CYCLE -----
Natural gas and petroleum are converted into polyethylene terephalate, a
chemical compound
known as PET
PET pellets are melted and blown into
bottle molds
A beverage company fills and caps the
bottles
The bottled water is distributed to
gas stations, vending machines,
grocery and big box stores
In the US, 76% of plastic bottles –about 7.1 billion pounds of them,
wound up burned in incinerators or buried
in landfills in 2006
At recycling centers, the bottles are sorted,
washed, and stacked, then finally crushed,
baled and sold (for 38-66 cents per pound)
At a mill, the plastic is ground into shreds and melted. Used RPET is typically recycled into other products, often
polyester fleece jackets, carpets, or plastic
decking
A consumer buys the water, drinks
it and then chooses to
Toss the bottle into the trash… (76%)
… or tossing the bottle in a recycling bin
Sources: The American Chemical Counsel, The Boston Globe Magazine www.ecozuri.com
----- PET BOTTLE RECYCLING PROCESS -----
Sources: CWC, WRAP
Redemption programs for
returned bottles
Curbside collections of
recycled bottles
Drop-off recycling
Buy-back center
Deb
ale
Sort
ing
(man
ual
or
auto
mat
ed t
o s
epar
ate
PV
C a
nd
co
lor
bo
ttle
s)
Gri
nd
Air
cla
ssif
icat
ion
to
rem
ove
lab
els
Scru
bb
er t
o r
emo
ve d
rin
k re
sid
ue,
glu
e an
d d
irt
Flo
at/s
ink
or
hyd
rocy
clo
ne
clas
sifi
cati
on
to
rem
ove
cap
an
d r
ing
mad
e fr
om
HD
PE
or
PP
Met
al d
etec
tor
to r
emo
ve m
etal
Oth
er d
eco
nta
min
atio
n p
roce
ss
Cle
an f
lake
pac
ker,
sto
rage
an
d s
hip
pin
g
Rep
elle
tizi
ng
Packaging applications
Sheet and film applications
Strapping
Engineered resins
applications
Fiber applications
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----- US PET BOTTLE RECYCLING STATISTICS -----
Sources: NAPCOR
31.7% 27.1% 24.8% 23.7% 22.3% 22.1% 19.9% 19.6% 21.6% 23.1% 23.5% 24.6%
Gross recycle statistics for US PET bottles(mmlbs, %)
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----- RYCYCLED PET MARKET STATISTICS -----
Sources: NAPCOR
Market for US post consumer PET bottles(mmlbs)
Top buyers:ChinaCanada
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----- RECYCLED PET UTILIZATION TREND -----
Sources: NAPCOR
RPET PRODUCT CATEGORIES IN US MARKET(mmlbs)
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“Zuri” means “good and beautiful” in Swahili, a beautiful language spoken in East Africa. Ecozuri, Inc. offers environmentally conscious, habit changing products to help people embrace an more eco-friendly lifestyle. We also contribute up to 10% of our revenue to support education for children living in poverty in rural Africa.
“Ecozuri” is a registered trademark of California based Ecozuri Inc. The company promotes Ecozuri line of reusable bags made from 100% recycled plastics and offers green custom-made promotional products OEM services for corporate clients.
To learn about Ecozuri’s products and offerings, please visit www. ecozuri.com or email [email protected]
