Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022 - 23

The plastics industry must
be on the frontline of wider,
global change. "
to market in a sustainable way
and with a limited environmental
footprint.
Solving challenges like these
Jeroen Frederix
SI Group
change or fall behind.
Plastic additives have, for
a long time, been a key part
of any robust plastic solution
in ensuring maximum performance.
With future plastics in
closed material flows being exposed
to more processing steps
and thermal stress, the plastics
additives industry must begin
shifting away from the current
solutions that are suited to virgin
plastic and designed for
a linear lifetime. Accelerating
circularity with additives can
be achieved by providing highly
effective protection against
degradation to the recycling
material streams. Also important
is that they can be effective
at minimal dosing levels, maintaining
or even boosting the
properties and performance of
the recycled plastic stream to
further close the gap with the
virgin plastic product. Other
challenges, such as achieving
improved colour control or
compatibilisation, can be overcome
from combining a specific
recycling process with any of a
huge variety in available feedstocks.
Additionally, ensuring
consumer safety, regulatory
compliance and traceability are
as much key in a circular setup
as before in the linear economy.
The additives sector's key
responsibility is to ensure additives
help facilitate circularity
and that they are not a roadblock
to this progress. The
types of additives demanded
by the circular economy aptly
demonstrate the kind of innovation
that the plastics additive
industry needs to provide, further
emphasizing the responsibility
of larger companies
- ones which often possess
the capabilities to develop cutting-edge
solutions - to support
the plastic industry toward circularity.
The complexity of the
issue warrants as much. With
backward integration in intermediates
and base chemicals,
these companies also have the
resources and control over their
feedstocks to solve the challenges
that the additive industry
faces in their own drive toward
sustainability and circularity.
Collaborating for
success
The size of the undertaking
means that an unprecedented
level of collaboration will be a
key pillar of the circular economy.
Since it is in the interest of
the entire industry to transition
toward it, networking can facilitate
improved access to information
and value propositions,
helping businesses save both
time and money in their efforts.
Trade associations like PETCORE,
APR, and PRE help
drive agendas and focus industry-wide
goals, as well as
support networking efforts. By
aligning the industry toward
one direction, these organisations
can be more effective in
achieving wide-scale sustainable
change in aid of objectives
like the circular economy. Again,
it is predominantly the responsibility
of larger businesses to
take the lead here, demonstrating
to lawmakers, customers,
and other businesses that they
can " walk the walk " and that
circular solutions are feasible
and within reach of the whole
industry. By dedicating resources
to these organisations, businesses
demonstrate leadership
and set an example for the rest
of the industry to follow.
Collaboration in the circular
economy needs to go well beyond
the scope of an industry
or a specific supply chain. Just
as material flows need to be
diverted from landfills, the economic
business models will also
need to evolve. The ecosystems
are intertwined too; a byproduct
from one value chain could
be a feedstock for another. This
merits a broad and open collaboration
model to ensure that
overall, the right steps forward
are being made.
It is also important to recognise
the role and partnership
value of external disruptors in
the circular economy. The novel
needs of the circular economy
will inevitably generate new
roles and technologies in the
value chain. Examples of these
include digitisation specialists,
online trade platforms, and dedicated
closed loop operators. By
forging partnerships with these
contenders, businesses can
drive success for all sides and
bring novel solutions to scale in
a short timeframe.
At its core, collaboration is
the best way to meet these
hurdles.
A multidimensional
approach
While the significance of circularity
of an industry's products
should not be understated, it
must be part of a full, all-encompassing
sustainability
strategy
across the entire ecosystem.
Leading the industry
to encourage circularity means
little if a business, for example,
is failing to tackle sustainability
elsewhere across their facilities.
Taking control of elements such
as water consumption, energy
usage, and pollution with
proper monitoring, as well as
establishing realistic targets to
reduce them, can offer a robust
means to demonstrate more
environmentally conscious
practices. This way, businesses
can continue to bring products
is intrinsically connected to
achieving circularity. Investing
in renewable energies and
more bio-based materials for
solutions not only helps cut
down finite material consumption,
it also improves the longevity
of the additive and plastics
industry. Similarly, waste
management schemes, which
are an aspect of the circular
economy anyway, lower costs
for manufacturers on cleaning
up pollution and adhering to
government regulations. On a
more ethical front, it mitigates
damage to local communities
and the planet.
The circular economy isn't
one goal to achieve, it's a part
of several distinct efforts that
need to occur across the entire
industry to become truly sustainable.
Looking
to the future
While the circular economy
is a global effort, certain regions,
such as Europe, are
spearheading the transition.
This momentum will ripple out
and help propagate the model
across the world. With backing
from politicians, NGOs, and
business leaders, this is no longer
a trend that will go away -
there is unmistakable momentum
behind it.
As such, it's not just an ethical
responsibility of industry
leaders to help forge a path,
but also a prudent business
move. Such a fundamental
change will alter the industry
is never-before-seen ways and
embracing it early is the best
chance manufacturers have
to get ahead. There will be
hurdles, but the industry has
overcome challenges before.
By collaborating across the
additive and plastics industry
and creating new partnerships,
businesses can tackle these
problems head on.
Together, with steadfast leadership,
a better tomorrow can be
unlocked. Meet SI Group during
K 2022 at hall 6, stand B08.
Jeroen Frederix is the Market
Development Manager - Circular
Economy at SI Group.
September/October 2022
23
Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sustainable Plastics - September/October 2022
