1. Sustainable development policy evaluation model for plastics
For business concept this definition consists of taking into consideration widely understood economic, environmental and social issues in the daily and long term operations of a company. In plastic industrial practice that means being responsible for the introduction of new products on a plastics market from the perspective of those three issues. This means that new products should be evaluated with regards to environmental, social and economic impacts they generate. This evaluation, which gives equal rank to all three elements, should be performed in whole product life cycle stages (designing, manufacturing, using, recycling). Fig. 1. shows sustainable development scheme.
This fulfilment has to be present in all product life cycle stages, starting from production process, delivery chain, demand for sources, processing methods, packaging, distribution, usage and waste management including transport. At the same time companies should try to match up or exceed their competition by offering better functional and quality properties of their products, fulfil environmental protection standards and also better contribute to waste management system.
In the example of sustainability of plastics it is very important to note that all plastics can already fulfilling environmental, economic and social criteria with higher standards than analogous conventional materials like glass, metal or even paper. Bioplastics can be therefore viewed as materials competing with classical plastics in exceeding those standards.
Due to the fact that plastics are used in many industry branches, it is hard to set an equal standards and specifically define sustainable development policy for all of them. That is why basic standards should be set for all polymer products and specific sustainability standards should be set for different groups of specific uses.
Sections below present a list of different assessment criteria and concepts that can be used to test sustainability within its three main pillars – environment, sociology and economy. Each criteria and/or sets of criteria may be applicable to different plastic products. In order to evaluate sustainability as objective as possible it is important to choose as many fitting criteria as possible.
2. Assessment criteria of environmental aspects
2.1. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
LCA is a method that can be used to rate and compare a product with another product of similar functionality, in terms of its environmental impact throughout its life cycle. LCA method consists of different criteria of evaluation in all life cycle stages of a selected product. LCA study can present full view on specific products influence on the environment starting from mining of resources, ending on recycling or waste treatment. Potential environmental influence of every life cycle process of a chosen product is quantitatively recorded in categories such as: health, ecosystem quality and resources consumption. Potential impacts that a given product can have on an environment are: carcinogenic factors, organic and inorganic compounds emission, climate changes, radiation, ozone layer damage, ecotoxicity, acidifications/eutrophication, terrain usage, natural resources and fossil fuel consumption.
Fig. 2. and 3. portray the most simple representation of what is taken into account in Life Cycle Assessment, and an example of processes and steps in a life cycle of packaging with boundaries taken into account in a study.
2.2. Responsible resources usage in manufacturing
Current extensive exploitation of non-renewable resources (coal, oil, natural gas) will one day result in their final depletion. This in turn could have a catastrophic effect for future generations. That is why, according to the sustainable development policy it is recommended to try to utilise less materials in product applications and use renewable resources whenever possible. With regards to the responsible usage of resources another important issue is the greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases emission from production. An indicator called carbon footprint shows total greenhouse gases emission produced directly and indirectly in all life cycle stages of a given product. Usually the indicator is given in tons or kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent gases. In opinion of Professor R. Narayan [1] from Michigan State University when considering carbon footprint it is very advisable to use plant origin renewable materials, including biodegradable polymer such as polylactide (PLA). This is because plants during photosynthesis absorb CO2. In this case many scientists assume zero or below zero carbon footprint rate for manufacturing process of such material.
2.3. Meeting of higher requirements than set by current law, including non-obligatory environmental protection certification
There are many non-obligatory environmental certifications systems in existence in EU, for example:
n certification of products derived from renewable sources;
n certification of compostable products;
n greenhouse gases emission reduction confirmation.
3. Assessment criteria of social aspects
3.1. Waste collection system existence and recycling availability
When introducing new products on a market one should consider waste collection systems and recycling methods availability in the region. A product can be sustainable from the point of view of environment, but when it turns into waste it can become a problem if end-of-life treatment is not supported in the region. Compostable plastic waste, for example, which is not collected with organic waste, but is being deposited on a landfill will have a negative social environmental impact.
Fig. 4. presents organisational and technological spheres that a working recycling system should have. When introducing a new product on a market it is worthwhile to study this model and identify how each circle is represented in a target market.
3.2. Customers knowledge and education level
Approval of new technical and technological solutions by society requires high level of customers awareness which depends on capital and education expenditure. This factor depends on knowledge level and awareness of society and can be influenced by marketing/PR actions and educational schemes on different levels (school/university modules, seminars, conferences etc.).
3.3. Fulfilling customers’ expectations
According to current marketing trends products should offer attractive look, high usage comfort, ergonomic shape, durability, etc. In other words the race for sustainability should not reduce aspects that are appealing from the point of view of end consumers. In order to support this step, various types of market research can be used.
3.4. Social effects evaluation – hidden costs of end-of-life
Decisions made in microeconomic scale by producers and customers may cause an occurrence called the external effect or the social effect. Depending if an action causes an advantage or a disadvantage we identify:
n positive social effect (social advantage);
n negative social effect (social cost).
Positive social effect happens when producers or customers actions cause advantages for society as a whole. For those advantages producers and customers are not directly recompensed for.
Negative social effect occurs when a producer or customer creates extra costs for the society as a result of their decisions, and at the same time they does not bear any cost himself. Those costs are called social costs.
4. Assessment criteria of economic aspects
4.1. Demand of polymer materials
Launching a new product on a market, and determining its price should be of course based on the total costs of manufacturing, including polymer material costs. This however should be based on the market analysis of potential consumers on specific output market. For example according to COBRO’s survey of Polish packaging industry the most important factor affecting manufacturing decisions is price, polymer properties and availability. For 52% producers are willing to pay the same price for sustainable polymers as they pay for class
ic polymer materials. Only 22% are in a position to bear 100–150% higher costs.
Fig 5. shows a typical economic supply and demand curve which shows the areas of shortage and surplus – i. e. when more products are demanded that are supplied, and where more products are put on the market than demanded. When there is either a surplus or a shortage of supply and demand, the market is considered to be out of equilibrium and therefore unsustainable. In order to reach the equilibrium, the price of the product needs to increase or decrease. This simple concept is very important in determining the pricing strategy of plastic products.
4.2. Economically supported polymer choice
Polymer sources can be chosen by performing:
n market analysis;
n risk analysis (feasibility study);
n producers and suppliers portfolio analysis (competition analysis).
4.3. Life cycle costs evaluation (LCC).
Processes costs in all life cycle
Processes costs evaluation in all life cycle stages could be analysed by LCA method taking into consideration the costs of processes. This step would include a full environmental LCA study, with additional information about the cost of each particular process. With this approach to LCA separate processes contribution could be analysed and managerial decisions can be fashioned on the basis of costs.
References
[1] Narayan R., LCA. How to report on the carbon and environmental footprint of PLA, 1st PLA World Congress, Munich 9–10.09.2008.
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Praca naukowa finansowana ze środków finansowych na naukę w latach 2011–2014 przyznanych na realizację projektu międzynarodowego spółfinansowanego.
Scientific work financed from the funds for science in years 2011–2014 granted to implement the international co-financed project.
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PLASTiCE is a project within Central Europe programme, which started in April 2011 and will last for three years. It brings together 13 partners from 4 countries in Central Europe and is coordinated by the National Institute of Chemistry Ljubljana, Slovenia. Project focuses on identification and removal of barriers to the faster and more widespread use of sustainable types of plastics, particularly biodegradable plastics and plastics based on renewable resources, in Central Europe. PLASTiCE wants to promote new environmentally friendly, sustainable plastic solutions through complete value chain.
