Plastics and Sustainability : Towards a Peaceful Coexistence Between Bio-based and Fossil Fuel-based Plastics

Clearly lays out the issues related to plastics' effects on the environment, while also serving as a practical, non-academic guide for making sustainability decisions about plastics recycling and the newest bio-based plastics Company managers, product developers, policy makers, environmental researchers, and plastics industry engineers are under increasing pressure to find ways of minimizing the environmental footprint of plastic products. This accessible book is designed to help readers understand the life-cycle impacts of various plastics, clarifying the technical research and practical arguments to show when bio-based and recycled plastics might be useful options for reducing the overall energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste associated with traditional plastics. Plastics and Sustainability compares traditional fossil fuel-based plastics with bio-based plastics in terms of properties, environmental impacts, and costs -- indicating what the most effective approaches could be for using recycled, biodegradable, or various bio-based materials. The book makes objective comparisons between bioplastics and all commonly used plastics, focusing on how they affect production economics, product requirements, and retailer and consumer needs. It incorporates research concerning life-cycle assessment, production techniques, and commercial applications, and presents "green" guidelines about product design, recycling, processing efficiency, and material selection. The book also reports on recent industry developments and commercial trends in an effort to synthesize conclusions that are necessary for finding the right balance between bio-based and fossil-fuel based plastic products. Check out the author's blog at (http://www.plastech.biz/blog) http://www.plastech.biz/blog . Content: Chapter 1 General Introduction (pages 1–30): Chapter 2 The Life Cycles of Plastics (pages 31–71): Chapter 3 Polymer Properties and Environmental Footprints (pages 73–131): Chapter 4 Applications: Demonstrations of Plastics Sustainability (pages 133–167): Chapter 5 Design Guidelines for Sustainability (pages 169–185): Chapter 6 Sustainable Considerations in Material Selection (pages 187–220): Chapter 7 Processing: Increasing Efficiency in the Use of Energy and Materials (pages 221–239): Chapter 8 Conclusion: A World with(out) Sustainable Plastics? (pages 241–272): Clearly lays out the issues related to plastics' effects on the environment, while also serving as a practical, non-academic guide for making sustainability decisions about plastics recycling and the newest bio-based plastics Company managers, product developers, policy makers, environmental researchers, and plastics industry engineers are under increasing pressure to find ways of minimizing the environmental footprint of plastic products. This accessible book is designed to help readers understand the life-cycle impacts of various plastics, clarifying the technical research and practical arguments to show when bio-based and recycled plastics might be useful options for reducing the overall energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste associated with traditional plastics. __Plastics and Sustainability__ compares traditional fossil fuel-based plastics with bio-based plastics in terms of properties, environmental impacts, and costs -- indicating what the most effective approaches could be for using recycled, biodegradable, or various bio-based materials. The book makes objective comparisons between bioplastics and all commonly used plastics, focusing on how they affect production economics, product requirements, and retailer and consumer needs. It incorporates research concerning life-cycle assessment, production techniques, and commercial applications, and presents "green" guidelines about product design, recycling, processing efficiency, and material selection. The book also reports on recent industry developments and commercial trends in an effort to synthesize conclusions that are necessary for finding the right balance between bio-based and fossil-fuel based plastic products. Check out the author's blog at . Content: Chapter 1 General Introduction (pages 1–30): Chapter 2 The Life Cycles of Plastics (pages 31–71): Chapter 3 Polymer Properties and Environmental Footprints (pages 73–131): Chapter 4 Applications: Demonstrations of Plastics Sustainability (pages 133–167): Chapter 5 Design Guidelines for Sustainability (pages 169–185): Chapter 6 Sustainable Considerations in Material Selection (pages 187–220): Chapter 7 Processing: Increasing Efficiency in the Use of Energy and Materials (pages 221–239): Chapter 8 Conclusion: A World with(out) Sustainable Plastics? (pages 241–272): "This book addresses an issue of current importance to plastics and manufacturing industry readers, and also to society as a whole. Its guiding question concerns the production, consumption, use, and disposal of plastic products, and how our cultural practice of relying on plastic products can (if it can) fit our needs for a sustainable economy and world. It discusses all possible footprints of plastics use, not just focusing on greenhouse gas production, but also on toxicity and human health, societal standards, and effects on ecosystems"-- Provided by publisher * Gives basic background about the environmental-footprint distinctions between different plastic materials and applications. * Explains the newest trends and developments by the plastics industry for making plastic materials that reduce environmental footprints.