Plastics in the Circular Economy
Plastics are versatile and resource-efficient materials that have become essential in various sectors, including packaging, construction, transport, renewable energy, medical devices, and sports. Plastic products can be resource-efficient throughout their lifecycle, provided they are designed with a comprehensive overview of their lifecycle stages. During production and use, plastics offer significant resource savings, such as the insulating properties of plastics, which can save 250 times the energy spent on their production.
However, at the end of their useful life, plastics become waste that can be repurposed to close the loop of the circular economy.
To achieve this, we must implement sustainable waste management options, including promoting recycling and energy recovery and restricting landfilling.
The research will focus on Life-cycle Assessment and the development of educational tools to provide society with environmentally sound knowledge that supports ecologically conscious purchasing decisions.