plastics and environment by ecozuri

8/8/2019 Plastics and Environment by Ecozuri

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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




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----- 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-techobjects 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 in

1914. 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 researchwww.ecozuri.com


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----- 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 ofplastics 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


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----- PLASTIC INDUSTRY OVERVIEW----

Upstreamg

oodsandservices

Plastics

materials

and resins

NAICS

325211

Plastics

machinery

NAICS3332201

Molds for

plastics

NAICS

33351105

Plasticproducts

Govt docu-

mented

plastics

products

NAICS

3261&325991

Captive

plastic

products

Plastics

materials

and productwholesaling

NAICS

424610

Do

wnstreamu

singindustries

Endusers,includingconsumers,

businessandgovernment

agencies

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 Latexes

Source: American Chemical Council www.ecozuri.com


7/30

----- PLASTIC INDUSTRY OVERVIEW----

Upstreamg

oodsandservices

Plastics

materials

and resins

NAICS

325211

Plastics

machinery

NAICS3332201

Molds for

plastics

NAICS

33351105

Plasticproducts

Govt docu-

mented

plastics

products

NAICS

3261&325991

Captive

plastic

products

Plastics

materials

and productwholesaling

NAICS

424610

Do

wnstreamu

singindustries

Endusers,includingconsumers,

businessan

dgovernment

agencies

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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8/30

----- PLASTIC LIFE CYCLE-----

Petroleum

Natural gas

Coal

Monomers Polymers

Additives

CrackingBiogeochemically

manipulated

Example products: Plastic

films and bags

Manufacturing

Example products: Yogurt

containers, closures

Example products: Soft drink

bottles

Example products: Toys or

kayaks

Extrusion

Injection

molding

Blow

molding

Rotational

molding

(Part 1: Resin production, product manufacturing stage)

Energy issues

Plastics consume 4%

of the worlds 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

materials

Industrial 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)

Recycling

Land filling

Incineration

Processing

Capacity issues

Majority of the plastic waste ends up

in landfill, where they take more than

1,000 years to decompose.

Notrecycl

ing

Toxic emission

Burning 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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10/30

----- PLASTIC POLLUTION----

HAWAII

Antarctica

Floating 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

Antarctica

Floating 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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14/30

----- 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 Latexes

Source: American Chemical Council www.ecozuri.com


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----- 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




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----- 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 Plasticproduce bags on rolls are introduced in grocery stores.

1969 The New York City Sanitation Department's "New York City Experiment" demonstrates that usingplastic bags forrefuse 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 operational

1977 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 Consumerplastic 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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18/30

----- 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, thinnewspaper bags)

Dry cleaning film

MDPE - MediumDensity Polyethylene

films have moderate clarity,

poor stretch and strengthcharacteristics

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 bags

T-shirt bags

Bags with sealed air for

packaging (e.g., air cushion)

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19/30

----- THE ALTERNATIVES FOR PLASTIC BAGS----

Paper bags Biodegradable bags Reusable bags

Pros

Cons

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 mostproducts 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


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----- 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 areas 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 foodchain, but us as well.

Productionanddistribut

ion

Disposal

Source: Literature research www.ecozuri.com


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----- PLASTIC SHOPPING BAG LIFE CYCLE-----

Supermarket

Other foods or

liquid

General

merchandise and

apparels

Fast foodconvenient 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 Landfill

Take >1,000 yrs to

breakdown

Uselargeam

ount

ofnaturalgasoroil

toproduceand

transport

Pollute land

and oceans

500-1,000 bags

used perhousehold per

year

Average usage

time: 12 minutes

Naturalgasoroilextra

ction

Ethylenemanufacturing

EthylenePolymerization

Bagproduction

Upto3-4

trillionayearworldwide,10

0billioninUSalone

Source: Nolan-ITU, Literature research

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Part Two: Plastic Bottles




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----- 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. The

mouth 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

translucentFor squeeze application

PolyethyleneTerephthalate (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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24/30

----- 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 full with oil.

Source: NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, Beverage Marketing Corporation, Literature Researchwww.ecozuri.com


25/30

----- PET BOTTLE LIFE CYCLE -----

Natural gas and

petroleum areconverted 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 wateris 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 intoother products, often

polyester fleece jackets,

carpets, or plastic

decking

A consumer buys

the water, drinks

it and then

chooses to

Toss the bottleinto the trash

(76%)

or tossing the bottle in a recycling bin

Sources: The American Chemical Counsel, The Boston Globe Magazinewww.ecozuri.com


26/30

----- PET BOTTLE RECYCLING PROCESS -----

Sources: CWC, WRAP

Redemption

programs for

returned

bottles

Curbside

collections of

recycledbottles

Drop-off

recycling

Buy-back

center

Debale

Sorting(manu

alorautomatedtoseparatePVCandcolorbottles)

Grind

Airclassificationtoremo

velabels

Scrub

bertoremovedrinkresidue,glueanddirt

Float/sinkorh

ydrocycloneclassification

toremovecapandring

madefromH

DPEorPP

Metaldetectortoremovemetal

Otherdecontamination

process

Cleanflakepacker,storagea

ndshipping

Repelletizing

Packagingapplications

Sheet and film

applications

Strapping

Engineered

resins

applications

Fiber

applications

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27/30

----- 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:China

Canada

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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 inpoverty 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 Ecozuris products and offerings, please visit

www. ecozuri.com or email [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

plastics and environment by ecozuri

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