2024
Volume 24, Number 2, pp. 47-54
The essential role of plastics packaging in controlling climate change
Keith Barnes, Edward Kosior, Stuart Patrick, Jeremy Ramsden and Mark Tyrer
Resources Strategy Group (RSG), c/o the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IoM3), 297 Euston Road, London NW1 3AD, UK
Following a brief introduction to climate change, pointing out the role of carbon dioxide emissions, and a similarly brief introduction to plastics and their disposal after use, including possible recycling, the relative merits of alternative packaging materials are examined. Plastics emerge strongly as enablers of dematerialization and hence have an indispensible role to play in checking climate change. More consequential action to eliminate littering - the wanton discarding of used packaging and other artefacts - is the most immediate action that can be taken to improve our perception of environmental quality. Life cycle assessment shows a clear advantage for plastics over other packaging materials.
Keywords: cradle-to-gate, dematerialization, embodied carbon, emissions factor, environment, incineration, life cycle assessment, litter, recycling, sorting