Plastics And The Circular Economy
Plastics usage is present in almost everything we use in our daily routines, but their current use pattern of make, use, and dispose of, represents a primary driver for the depletion of the natural resources, waste that ends up in landfills, and environmental degradation of soil.
Today, plastics are more often used as single-use products then discarded, and most end up in landfills. The current linear models of production and consumption of plastics are impacting the environment and the economy at the same time due to the costs of inaction.
Conventional plastic production is highly dependent on fossil fuels; therefore, carbon is embedded from the production to the disposal phase. From the production phase, the carbon is captured in the products themselves and greenhouse gas emissions depend highly on the after-use choice path.
Therefore, plastic and greenhouse gas production are connected at every step of the plastic life cycle. The circular economy for plastics is an alternative to extract their maximum value while are in use and recover and reuse products at the end of their life use. This is an opportunity to minimize greenhouse gas emissions while maximizing the benefits of their use.
Minimizing GHG requires making efficient and sustainable systems while adequate policies are set in place. Together with collaboration between producers and consumers, sustainable plastics systems will be possible to be organized.
The National Lubricant Container Recycling Coalition (NCLRC) can play a significant role in promoting a transition of the lubricant container sector to the circular economy. In the short term, the NLCRC is helping create an environment to overcome barriers and promote the adoption and implementation of the circular economy in the lubricant industry in the US. Even though the government plays a major role in helping to create a new circular economy where plastic waste becomes minimal or never becomes waste, industry collaboration is crucial to bring additional collection and recycling infrastructure to help meet the US’s disposal management needs.
From industries to households, everyone has an essential role in reducing the lubricant container waste problem in the US. The NLCRC founding leaders include Castrol, Valvoline, Pennzoil - Quaker State Company, Graham Packaging, Plastipak Packaging, Berry Global, the Petroleum Packaging Council, and Chevron.
Learn how the NLCRC is addressing the waste problem by becoming a member. Connect with us through LinkedIn and Twitter. If you have any questions or inquiries, send us an email at hello@nationallcrc.com.
As defined by Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017). The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the Future of Plastics. <https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/publications/the-new-plastics-economy-rethinking-the-future-of-plastics>
Zhu, Xia (2021). The Plastic Cycle – An Unknown Branch of the Carbon Cycle. < https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.609243/full#B8>
