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Plastics are versatile materials. They are lightweight, durable, corrosion-resistant and ideal for thermal insulation and electrical insulation. They are cheap to manufacture, and the production volume is huge. The world uses more than 260 million metric tons of plastics every year, accounting for 8% of the global output of crude oil. The phenomenal increase in the volume of plastics manufactured during the past few decades has completely changed our lifestyles. However, the consumption and ultimate disposal of waste plastics have created significant effects on the ecosystem and the environment. 

Plastics are primarily used for single-use packaging materials. The only comprehensive recycling system for plastics is for PET bottles. All the other types of waste plastics go straight into landfills or are discarded in the natural environment. To resolve the environmental problems associated with the use of plastics, many governments have formulated policies or imposed levies since 2017. The purpose is to restrict the consumption of disposable plastics. Therefore, the industry has been prioritizing efforts in recycling, reuse and developing alternative materials.

In 2018, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative was launched in collaboration with the UN Environment Program and receiving support from the World Widelife Fund for Nature, the World Economic Forum and the Consumer Goods Forum. New Plastics Economy Global Commitment signatories include government agencies, corporates and institutions. More than 350 companies, active in 150 domains relevant to plastic production, processing and consumption, have expressed their commitment. This list includes many leading companies in their fields. The idea is to re-design from the beginning with technological innovations, in order to achieve 100% of plastics recycling, recovery and reuse (as either plastics or as bio-organic fertilizers) in a safe manner by 2025.

There are currently two approaches to resolving the adverse impacts of plastics on the global environment:

1. Circular economy with reduced consumption and more recycling

Recycling is one of the most important measures to reduce plastic waste. It is also the most widely pursued area in the plastics industry. Plastics recycling began in the 1970s, but what has been recovered is far less than what has been discarded in terms of plastics types and applications.

In addition to joining the New Plastics Economy initiative, governments and corporates around the world came up with various alliances in order to effectively reduce the consumption of plastics. For example, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) was founded by close to 30 leading companies. The European Union has established the Circular Plastics Alliance and developed the European strategy for dealing with plastics by tackling the issue from the source. The goal is to eliminate plastic pollution and create a circular economy for plastics by 100% recycling and reusing plastics. The plastic products that are not recyclable (e.g. films, straws and microplastics) should be replaced with bioplastics that can be reused as fertilizers.

However, the planning of plastics manufacturing is difficult given the incompleteness of recycling value chain activities and a lack of predictable and safe flow of materials. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure the stable supply of materials, the visibility of economic costs and thus the reduction of environmental impacts. The long-term goal is to lower the costs of recycled and raw materials and the creation of profits for all the participants in the supply chain.

2. Development of biodegradable plastics as an alternative

As much as 2.41 million metric tons of waste plastics are flowing from rivers to the seas each year. This poses a great threat to the ocean environment. Large plastic products gradually break up under the elements, ending up as large volumes of plastic microbeads. Whilst it has not been scientifically proven that these microbeads get into human bodies through the food chain. As we may be drinking microplastics with water, this is an issue that cannot be ignored.   

In order to resolve the impact of the disposal of plastic products on the ecosystem but not at the expense of our lifestyles, there has been an increasing emphasis on the development of biodegradable plastics as an alternative. Currently about 25% of bioplastics are biodegradable. These plastics are chemically engineered so that they quickly decompose once discharged, without causing major hazards to the environment or the wildlife. The demand is set to rise for bioplastics given the restrictive policies in many countries on the use of conventional plastics.

Taiwanese companies in the bioplastics industry focus on raw material reforming in the mid-stream and product manufacturing in the downstream. Most of the products are sold to overseas markets. Export volumes and values have been on a steady increase due to rising international demand. In addition to products, corporates, universities and research institutes in Taiwan are also involved in R&D of upstream materials. For instance, the Industrial Technology Research Institute is currently developing biomaterials and materials that are degradable in the oceans. Formosa Plastics subscribed to new shares issued by Minima Technology, in order to get involved in the development of key materials. The global push for the circular economy and reduction of plastics consumption will boost the demand for new and environmentally-friendly materials that are biodegradable, circular and low in carbon emissions. This will be a challenge as well as an opportunity for plastics manufacturers in Taiwan.