Chemical industry at the UN plastics conference: circular economy is a win-win solution

2023-11-19 12:15:06

Focus on recycling brings sustainability and climate protection

Vienna (OTS) – During the current negotiations on a UN plastics agreement in Nairobi, the global handling of plastic waste was once again discussed. The chemical industry welcomes the initiative to look together for solutions at an international level. The focus should be on technological innovations to combat the waste problem; the demands for one-sided reduction targets fall short. Especially when it comes to climate protection. A mandatory switch to other materials would mean a significant increase in CO2. “Compared to most alternatives, plastics are much more climate-friendly to produce and use. If we want environmental protection and climate protection, we have to w“We can get to the root of the problem and bring the waste back into a cycle,” demands Helmut Schwarzl, chairman of the plastics industry in the Austrian Chemical Industry Association (FCIO). Life cycle assessments prove that plastics are the best choice of material in many areas.

Different approaches to solutions for different regions

Globally, however, we face very different challenges. In poorer countries, fundamental issues of waste treatment are often still in the foreground. While 90 percent of all plastic waste in the world’s oceans comes from ten rivers in Asia and Africa, Europe’s input is only 0.28 percent. The main reason for this is the lack of or inadequate waste management systems in developing countries. Establishing collection systems would therefore be the first priority to prevent environmental pollution. At the same time, advances in the development of plastic recycling must also be made available to poorer countries as soon as they are ready for use there.

Innovation is the key for Europe

In many European countries, most waste no longer ends up in the environment. The challenge here is to find the best possible utilization. A lot is being invested in research and new facilities to close the loop, which also leads to lower CO2 emissions. In addition to technical developments, improvements to the legal framework are also needed to optimize waste recycling. “A Europe-wide landfill ban for plastics, like we have in Austria, is long overdue. However, the regulatory requirements are also missing to invest on a large scale in new technologies such as chemical recycling. We need clear solutions quickly here,” Schwarzl appeals to political decision-makers.

About the FCIO:

The Austrian Chemical Industry Association (FCIO) is the legal representation of the interests of the chemical industry in Austria. The approximately 240 member companies produce pharmaceuticals, plastics and plastic products, fibers, paints, fertilizers and organic and inorganic chemicals in various sectors. The industry’s almost 50,000 employees produced goods worth over 20.8 billion euros in 2022. The FCIO is committed to an economically, ecologically and socially sustainable and attractive chemical location in Austria with a research and technology-friendly environment in which the chemical industry can use its innovative strength to develop and deliver solutions to key social challenges. www.fcio.at