It’s the middle of July here in Washington, D.C. and the temperature has been over 100 °F much too much for my liking of late. Thankfully plastics continue to play a critical role in keeping things cool both indoors and out.

From a housing standpoint, plastic building products promote the efficient use of energy and other resources. For example, walls that use structural insulated panels made with expanded polystyrene (EPS) can help homeowners save hundreds of dollars annually on heating and cooling bills. EPS starts out as a plastic pellet and ends up as nearly 95 percent air which is a very effective insulator. Another example is polycarbonate which can be used in windows. In addition to being lightweight and shatter-resistant, polycarbonate has low thermal conductivity, which can help to reduce heating and cooling costs. And what about plastic house wrap technology? Plastic house wrap technology reduces the infiltration of outside air and helps to drastically reduce the energy required to heat or cool the home. So with these technologies (and, of course, air conditioners and fans  — which have plenty of plastic parts) one can keep cool indoors.

When outdoors, what you wear can make a difference. I’m partial to the clothing that uses wicking technologyto keep you cool. Traditional cotton clothing tends to soak up and retain sweat, making the wearer unable to cool themselves off properly and making the garment heavier. Wicking technology utilizes fabrics that move sweat away from the skin to the outer surface of the fabric, where it evaporates. Many of these fabrics are made out of polyester fibers and often can be recycled through program’s such as the Common Threads Recycling Program.

Getting in the water is, of course, a favorite way to keep cool in the summer. Most bathing suits are made from plastic materials such as polyester, nylon and Lycra (or Spandex). Of course, we have blogged here before about the uproar in competitive swimming circles concerning new high tech suits made from polyurethane.

In addition, many above ground pools and most inflatable wading pools are made from some combination of PVC (which has excellent resistance to damage via abrasion, impact and sunlight), polypropylene and polyester mesh. Backyard pools also depend on flexible, durable and easy-to-clean vinyl liners to keep their inner surfaces smooth on feet and protected from sunlight, abrasion and water-treatment chemicals. Swimming pools with vinyl and polypropylene covers bring safety and peace of mind to pool owners with very small children. Even diving boards are usually covered with polyurethane epoxy resin paint that creates a non-skid surface to prevent dangerous slips.

So whether you are indoors or out, plastics play an important role in making these hot days more bearable.

Photo courtesy of Infrogmation of New Orleans

Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly one to 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. Over the past several years the field of nanotechnology has continued to evolve at a rapid pace. As a follow-up to my last nanotechnology blog, I wanted to update readers about the latest activities of the National Nanotechnology Initiative.

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is the program established in fiscal year 2001 to coordinate Federal nanotechnology research and development here in the U.S.  Today the NNI consists of the individual and cooperative nanotechnology-related activities of 25 federal agencies with a range of research and regulatory roles and responsibilities. The NNI as a program does not fund research; however, it informs and influences the Federal budget and planning processes through its member agencies.

In terms of nanotechnology funding, the total investment by NNI member agencies for 2011 is nearly $1.8 billion for nanotechnology R&D. According to the recently issued report entitled NNI Supplement to the President’s 2011 Budget, the document highlights Nanotechnology Signature Initiatives to accelerate nanotechnology development in support of the President’s priorities and innovation strategy. NNI member agencies identified areas for these initiatives ripe for significant advances through close and targeted program-level interagency collaboration.

You may be wondering “how I can provide my input as to what the NNI and the related agencies plan next in regards to nanotechnology?” I highly encourage you to attend the NNI’s Strategic Planning Stakeholder Workshop which will be held July 13-14 in Arlington, Va.  The goals of this event are to:

1. Bring together those who are new to nanoscale science, engineering and technology as well as those familiar with the NNI; 
2. Obtain stakeholder input regarding the goals and objectives of an updated NNI Strategic Plan; and 
3. Gather suggestions to the U.S. Government interagency task force that is drafting the new plan. Let your voice be heard!

In addition, in order to help members keep up-to-date on the various activities of the NNI and other nanotechnology organizations around the globe, I recommend that they become part of SPI’s Nanotechnology Group. The group’s mission is to provide a forum for nanotechnology resin and additive suppliers, processors and equipment suppliers within SPI to address nanotechnology issues, activities and opportunities related to the plastics industry. Also to learn more about nanotechnology and the plastics industry you can listen to SPI’s recent “Business of Nanotechnology: Nanotechnology 101” webinar. 

Nanotechnology is an exciting and evolutionary area. In my opinion, big changes continue to occur in the small world of nanotechnology.

On Thursday, June 3rd, SPI will host a one-hour webinar beginning at 11:00 am EST to discuss the benefits of the Department of Energy’s Save Energy Now initiative.  This webinar is exclusively for SPI member companies.  Register now!

In today’s current economic climate, companies are looking for ways to save money. But I bet not everyone has heard about the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Save Energy Now program. The goal of DOE’s program is to help American businesses, factories and manufacturing facilities save energy. A key part of the program is that DOE conducts an energy assessment to help manufacturing facilities identify immediate ways to save energy and money. Oh, and did I mention that DOE does this at no cost to the company?

The assessments focus primarily on energy-intensive systems such as pumps, fans, processing heating, steam and compressed air. The program offers several energy assessment options:

• For large plants: The nation’s largest, most energy-intensive plants can apply to receive a three-day system assessment. These on-site assessments are led by DOE’s Energy Experts who use DOE’s software tools and technical information to target a specific system area. Assessments also provide hands-on learning that can help a company’s staff gain knowledge to multiply the benefits of the assessment.
• For small and medium-sized plants: DOE’s university-based Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) conduct one-day assessments at smaller plants. Teams of highly trained IAC faculty and engineering students apply the same DOE software tools and technical resources to identify key savings opportunities throughout your plant.
• For all plants: Contacting the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Information Center is the a great option for any plant, large or small, if you are ready to boost energy savings and improve productivity. Whether or not you receive an assessment, here you will find expert technical assistance and guidance on how to make the most of the Save Energy Now portfolio of resources.

The Save Energy Now energy assessments have helped U.S. manufacturing facilities save an average of $2 million, or 8% of their total energy costs which is pretty impressive. Companies have saved real money with this program, and you can too!  I encourage companies to look into this opportunity by registering  for our upcoming webinar!

No doubt we all hear a lot about reducing waste. But how about using plastics to reduce waste and conserve valuable resources?

Recently I was reading an interesting story about how the German sports lifestyle company PUMA finished a 21 month project to redesign a shoebox.  The time frame appears awfully long to revamp a shoebox, but the results seem worth it.  Puma’s “Clever Little Bag,” was unveiled at a recent press conference at the UK’s Design Museum in London.  The bag itself is made of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which encases a single sheet of ink-free recycled cardboard.  The plan is for bags to be made available in the second half of 2011, and PUMA will encourage customers to reuse the bag and recycle the cardboard.

The new design (which entails both form and fashion) aims to cut paper usage by 65%.  As a result of the paper reduction, PUMA will reduce water, energy and diesel consumption on the manufacturing level by more than 60% per year.  In other words: approximately 8,500 tons less paper will be consumed, 20 million megajoules of electricity saved, 1 million liters less of fuel oil used and 1 million liters of water saved. In addition, during transport 500,000 liters of diesel is saved.  These stats are pretty impressive.

The new packaging system was designed for PUMA by industrial designer Yves Behar, the Swiss-born founder of the San Francisco design studio, fuseproject, and creator of the jawbone bluetooth headphone and One Laptop Per Child computer.  According to Behar the new bag will protects each pair of shoes from damage from the point it leaves the factory until the consumer takes it home — thus generating savings on the production side due to less material used, reducing weight during transport and eliminating the need for extra carrier bags.

The bag, and an earlier prototype, are currently on display as part of the Design Museum’s new exhibition entitled “Sustainable Futures — Can design make a difference?“  Interesting question.  Based on what I’m seeing here, design can make a difference and plastics continue to be a part of a sustainable future.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8363028@N08/ / CC BY 2.0

The smell of spring is in the air and that means one thing – baseball. More specifically, today is opening day for the 2010 Major League Baseball season.  I can’t wait to head to the stadium today, to root for the home team (and if they don’t win it’s a shame) and to hear the roar of the crowd, the crack of the bat and the umpire yell “play ball.”  Of course, baseball wouldn’t be the game it is today without the use of plastic.

When you look out on the field you’ll see lots of plastic products being used and keeping the players safe.  Plastic batting helmets are used by batters and runners to help protect them from balls thrown at them.  Most helmets are made from tough plastics such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) with interiors consisting of soft plastic foam pads. The pads are commonly made from polypropylene (PP) or ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).

The leather gloves that are used by pitchers, infielders and outfielders are lined with polyurethane surface film to give them the protection and ability to catch the ball with ease. And the catcher! — wow, he’s covered in many plastic products: masks (made from a solid vinyl coated metal frame), chest protectors (covered in nylon and made from polyethylene plastic sternum inserts) and shin guards (padded with foam). Plastics help keep him safe from the potential impact of balls being thrown at over 90 mph or from a collision with a runner trying to head home. (And the home plate umpire relies on much of  the same plastic protection as the catcher — but do we really care about him?)

To quote some lyrics from the classic song by Jack Norworth, “Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd; Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack” (in plastics packaging)…  So here’s to baseball and plastics – a winning combination!