Recently I was talking with a contact from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Marine Debris Program (MDP).  The MDP serves as a centralized marine debris capability within NOAA in order to coordinate, strengthen and increase the visibility of marine debris issues and efforts within the agency, its partners and the public.  This program is undertaking a national and international effort focusing on identifying, reducing and preventing debris in the marine environment. (Of course, SPI’s own marine debris initiative, Operation Clean Sweep, includes approximately 200 companies that have pledged to take necessary management steps to ensure that spilled resin pellets do not make their way to local waterways or the ocean.)  

Through the years, SPI has worked with MDP staff on an educational front including last year’s pre-NPE2009 event entitled “Polymers and the Environment: Emerging Technologies and Science” co-sponsored by SPI and the BioEnvironmental Polymer Society (BEPS).  Dr. Holly Bamford, Marine Debris Program Director and Division Chief, spoke at the conference regarding marine debris issues and the plastics industry.

In talking with my contact, I was interested to hear about a recent program the MDP has undertaken to turn derelict fishing nets (one of the larger contributors to marine debris) into energy.  The Nets-to-Energy Program has taken the fishing net situation and used it as an opportunity to turn the waste into something beneficial: usable electricity.

The whole concept of “waste-to-energy” is not new to the plastics industry.  As SPI President Bill Carteaux has blogged about, plastics are derived from petroleum or natural gas giving them a stored energy value higher than any other material commonly found in the waste stream.  According to one source:

“…plastics have a high calorific value, equivalent to or higher than that of coal, so can provide a very useful source of energy after serving their useful life as a plastics product. Plastics left in municipal waste incinerators (energy-from-waste plants) help generate useful power and heat, while using separated fractions such as paper/plastic mixtures as alternative fuels in power stations offer the prospect of replacing coal and reducing the emission of greenhouse gases.”

In Europe more than 380 waste-to-energy plants exist to deliver energy (heat and electricity) to citizens and industry.  According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), there are only about 90 waste-to-energy plants in the U.S.  However these plants generate enough electricity to supply almost 3 million households.  Imagine what more plants could do.  The idea of recovering energy from plastic is one that should continue to be explored.  As the nation seeks to increase its energy security and looks to sources of new and alternative energy, energy recovery through plastics should be part of the mix.

So, did you watch Audi’s “Green Police” commercial (see above) during the Super Bowl? Eventually, it gets around to touting the company’s A3 TDI clean diesel vehicle as a good environmental choice — the “Green Car of the Year” (according to Green Car Journal). It is clever and makes great use of a parody re-recording of “Dream Police” — the 1979 power pop hit by Cheap Trick.  And most of the ad is hilarious — I particularly like the poor guy in his kitchen who gets nabbed in the spotlight of a “green police” sting  as he throws melon rinds and orange peels into his trash can: “Put the rind down! Sir, that’s a compost infraction!” 

But to the plastics industry, some of the commercial’s bits were not at all funny — especially coming from the auto industry, which can thank plastics for many of its innovations.  Audi’s campaign (yes, there will be more ads) features several plastics products in an unfair and unflattering way — specifically regarding plastic grocery bags, bottles and foam cups. On the contrary, these items are lighter than alternatives, saving fuel during transportation and producing less greenhouse emissions. Ironically, recycled plastics products are increasingly being used to make parts in new cars — including new Audi cars.

With this TV ad, Audi essentially bites the plastic hand that feeds it – the plastics industry that make its precious A3 TDI so environmentally sound to begin with! In it’s press release extoling the “Green Car of the Year” recognition, Audi points out the A3 TDI’s fantastic fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions benefits. Unfortunately, it fails to mention that this fuel economy and many of the car’s features could not be achieved without plastics. Check out this video of the A3 TDI that highlights the innovative uses of plastics throughout the car.

On this blog we have pointed out time and time again the enormous benefits that the increasing use of plastics has brought to the auto and aerospace industries – from weight savings to support reduction of fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions to substantial design freedom allowing advanced creativity and innovation. Audi’s own marketing touts its use of lighter materials, including plastics, to cut fuel consumption. We have also tried here and there to point out the health and safety merits of plastics packaging, and, in many posts, the importance of plastics recycling and our industry’s efforts to do so. 

Audi’s “Green Police” ad uses over-the-top humor to make a point: We all can make choices every day to help the environment – in the cars we drive, the products we buy and the way we use them.  But the company is also speaking out of both sides of it’s mouth when it comes to plastics. Get the facts – about bags, polystyrene foam cups, bottles and more —  at http://www.greenpoliceconfused.com/

Inside-the-beltway types contend with daily acronym overload, a non-stop alphabet soup denoting different agencies, policies and programs. Compounding the confusion for plastics industry professionals is that there’s often overlap with our own initiatives (OCS, for example, is short for both Operation Clean Sweep — an SPI environmental stewardship program — and the energy-rich offshore area known as the Outer Continental Shelf).

CRS stands for Congressional Research Service and, while largely unknown outside the world of public policy crunchers, they’re the legislative branch’s non-partisan research arm, functioning as a sort of in-house think tank for Congress. And one of its recent studies stood out from the myriad other government reports that SPI regularly reviews and digests.

On the subject of natural resource availability and cost, today’s popular media often paints a gloomy picture of our nation’s future, suggesting a bleak and desolate America marked by scarcity, sky-high prices, rationing — an overall diminution of prosperity.

CRS says otherwise.

In a recent report, CRS puts U.S. combined reserves of natural gas, oil and coal ahead of every other country in the world at 1321 billion barrels of oil equivalent. And this doesn’t even encompass reserves in known but harder-to-access resources such as oil shale. Russia comes in a close second, at 1248 billion, but then the field drops off dramatically. Saudi Arabia? Third, at just 543 billion. China’s next at 494.

The technological know-how exists to develop these resources efficiently, cleanly and safely. Skeptical? Think about the offshore platforms that withstood Hurricane Katrina.

Long story short: the U.S. can create its own energy future. The only question is, will we? For our industry – dependent on these resources for both feedstocks and fuel – it’s a question that can have only one answer.

As someone who is considering buying a new car, I wanted to do some research as to the latest makes and models. During my research I happened to stumble upon the recent unveilings at the IAA (Internationale Automobil Ausstellung) show in Frankfurt a few weeks ago. I found it really impressive and indicative of the future of plastics and automobiles.

We all are aware of the important role that plastics play in the world of automobiles.  Plastics are used in a wide range of parts – including batteries, body panels, bumpers, dashboard, fuel systems, lighting systems, airbags and upholstery. In addition, plastics offer a bevy of benefits, including:

• Weight savings to support reduction of fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions
• No corrosion allowing longer life vehicles
• Substantial design freedom allowing advanced creativity and innovation
• Flexibility in integrating components
• Safety, comfort and economy

So what new and futuristic uses of plastics were exhibited?  For one, BMW showed off a hybrid two-seater as part of its Vision EfficientDynamics program.  The car uses a roof and outer door skins made of what the company calls a “special polycarbonate glass” that automatically darkens as light shines on the car. In addition, the window panes are covered with a polycarbonate laminate on the inside in order to prevent shattered glass particles from penetrating the interior (which could be very important if one got in an accident).

Design consultancy EDAG presented its 150km (93 mile) range all-electric drive light car concept for the first time. The concept design uses “Composite Solar Modules” that feature highly flexible solar panels. These panels are embedded in transparent plastics such as poly(methyl methacrylate) and polycarbonate.

Volkswagen continues to refine its plans for a hyper-efficient car and unveiled the L1 prototype car which is capable of driving 158 mpg.  (See the cool video of this car above.)  To achieve such high levels of efficiency, Volkswagen engineers focused on making the L1 as light and aerodynamic as possible. Carbon fiber skin keeps the body weight to just 273 pounds, while the whole car weighs less than 850 pounds.  Drag has also been reduced by replacing the side mirrors with cameras and enclosing the entire underbody.  If it weren’t for the plastics, this car could not have been created.

Yes, I know that many of the cars unveiled at the show are still in prototype phases.  However,  I’m excited to see cool new uses of plastics in the next generation automobile. Now, if only I could find that 100+ mpg car at my local dealer today.

Last weekend my wife and I flew to California to meet my sister in-law’s fiancé for the first time. Unfortunately my soon-to-be brother in-law and I got off on the wrong foot.  Mike seemed to be the type of guy who saw public policy issues concerning the environment in only black or white terms. Put it this way: If plastic was the only available choice of bag, Mike would rather walk miles with a heavy and cumbersome load of grocery items in his arms. I recognized that Mike and I would not see eye-to-eye on a number of issues. But could we at least find some common ground?          

 Upon learning that I worked on behalf of the plastics industry, Mike questioned how I could live with myself.  Instead of debating, I played nice and brushed off his accusations with humor and other means of deflection. While I managed to diffuse the situation for a time, I realized that this issue would return before I left for home. Sure enough, during dinner one night, Mike informed the family that he recently purchased a hybrid vehicle (a Toyota Prius specifically) and has managed to achieve a  fuel economy of more than 50 miles to the gallon. So he said while I was “killing the environment,” he was doing his best to help “Mother Earth.”  Everyone turned to me for a response. 

For my wife’s sake, I once again attempted to avoid the conflict that was brewing. But it was proving difficult.  So I began discussing the energy saving attributes of plastics. I cited the plastic window kits that insulate houses during the winter. I noted the amount of fuel that is saved by using plastic in a car—noting that every pound of plastic in a car replaces up to three pounds of other materials, which can increase a car’s fuel economy by 6%.  I also mentioned that the material of choice for windmill rotor blades is carbon filament-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP).  I also underscored the need for municipalities to improve recycling efforts, and innovative plastics projects and programs involving waste-to-energy.  I even told him all the ways our trade show, NPE2009, showcased how plastics contribute to a sustainable world.

Maybe it was my convincing argument, or the not so gentle nudge by my sister in-law, but the heated debate soon ended with Mike nodding and saying “I never thought of that.”

When I returned to D.C., I came across another really interesting article that discussed efforts to reduce vehicle weight further via plastic engines. I e-mailed it to Mike with a simple message: “Imagine the possibilities with plastics.” Surprisingly, Mike called me from his honeymoon to apologize for his abrasive behavior, and thanked me for opening his eyes to the ways  plastics contribute to sustainability. 

Although I don’t think Mike will be asking for plastic bags at the grocery store anytime soon, I do believe he is a little less rigid in his atitude toward polymeric materials.