Designing a Circular Carbon and Plastics Economy for a Sustainable Future

Overview

Journal Nature

Specialty Science

Date 2024 Jan 31

PMID 38297170

Authors

Fernando Vidal

Eva R van der Marel

Ryan W F Kerr

Caitlin McElroy

Nadia Schroeder

Celia Mitchell

Gloria Rosetto

Thomas T D Chen

Richard M Bailey

Cameron Hepburn

Catherine Redgwell

Charlotte K Williams

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The linear production and consumption of plastics today is unsustainable. It creates large amounts of unnecessary and mismanaged waste, pollution and carbon dioxide emissions, undermining global climate targets and the Sustainable Development Goals. This Perspective provides an integrated technological, economic and legal view on how to deliver a circular carbon and plastics economy that minimizes carbon dioxide emissions. Different pathways that maximize recirculation of carbon (dioxide) between plastics waste and feedstocks are outlined, including mechanical, chemical and biological recycling, and those involving the use of biomass and carbon dioxide. Four future scenarios are described, only one of which achieves sufficient greenhouse gas savings in line with global climate targets. Such a bold system change requires 50% reduction in future plastic demand, complete phase-out of fossil-derived plastics, 95% recycling rates of retrievable plastics and use of renewable energy. It is hard to overstate the challenge of achieving this goal. We therefore present a roadmap outlining the scale and timing of the economic and legal interventions that could possibly support this. Assessing the service lifespan and recoverability of plastic products, along with considerations of sufficiency and smart design, can moreover provide design principles to guide future manufacturing, use and disposal of plastics.

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