Plastics Products Exemplifying Sustainable Development: Life Cycle Inventory of Metallized OPP Film in Packaging Applications

Over the past few years sustainability and sustainable development have become major areas of concern for the public, policy makers, and companies alike. In the area of plastics, the environmental impacts of products derived from these materials, such as grocery bags and packaging, have been and continue to be the subject of a number of studies. Plastics products are present in every aspect of our daily life, from use in medical and space applications to toys and grocery bags. Their rapid adoption over the years stems from their reliability, ease of manufacturing, and affordability. However, with the heightened awareness about the limited energy resources, the plastics from conventional sources such as natural gas (NG) and oil are sometimes perceived to negatively impact the environment and sustainability in general. Through a detailed life cycle inventory (LCI) analysis of metallized oriented polypropylene films (mOPP), we show that plastics can have many positive attributes and in many cases would be the preferred solution from a sustainability perspective.

Indeed, the LCI indicates that the use of mOPP saves materials, consumes less energy and emits less green house gasses (GHG) during the life cycle of the product from cradle to grave. The talk will also highlight other examples of plastics products and discuss their respective contributions to sustainability.