bioplasticsMAGAZINE_1406

Basics
Next-generation
sustainability
requires higher
product performance
By:
Del Craig
Executive Vice President, Sustainability,
Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc.
Woodridge, Illinois, USA
Proponents of the sustainability movement can point to
the Brundtland Commission and Report as an important
step in defining sustainability as “development that
meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This
definition has provided the chemicals and plastics industry
with a roadmap to find ways to substitute petroleum with a
biobased or recycled alternative.
It’s important to note that biobased isn’t new and isn’t
enough to meet the needs of a growing population. Consider
this. Since the beginning of civilization, mankind has utilized
readily available biobased materials made from plants and
animals to enhance welfare and improve living standards.
For example, animal fats and vegetable oils have been used
for centuries for lubrication, illumination and manufacture
of soap, and then later through further processing into paint
and varnish. In the mid-20 th century, large-scale oil production
and the petrochemical industry really expanded and replaced
many biobased products with widely available petroleummade
products and again improved living standards for many.
These advancements, however, have a price. The extraction,
processing and use of petroleum involve trade-offs that leave
a definite footprint on the planet. This footprint is becoming
ever more meaningful as the global population and standard
of living increases. So, it was worth taking another look at
biobased alternatives.
In fact, the chemical industry can learn from the agricultural
industry, which it helped improve. According to the American
Farm Bureau, in production agriculture in the U.S., farmers
have produced 262 % more food with 2 % fewer inputs since
1950 on a decreasing base of land, thanks to improved
technology. Further, with careful stewardship farmers have
spurred a nearly 50 % decline in erosion of cropland by wind
and water since 1982. U.S. farmers, ranchers and foresters
are keenly positioned to manage the land to produce the
food, fiber and energy needed in 2050 to support a growing
population and economy, while simultaneously improving
biodiversity and the health of our environment. What’s more,
the agricultural industry has played an increasingly important
role in supplying renewable feedstocks to the biofuels and
biomaterials industries.
48 bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/14] Vol. 9