A Practical Guide to Plastics Sustainability

1. An Overview of Sustainability and Plastics: A Multifaceted, Relative and Scalable concept
2. Plastics Overview: Outline of the Current Situation of Plastics
3. Metrics of Sustainability in Plastics: Indicators, Standards, and Software
4. Easy Measures Relating to Improved Plastics Sustainability
5. Eco-design Rules for Plastics Sustainability
6. Environmental and Engineering Data to Support Eco-design for Plastics
7. Advanced Environmental and Engineering Properties to Support Eco-design for Plastics
8. Economics Relating to Fossil and Renewable Plastics
9. Recycling of Plastics, Advantages and Limitation of Use
10. Transition of Plastics to Renewable Feedstock and Raw Materials
11. Plastics Sustainability: Drivers and Obstacles
12. Plastics Sustainability: Prospective

A Practical Guide to Plastics Sustainability is an extensive and groundbreaking reference work offering a broad, detailed, and highly practical vision of the complex concept of sustainability in plastics. The aim is to present a range of potential pathways towards more sustainable plastics parts and products, enabling the reader to further integrate the idea of sustainability into their design process.

The book begins by introducing the context and concept of sustainability, discussing perceptions, drivers of change, key factors, and environmental issues, before presenting a detailed outline of the current situation with types of plastics, processing, and opportunities for improved sustainability. The key metrics, indicators and standards for plastics sustainability are then presented. Subsequent chapters focus on the different possibilities for improved sustainability, offering a step-by-step technical approach to areas including design, properties, renewable plastics, and recycling and re-use. Each of these pillars are supported by data, examples, analysis, and best practice guidance. Finally, latest developments and future possibilities are considered.

This is an essential resource for engineers, designers, manufacturers, R&D, and other professionals working in the plastics industry, as well as those working with plastics across industries such as automotive, aerospace, marine, packaging, consumer products, sports and leisure, and waste and recycling. This is also of great interest to researchers and advanced students in plastics engineering, polymer science, sustainability, environmental science, materials science, mechanical engineering, and chemical engineering.

• Approaches the idea of sustainability from numerous angles, offering practical solutions to improve sustainability in the development of plastic components and products
• Explains how sustainability can be applied across plastics design, materials selection, processing, and end of life, alongside socio-economic factors
• Considers key areas of innovation, such as eco-design, novel opportunities for recycling or re-use, bio-based polymers, and new technologies

Academic: Researchers and advanced students in plastics engineering, polymer science, sustainability, environmental science, materials science, mechanical engineering, and chemical engineering