"Plastics have a lower total GHG contribution than alternatives in most applications"
"Plastics are arguably among the most revolutionary materials humanity has invented. They are low-cost yet lightweight, durable, and highly customizable. However, one could also argue that plastic is now a victim of its own success, with increasing criticism of marine pollution, roadside litter, fossil feedstock use, and lack of recycling. These are important considerations, and we all share a responsibility to address these issues. We believe, however, that there is one aspect of this conversation that has not received the attention it deserves: the environmental benefits plastics bring compared with alternatives, especially in relation to GHG emissions."
"This paper uses a life cycle approach to comprehensively assess GHG emissions of plastics versus alternative materials. The goal is not to create a detailed ISO-compliant4 life cycle assessment (LCA) method framework for each application analyzed but to assess the climate impact of plastics across a broad range of applications with enough rigor to be representative, comprehensive, and meaningful."
