Plastics : Circular Plastic Economy, breaking the Linear process of plastic production

Circular plastic refers to plastic materials that are designed, produced, used, and handled in ways that enable them to remain within the economy indefinitely, eliminating waste and pollution while regenerating natural systems. 

Circular plastic follows these principles:

• Design taking into account waste and pollution from the beginning
• Keep products and materials in use for as long as possible
• Regenerate natural systems rather than depleting them

Components of the circular plastic economy:

1. Raw Materials

• Conventional approach: virgin fossil-based materials that are derived from oil
• Circular approach: bio-based alternatives, recycled content, and materials designed for recyclability

2. Design & Production:

• Designing products with their end-of-life in mind
• Reducing material complexity (avoiding multi-material composites that can't be separated)
• Minimizing additives that contaminate recycling streams
• Standardizing materials to improve recycling effectiveness

Additives are substances added in small quantities to a base material or product to improve its properties, performance, or shelf life.

3. Product Use:

• Extending product lifespans through durability
• Enabling reuse, repair, and refill systems
• Creating products that maintain value over multiple lifecycles

4. Collection:

• Effective waste collection systems that capture materials
• Consumer education on proper disposal of plastic
• Incentive systems like deposit returns to increase collection rates

5. Sorting & Processing:

• Advanced sorting technologies to separate different plastic types
• Cleaning and preparing materials for effective recycling 

6. Recycling:

• Mechanical recycling: physical processes that maintain polymer structure
• Chemical recycling: breaking down polymers into basic chemical components
• Organic recycling: composting for biodegradable plastics

7. Raw Material Recovery:

• Converting recycled materials back into usable feedstock
• Maintaining material quality through multiple cycles
• Minimizing downcycling (loss of material quality and properties through recycling)

Feedstock is the raw material used as input to create a product or fuel through a manufacturing or refining process.

8. Circular Innovation:

• Developing new materials, technologies, and business models
• Creating systems that are regenerative by design
• Enabling traceability and transparency across the value chain
• System Leakages to address (materials or waste that exit the circular system)

Real-world applications:

• Reusable packaging systems: companies like Loop and RePack offering returnable containers
• Chemical recycling technologies: processes that can handle mixed plastics and create virgin-quality outputs
• Bio-based plastics: materials derived from renewable resources that can enter either technical or biological cycles
• Digital passports for plastics: tracking systems that enable better recovery and recycling
• Product-as-a-service models: shifting from selling products to providing services that maintain material ownership 

Benefits of circular plastic:

• Environmental: reduced resource extraction, lower emissions, less pollution
• Economic: new business opportunities, reduced material costs, job creation
• Social: reduced waste, cleaner communities, healthier ecosystems

The transition to circular plastic systems requires collaboration across the entire value chain, from material scientists and product designers to consumers, waste managers, and policymakers.