Opportunities and challenges for integrating the development of sustainable polymer materials within an international circular (bio)economy concept
- The production and consumption of commodity polymers have been an indispensable part of the development of our modern society. Owing to their adjustable properties and variety of functions, polymer-based materials will continue playing important roles in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)s, defined by the United Nations, in key areas such as healthcare, transport, food preservation, construction, electronics, and water management. Considering the serious environmental crisis, generated by increasing consumption of plastics, leading-edge polymers need to incorporate two types of functions: Those that directly arise from the demands of the application (e.g. selective gas and liquid permeation, actuation or charge transport) and those that enable minimization of environmental harm, e.g., through prolongation of the functional lifetime, minimization of material usage, or through predictable disintegration into non-toxic fragments. Here, we give examples of how the incorporation of a thoughtful combination ofThe production and consumption of commodity polymers have been an indispensable part of the development of our modern society. Owing to their adjustable properties and variety of functions, polymer-based materials will continue playing important roles in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)s, defined by the United Nations, in key areas such as healthcare, transport, food preservation, construction, electronics, and water management. Considering the serious environmental crisis, generated by increasing consumption of plastics, leading-edge polymers need to incorporate two types of functions: Those that directly arise from the demands of the application (e.g. selective gas and liquid permeation, actuation or charge transport) and those that enable minimization of environmental harm, e.g., through prolongation of the functional lifetime, minimization of material usage, or through predictable disintegration into non-toxic fragments. Here, we give examples of how the incorporation of a thoughtful combination of properties/functions can enhance the sustainability of plastics ranging from material design to waste management. We focus on tools to measure and reduce the negative impacts of plastics on the environment throughout their life cycle, the use of renewable sources for their synthesis, the design of biodegradable and/or recyclable materials, and the use of biotechnological strategies for enzymatic recycling of plastics that fits into a circular bioeconomy. Finally, we discuss future applications for sustainable plastics with the aim to achieve the SDGs through international cooperation. <br /> Leading-edge polymer-based materials for consumer and advanced applications are necessary to achieve sustainable development at a global scale. It is essential to understand how sustainability can be incorporated in these materials via green chemistry, the integration of bio-based building blocks from biorefineries, circular bioeconomy strategies, and combined smart and functional capabilities.…
Author details: | Natalia Andrea Tarazona LizcanoORCiD, Rainhard Gabriel MachatschekORCiDGND, Jennifer BalcuchoORCiD, Jinneth Lorena Castro-MayorgaORCiD, Juan Francisco SaldarriagaORCiD, Andreas LendleinORCiDGND |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1557/s43581-021-00015-7 |
ISSN: | 2329-2229 |
ISSN: | 2329-2237 |
Title of parent work (English): | MRS energy & sustainability : science & technology & socio-economics & policy |
Publisher: | Springer Nature |
Place of publishing: | London |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of first publication: | 2022/02/09 |
Publication year: | 2022 |
Release date: | 2024/03/06 |
Tag: | biomaterial; degradable; functional; life cycle assessment; renewable; sustainability |
Volume: | 9 |
Issue: | 1 |
Number of pages: | 7 |
First page: | 28 |
Last Page: | 34 |
Funding institution: | Projekt DEAL; Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers; German; Ministry of Research and Education (BMBF) [01DN21008]; Colombian; Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MinCiencias) [78978] |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Chemie |
DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 54 Chemie / 540 Chemie und zugeordnete Wissenschaften |
Peer review: | Referiert |
Publishing method: | Open Access / Hybrid Open-Access |
License (German): | CC-BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International |