The terms of the debate, where ‘nuclear’ is used to cover old technology and its associated problems, must be updated.
Perhaps this represents a logical approach to reducing the demand for new solvent supplies as a precedent to finding new sources of biogenic.1. solvents.. Offsite re-cycling was deemed to have many complexities that reduced the focus on this course of action.
Burning or oxidation remains a method of waste management which deals with the toxicity of the chemicals, however despite energy extraction it is perceived as very wasteful of high value chemicals..Collectively it was felt that there were clear obstacles which slowed the changes and transitions.From the uncertainty of changing economics, the regulatory systems inhibiting change, and a backlash to sustainability without credible economics..
Despite these hurdles, there was agreement in the room that there was a vision across the industry and this was expressed as: -.■ All solvents bio-sourced and head-ache free (safe and compliant).
■ Use minimised.
■ Recycling maximised.However, none of these initiatives addresses the ‘elephant in the room’: the industrial plastics manufacturing process itself, which is heavily reliant on the carbon-intensive chemical production sector.. Chemical production is set to become ‘the single largest driver of global oil consumption by 2030’ according to a 2019 paper in the.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.The chemical industry uses around 28% of all industrial energy and 10% of global final energy.
2. , which shows how vital it is for the industry to change if we are to reduce carbon emissions and help combat climate change..This is a lot to accomplish, but it offers Bryden Wood an opportunity to make great steps towards this goal and lead by example, by promoting methods to reduce emissions in the chemical engineering sector.. We started studying this problem to see if it would be possible to produce plastics more sustainably.