Thursday, September 16, 2010

First Signs Of Aging Cream

The plastic packaging was fantastic

Nearly 2 million tonnes per year in France, only 20% are recycled. There is no mention probably not enough though with plastic packaging such figures, they represent a real challenge in terms of cost and environmental impact.

Consider some illustrative figures.

Over 40% of the plastics consumed in France and Europe is packaging and we do not reuse the vast majority. 80% of them end their lives so incinerator or landfill without any form of recovery (recycling, reuse, recycling, reclamation or energy recovery). When they are not cremated and they are not biodegradable, they are to disintegrate, according to a UN study in 2006, a few decades to more than 1000 years. Over 10% of plastic packaging will end up in the ocean 120 million plastic bags will wash up on the French coastline.

There are two effects that explain the low recycling rate of 20% French:

1) Recyclables : plastic packaging that can be recycled are still limited bottles and vials. So go in garbage bags, plastic cups, yogurt containers, films, trays ...
2) Consumer behavior : if 9 out of 10 French practice sorting, less than 50% of packaging plastics are sorted

In a study published in December 2009, ADEME believes it is technically and economically feasible to increase the recycling rate for plastic packaging from 21% to 37%: "Recycling other plastic packaging in more bottles and jars each year would avoid the emission of at least 350 000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. It as if 40 000 people no longer emits CO2 for one year. , "says the CNIID. And I would add that each ton of recycled plastic would save about 700 kg of crude oil.

What are today's solutions to reduce our consumption of plastic packaging and packaging users better value?

France is lagging behind in recycling plastic

If the plastic is the material with wood recycled the least in Europe, France is far from being the champion of recycling of emballages plastiques en Europe…

Ainsi, bien que le recyclage des plastiques en France ait été multiplié par 8 en 10 ans, les français ne trient encore qu’une bouteille en plastique sur deux alors que les Belges en trient 7 sur 10 et les Suisses 8 sur 10. Pourtant les français sont très volontaires en matière d’environnement, puisque 77% se disent prêts à boycotter un distributeur leur paraissant néfaste pour l’environnement (LSA Opinion Way Octobre 2007)

Pour parvenir au taux de recyclage de 75% de l’ensemble des emballages ménagers prévu par la loi «Grenelle I» (incluant donc papiers, cartons, glass ...) by 2012, improving the recycling of plastic packaging is a priority.

example, a study conducted in December 2009 by Pricewaterhouse Coopers on behalf of ADEME paves the way for more recycling of plastic products including: " The work showed that technically there is no serious obstacle, related to an expansion of recycling instructions, even if the adaptation of sorting centers and the establishment of a network is a challenge Surtr important organizational. From an environmental perspective, this extension of recycling instructions bring benefits additional environmental compared to a scenario where only the plastic bottles would be regenerated. The study concludes with a potential saving of 95,000 tonnes of oil, 350,000 tons of CO2 per 150 000 m3 of additional water consumed.

industry is also beginning to meet the expectations of consumers, particularly in developing products plastic cleaner, or in the case of distribution by removing the bags of cash and offering free reusable bags. According to a CSA poll conducted for the WWF in April 2005, 83% of French already approved the complete removal of disposable bags and 79% reported using alternative means.

In addition, 80 members of the Federation of Trade and Distribution (including Auchan, Carrefour, Casino ...) have planned to remove non-biodegradable plastic bags by the end of 2011. However, there remains the thorniest issues, like the issue of packaging and other abuses such as overpack, including the ability to extend the area of packaging designed to promote the product or brand.


Réduire les emballages plastiques, est-ce une bonne chose pour la France ?

En réalité, l’industrie de l’emballage plastique se porte très bien et tant mieux pour la France.

En Europe, le plastique occupe le premier rang pour les matériaux d’emballage, avec 38 % de part de marché. Et l'industrie française de l'emballage plastique occupe le 2e rang européen, derrière l’Allemagne.

Avec un chiffre d’affaires de 6,40 milliards d'euros en 2009 et un marché en en croissance de 2,5 % par an en moyenne (période 2004-2007), l’industrie de Packaging in France has 320 companies in a highly fragmented market (2 out of 3 companies with fewer than 100 employees) and employs 38,000 people.

If due to the reduction of cash bags in stores, the segment "bags and bags" is in decline, boxes, bins and boxes are in turn stable and articles closure (mainly bottles and carboys) are progressing.

But this market-changing experiences, as highlighted in a study of the Quebec government (if) on the French market forces or three areas of innovation:


1. relief packaging: manufacturers have a policy of debt relief products to optimize the use of raw materials and reduce energy consumption
2. Increased recycling
3. The search for new biodegradable materials example, Knauf Industry promotes solutions biodegradable or environmentally friendly materials such as PES - http://www.knauf-industries.com/

It is my view that third axis will represent the biggest challenge, not only for French industry. Because of institutional pressure or government and consumer expectations, the global market for environmentally friendly packaging is made to explode. In fact, according to a study PikeSearch dating from January 2010, this market will double in five years globally, from 88 billion U.S. dollars in 2009 to 170,000,000,000 U.S. dollars in 2014.

From the same source, the biodegradable plastic packaging in 2005 accounted for 0.8% of the tonnage of plastic packaging placed on the European market. By 2015, they could represent 5 to 10%.

around the world, hunting is open plastic bag!

First place in the list of public enemies: plastic bags.

You use 280 per year (average per person in France in 2003) and U.S. 1500.

In many countries, plastic bags are beyond a major source of pollution, a significant visual nuisance, often called "white pollution". Here are some examples of policies implemented to reduce the intensity.

- Ireland: a tax has been in place since 2002. The consumer can buy a disposable bag in hand for 55 cents: the money and collected by the Ministry of Environment is used for projects of environmental cleanup. The government said that if the distribution simply replaced by plastic bags, paper bags, they would also be taxed (they are easier to recycle, studies suggest that their production releases more CO2 than bags plastic). Ireland is so happy with this as it has proposed to generalize the principle of polluter pays: taxes on receipts for ATM, taxes on chewing gum ...

- Britain : failure proposals to impose a tax

- Germany : systematization of plastic bags

pay - San Francisco : Ban plastic bags for distribution increased in 2007 and avoiding the dispersion of 5 million bags per month. The measure now interested other American cities, although the State of California has rejected the proposal of generalization ban plastic bags by 1 September 2010

- Los Angeles : failed proposals for impose a tax

- China: Ban plastic bags for 2008, while causing the closure of the largest manufacturer of plastic bags Chinese Suiping Huaqiang Plastic, employing 20,000 people at the time.

- Mexico : since 2009 ban the free distribution of plastic bags in shops in Mexico City, under a penalty of up to 71,000 Euros.

- Africa: In Mali, a law is moving from prohibiting "the production, possession, import, marketing and use of plastic bags." In Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, Eritrea, South Africa and Gabon have already banned plastic bags.


Le double effet environnement ou l’art d’améliorer son image en réduisant ses coûts

Dans le secteur alimentaire, l'emballage représenterait en moyenne 20% du coût du produit fini. Néanmoins, et j’ouvre rapidement une parenthèse, on pourrait considérer par exemple dans le cas des yaourts, qu’une réduction de l’emballage extérieur et donc de l’espace promotionnel sur le produit pourrait se traduire par une baisse des ventes et donc une baisse de la marge totale en valeur. Ainsi, ces 20% ne doivent pas être intégralement être considérés comme du packaging, mais partiellement comme un investissement marketing, So calling a return on investment.

Moreover, regardless of communication or visual texts, the quality of the package must be the image of the brand positioning. Thus, by positioning, Evian could not afford to sell bottles as thin as those of Crystalline ... but it would be in his interest to show the consumer that is sensitive to environmental issues.

Thus, Danone reduced by 20% in 10 years the weight of its bottles on all its brands (including Evian) and in 2007, the brand announced the Evian introduces recycled (PET recyclé-RPET) dans ses bouteilles.

Le double effet environnement est redoutable : amélioration de l’image de la marque ET réduction des coûts !

De manière générale, sur l’ensemble du marché, un travail d'éco-conception important a été réalisé en 20 ans puisque le poids de la bouteille d'eau minérale a diminué de plus du tiers (33 g en moyenne aujourd'hui), sans pour autant remettre en cause sa qualité essentielle : garantir la sécurité et la qualité originelle des eaux embouteillées jusqu'à la table du consommateur.

De la même manière, la distribution a largement profité de ce double effet environnement puisque selon une étude du ministère de l’écologie datant de Mars 2010, on serait passé de 10,5 milliards de sacs plastique distribués en France en 2002 à 1,5 milliard aujourd’hui, soit une baisse de 85% !

Enfin, on peut comprendre que cette tendance s’accélère compte-tenu de la récente hausse des prix des matières plastiques : +75% en 18 mois ! De 800 euros la tonne en décembre 2008, le prix du polyéthylène est ainsi passé à 1 400 euros la tonne en juillet 2010.


Les solutions sont aujourd’hui très claires mais we are only beginning

It would be impossible to make comprehensive overview of solutions or alternatives for recovery, but I would like here to present some solutions that I feel heart.

1. Alternatives to plastic: the glass is such a good idea?

Many plastics producers are now moving towards less polluting products, such as PES or other biodegradable materials.

A recent study by BIO Intelligence Service should be acknowledged. It compares the environmental impact of Tetra Pak (composed of layers of cardboard, aluminum and polyethylene), with plastic bottles and glass. Result of comparison of CO2 equivalent emitted throughout the life cycle (ie including construction): glass bottle: 345g, 129g plastic, brick: 87g. Surprising, no? Tetra Pak and added: " choose to buy a glass bottle of juice rather than a brick, is the issue of CO2 equivalent of nearly two kilometers by car .

2. The consignment for reuse and recycling ...?

Sweden is not it amazing? We practice the instruction for reuse of beverage packaging since ... the 1890s! And for the record since 1982 for recycling cans. In Germany, register for reuse of beverage packaging since the 50s and recycling since 2003. In France, there is neither one nor the other, and payment is largely limited to industrial packaging: drums, special boxes, pallets ...

However, the deposit system for reuse is simple and effective (rate of loss Germany very low, about 3 to 5%).

However, the system de consignation pour recyclage est plus controversé. En Allemagne, la consigne s'élève à 25 centimes pour les emballages ayant un contenu inférieur à 1,5 litres, et à 50 centimes au-delà. On paie ce supplément en caisse et on le récupère en déposant les bouteilles vides dans des automates en magasins. Si le système paraît simple, il n’existe néanmoins pas d’étude d’impact ou de performance qui démontrerait son efficacité, comme l’indique l’Ademe dans son étude de Mars 2009 : « En Allemagne, le système de consigne pour recyclage est remis en cause puisqu’il coûterait trois fois plus cher que la collecte sélective pour un résultat en terme d’impact sur le taux de recyclage équivalent au système autrichien qui ne possède pas de système de consigne pour recyclage. »

Pour enterrer définitivement la consigne pour recyclage, l’Ademe ajoute : « La mise en place de consignes pour recyclage peut entraîner une baisse d’usage des emballages réutilisables et influer ainsi ponctuellement sur le taux de recyclage, par une augmentation des quantités d’emballages réutilisables mis au rebus. […] Les producteurs de boissons estiment donc qu’il vaut mieux étendre les consignes de tri chez les ménages pour gagner des points de recyclage considérant que cela permet d’augmenter le périmètre des déchets traités par les éco-organismes et d’utiliser les infrastructures en place, permettant des gains d’échelles, plutôt que d’investir dans de nouvelles infrastructures et organisations. »

3. Le plastique comme combustible de substitution

Les matières plastiques, qui présentent un fort pouvoir calorifique, peuvent remplacer les combustibles et alimenter par exemple les fours à haute température des cimenteries en tant que Combustibles Solides de Récupération (CSR). Si on prend le cas des "sacs de sortie de caisse", ils sont en polyéthylène, un polymère composé exclusivement de carbone et d'hydrogène : à masse égale, c'est un carburant aussi énergétique que le fioul !

De nombreuses entreprises se développent fortement dans ce domaine en France (PAPREC, Valorplast, ou Lafarge) mais les CSR ne représentent aujourd’hui que 2% de la charge énergétique totale des combustibles utilisés par les cimenteries françaises : nous n’en sommes donc qu’au début. A titre de comparaison, en Allemagne et en Autriche ce taux atteint aujourd’hui 35%.

4. Vers d'autres formes de valorisation : sous les pavés, des sacs plastique !

Enfin, lorsqu'ils croient in re-emplastification (equivalent to reincarnation in plastic packaging), plastic packaging may be entitled to a second life, which Elipso ( http://www.elipso.org/?page=recycler ) provides a summary very clear (but I grant you Fuzzy!).



















best for last: a new way to develop the plastic bags is to make them pavement, mixing the plastic fade to fine sand. Involved in the fight against extreme poverty in urban areas, NGOs have created a Bamako economic activity around this theme, by paying poor families who collect plastic bags littering the streets. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in collaboration with the Government of Mali and 4 500m ² of paved streets in the city of Mopti in Mali using these new pavers. Today, AKTC and Nigerian NGO, RESEDA (business network to develop crafts) are collaborating to create the first factory for manufacturing plastic blocks in Mali.





I conclude this section by giving a voice to supporters of plastic that we describe as a lesser evil. The explorer Nicolas Vanier is somehow condoning and reminds us here in the case of auto-it also presents a number of environmental benefits, as such, it "lightens the vehicle and therefore limit its consumption and discharges induced.


ps: did you know? realizing this article, I learned things of great depth, as does it better flatten the bottles of water put Recycling in the lengthwise rather than crush them vertically (if). And I urge you, for you realize the effort that we have to provide in terms of sorting, to get tested for proper sorting plastic: http://www.valorplast.com/Front/ sort-plastique_219.php
pps: no plastic bag has been thrown into the ocean during the writing of this article

Main sources:
http:// www.journaldelenvironnement.net / article / the-community-want-of-ways-to-recycle-the-waste-plastics, 14529
http://www.elipso.org/?page=chiffres-cles
http://www.cercle-recyclage.asso.fr/publications/dossiers/item/607-plastique3-dossier-plastique.html
http://www.journaldelenvironnement.net/article/emballages-tetra-pak-declare-la-guerre-au-verre-et-au-plastique,9455
http://www.journaldelenvironnement.net/article/emballages-plastique-leur-taux-de-recyclage-peut-etre-augmente,14448
http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/eae/french/sustainability/older/Waste_Recycling.html
http://www.ecoemballages.fr/fileadmin/contribution/pdf/instit/etudes/151209-Synthese_EE_ADEME_volet_comportemental_plastiques.pdf
http://www.ecoemballages.fr/fileadmin/contribution/pdf/instit/etudes/151209-Etude_technique_PWC_finale_emballages_plastiques.pdf
http://www.senat.fr/rap/o98-415/o98-4152.html
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recyclage
http://www.insee.fr/fr/ffc/docs_ffc/syn43-d2.pdf
http://www.elipso.org/downloads/cliferv2008hd.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/31/world/europe/31iht-bags.4.9650382.html
http://fr.ekopedia.org/Emballage
http://www.reuseit.com/
http://www.google.fr/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.planetegagnante.fr%2Fservlet%2FgetBin%3Fname%3D1DE22E2347730AD792CC98450557D5FA1265369887112.pdf&ei=IB-STP-JNtWRjAec99nLBQ&usg=AFQjCNHQOoB_bM2WKr4DxqJg4Wl6Qg61nw&sig2=XVcExDiKC8NV3_r4rWWA5A
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