IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natsus/v6y2023i5d10.1038_s41893-022-01054-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Towards circular plastics within planetary boundaries

Author

Listed:
  • Marvin Bachmann

    (RWTH Aachen University)

  • Christian Zibunas

    (RWTH Aachen University)

  • Jan Hartmann

    (RWTH Aachen University)

  • Victor Tulus

    (ETH Zürich)

  • Sangwon Suh

    (University of California)

  • Gonzalo Guillén-Gosálbez

    (ETH Zürich)

  • André Bardow

    (ETH Zürich)

Abstract

The rapid growth of plastics production exacerbated the triple planetary crisis of habitat loss, plastic pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Circular strategies have been proposed for plastics to achieve net-zero GHG emissions. However, the implications of such circular strategies on absolute sustainability have not been examined on a planetary scale. This study links a bottom-up model covering both the production and end-of-life treatment of 90% of global plastics to the planetary boundaries framework. Here we show that even a circular, climate-optimal plastics industry combining current recycling technologies with biomass utilization transgresses sustainability thresholds by up to four times. However, improving recycling technologies and recycling rates up to at least 75% in combination with biomass and CO2 utilization in plastics production can lead to a scenario in which plastics comply with their assigned safe operating space in 2030. Although being the key to sustainability and in improving the unquantified effect of novel entities on the biosphere, even enhanced recycling cannot cope with the growth in plastics demand predicted until 2050. Therefore, achieving absolute sustainability of plastics requires a fundamental change in our methods of both producing and using plastics.

Suggested Citation

  • Marvin Bachmann & Christian Zibunas & Jan Hartmann & Victor Tulus & Sangwon Suh & Gonzalo Guillén-Gosálbez & André Bardow, 2023. "Towards circular plastics within planetary boundaries," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 6(5), pages 599-610, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:6:y:2023:i:5:d:10.1038_s41893-022-01054-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-022-01054-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-01054-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41893-022-01054-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Adamantiades, A. & Kessides, I., 2009. "Nuclear power for sustainable development: Current status and future prospects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(12), pages 5149-5166, December.
    2. Jiajia Zheng & Sangwon Suh, 2019. "Strategies to reduce the global carbon footprint of plastics," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 9(5), pages 374-378, May.
    3. Oskar Krabbe & Giel Linthorst & Kornelis Blok & Wina Crijns-Graus & Detlef P. van Vuuren & Niklas Höhne & Pedro Faria & Nate Aden & Alberto Carrillo Pineda, 2015. "Aligning corporate greenhouse-gas emissions targets with climate goals," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 5(12), pages 1057-1060, December.
    4. Konstantin Stadler & Richard Wood & Tatyana Bulavskaya & Carl†Johan Södersten & Moana Simas & Sarah Schmidt & Arkaitz Usubiaga & José Acosta†Fernández & Jeroen Kuenen & Martin Bruckner & Stefan, 2018. "EXIOBASE 3: Developing a Time Series of Detailed Environmentally Extended Multi†Regional Input†Output Tables," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 22(3), pages 502-515, June.
    5. Livia Cabernard & Stephan Pfister & Christopher Oberschelp & Stefanie Hellweg, 2022. "Growing environmental footprint of plastics driven by coal combustion," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 5(2), pages 139-148, February.
    6. Jiajia Zheng & Sangwon Suh, 2019. "Publisher Correction: Strategies to reduce the global carbon footprint of plastics," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 9(7), pages 567-567, July.
    7. Jeroen B. Guinée & Arjan de Koning & Reinout Heijungs, 2022. "Life cycle assessment‐based Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment is also relative," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(3), pages 673-682, June.
    8. Kavya Madhu & Stefan Pauliuk & Sumukha Dhathri & Felix Creutzig, 2021. "Understanding environmental trade-offs and resource demand of direct air capture technologies through comparative life-cycle assessment," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 6(11), pages 1035-1044, November.
    9. Sarah Deutz & André Bardow, 2021. "Life-cycle assessment of an industrial direct air capture process based on temperature–vacuum swing adsorption," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 6(2), pages 203-213, February.
    10. Morten W. Ryberg & Troels K. Bjerre & Per Henrik Nielsen & Michael Hauschild, 2021. "Absolute environmental sustainability assessment of a Danish utility company relative to the Planetary Boundaries," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(3), pages 765-777, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Erfan Oliaei & Peter Olsén & Tom Lindström & Lars A. Berglund, 2022. "Highly reinforced and degradable lignocellulose biocomposites by polymerization of new polyester oligomers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Livia Cabernard & Stephan Pfister & Christopher Oberschelp & Stefanie Hellweg, 2022. "Growing environmental footprint of plastics driven by coal combustion," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 5(2), pages 139-148, February.
    3. Magdalena Klotz & Melanie Haupt & Stefanie Hellweg, 2023. "Potentials and limits of mechanical plastic recycling," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(4), pages 1043-1059, August.
    4. Ciprian Cimpan & Eivind Lekve Bjelle & Anders Hammer Strømman, 2021. "Plastic packaging flows in Europe: A hybrid input‐output approach," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(6), pages 1572-1587, December.
    5. Konrad, Kai A. & Lommerud, Kjell Erik, 2021. "Effective climate policy needs non-combustion uses for hydrocarbons," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    6. N. O. Kapustin & D. A. Grushevenko, 2023. "Assessment of Long-Term Prospects for Demand in the Plastics Market in the Face of Industry Transformation," Studies on Russian Economic Development, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 243-253, April.
    7. An, Keju & Farooqui, Azharuddin & McCoy, Sean T., 2022. "The impact of climate on solvent-based direct air capture systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 325(C).
    8. Zhang, Chen & Zhang, Xinqi & Su, Tingyu & Zhang, Yiheng & Wang, Liwei & Zhu, Xuancan, 2023. "Modification schemes of efficient sorbents for trace CO2 capture," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    9. Quan-Hoang Vuong & Manh-Tung Ho & Hong-Kong To Nguyen & Minh-Hoang Nguyen, 2019. "The trilemma of sustainable industrial growth: evidence from a piloting OECD’s Green city," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 5(1), pages 1-14, December.
    10. Aditya Chidepatil & Prabhleen Bindra & Devyani Kulkarni & Mustafa Qazi & Meghana Kshirsagar & Krishnaswamy Sankaran, 2020. "From Trash to Cash: How Blockchain and Multi-Sensor-Driven Artificial Intelligence Can Transform Circular Economy of Plastic Waste?," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-16, April.
    11. Hunt, Julian David & Nascimento, Andreas & Nascimento, Nazem & Vieira, Lara Werncke & Romero, Oldrich Joel, 2022. "Possible pathways for oil and gas companies in a sustainable future: From the perspective of a hydrogen economy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    12. van der Merwe, Antoinette & Cabernard, Livia & Günther, Isabel, 2023. "Urban mining: The relevance of information, transaction costs and externalities," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    13. Pavel A. Kots & Tianjun Xie & Brandon C. Vance & Caitlin M. Quinn & Matheus Dorneles Mello & J. Anibal Boscoboinik & Cong Wang & Pawan Kumar & Eric A. Stach & Nebojsa S. Marinkovic & Lu Ma & Steven N., 2022. "Electronic modulation of metal-support interactions improves polypropylene hydrogenolysis over ruthenium catalysts," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    14. Yu Qi & Ruying Gong & Xianlai Zeng & Junfeng Wang, 2022. "Examining the Temporal and Spatial Models of China’s Circular Economy Based upon Detailed Data of E-Plastic Recycling," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-10, February.
    15. Kulandaivel Duraisamy & Rahamathullah Ismailgani & Sathiyagnanam Amudhavalli Paramasivam & Gopal Kaliyaperumal & Damodharan Dillikannan, 2021. "Emission profiling of a common rail direct injection diesel engine fueled with hydrocarbon fuel extracted from waste high density polyethylene as a partial replacement for diesel with some modificatio," Energy & Environment, , vol. 32(3), pages 481-505, May.
    16. Yang Qiu & Patrick Lamers & Vassilis Daioglou & Noah McQueen & Harmen-Sytze Boer & Mathijs Harmsen & Jennifer Wilcox & André Bardow & Sangwon Suh, 2022. "Environmental trade-offs of direct air capture technologies in climate change mitigation toward 2100," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    17. Christoph Helbig & Jonas Huether & Charlotte Joachimsthaler & Christian Lehmann & Simone Raatz & Andrea Thorenz & Martin Faulstich & Axel Tuma, 2022. "A terminology for downcycling," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(4), pages 1164-1174, August.
    18. Laura Wimberger & Gervase Ng & Cyrille Boyer, 2024. "Light-driven polymer recycling to monomers and small molecules," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.
    19. Gilbert Moyen Massa & Vasiliki-Maria Archodoulaki, 2024. "An Imported Environmental Crisis: Plastic Mismanagement in Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-18, January.
    20. David Duindam, 2022. "Transitioning to Sustainable Healthcare: Decarbonising Healthcare Clinics, a Literature Review," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-20, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:6:y:2023:i:5:d:10.1038_s41893-022-01054-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.