RSC: Sustainability: The PLFs Revolution

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One ambition

2023 Ambition: sustainable PLFs

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Our ambition is to enable large-scale industrial transitions to sustainable practices by 2040.

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2023 Ambition: sustainable PLFs

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Two missions

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To achieve our 2040 ambition, our Sustainable PLFs Task Force identified two shorter- term missions. Our aim is to mobilise industry, researchers, regulators and policymakers to create a step change in innovation that can lead to industry-wide transition. MISSION 1: Develop and scale biodegradable PLFs by 2030. This mission focuses on mitigating the environmental impact of those PLFs that cannot be collected and recycled, and thus enter water or soil as liquids or sludge. This will incentivise innovation and enable accountability by providing a clear framework for evaluating new polymers/products. MISSION 2: Advance circular economy infrastructure for PLFs by 2030. We aim to set a standard for the recycling and circularity of PLFs by 2030 and to facilitate cross-sector collaboration. Opportunities for circularity include increasing formulation efficacy; reducing non- essential aesthetic usage of polymers; designing for durability; designing for end-of-life; reformulating away from specific polymers; new business models; and incorporating recycled materials into production. While there are recovery challenges for PLFs that reach consumers, significant progress can be made in recoverability in industrial domains where collection is already regulated requirement by producers, such as sealants, paints and lubricants.

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