Decarbonization

Estman’s New technologies enable a colorful future for circularity of PET plastic

decarbonization — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 08:56:26 +0000

Colored and opaque PET is a valuable recyclable material with significant benefits for brands. New technologies and end markets are expanding the supply of recycled PET, expanding circularity for one of the most widely recycled plastics.

Hard-to-recycle colored and opaque PET bales. Image courtesy of Eastman.

Head to any supermarket and you’ll see arrays of opaque bottles in vibrant colors containing everything from cleaners to juices to food products. The colorful and opaque plastic they are made from is likely polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In addition to being a blank canvas for product branding, opaque and colored PET is often the best solution for several practical solutions, such as:

Blocking light and UV rays, protecting contents from damage
Concealing internal contents
Offering a lightweight option compared to its counterparts

With such versatility and popularity, what’s the downside? That comes down to recyclability. The eye-catching colorants and light-blocking opacifying agents used in opaque and colored PET make traditional mechanical recycling a no-go. The average materials recovery facility (MRF) isn’t equipped to process or sort this plastic, and it gets landfilled instead.

Yet colored and opaque PET is a valuable post-consumer material if we adapt our systems to make the most of it. And we should because there is immense value there, including these four opportunities:

Recyclable today: Opaque and colored PET are recyclable. Eastman is actively capturing these materials for recycling today. While recycling data for all colored PET is unavailable, NAPCOR’s (National Association for PET Container Resources) 2021 reclamation data for green PET, the largest category of colored PET with strong demand from reliable end markets, shows us what is possible. Its data estimates 31 percent of green PET available for recycling in the U.S. was processed into clean, recycled material, ready for use in new products. In addition to the developed markets for green PET, Eastman is working hard to provide end markets for all colors. By promoting wider recyclability options, we can encourage material choices that align with sustainability goals.
Accelerating progress: Eastman is operating a new world-scale molecular recycling facility that will process 250 million pounds of waste plastic annually. We have already secured more than 50 million pounds of non-clear PET feedstock, including colored and opaque materials.
True circular economy: Molecular recycling technologies enable the transformation of packaging into new food-grade packaging materials, ensuring a material-to-material process. And The Recycling Partnership’s (TRP) PET coalition is specifically investing in projects to increase the collection and sortation of opaque and colored PET. TRP has already awarded three grants to enable processing of more than 6 million pounds of opaque and colored PET, and more grants are planned. Together, we are actively paving the way for a future where packaging waste becomes a valuable resource.
Alternative to problematic plastic materials: Opaque and colored PET is required to extend the shelf life of various products because its UV properties protect quality and reduce potential food waste. Alternative solutions, such as fully shrink-wrapped packages, present challenges with mechanical recycling streams, hindering the circularity we aim to achieve, ultimately offering more problems than solutions.

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is another highly recycled material that is used in colored and opaque products, but it uses more plastic for larger bottles compared to PET. Finally, opaque and colored PET provides a viable alternative to materials such as polystyrene (PS)/expanded polystyrene (EPS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which are truly problematic in terms of health, safety and environmental impacts.

Opaque and colored PET presents an opportunity for us to step up and meet the moment. To minimize the impact of these materials and take full advantage of what they offer, we must invest in building new systems and expanding capabilities. Because giving new end markets a chance to develop is how we bridge the gaps to sustainable progress.

The future of PET recycling

Eastman is focused on achieving circularity by expanding recycling for hard-to-recycle materials, such as colored and opaque PET, and creating profitable returns on investments. They are creating a valuable end market for these materials without expectation of subsidization, reducing materials that end up in landfills.

At Eastman’s Kingsport, Tennessee, molecular recycling facility, more than 75 percent of our feedstock has been contracted or is in negotiation on multiyear agreements with reclaimers, MRFs, brands and others in the PET value chain. Eastman has more than 50 million pounds in inventory — more than half of which is colored and opaque PET.

The looming battery mineral supply gap will challenge the clean energy transition

decarbonization — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 08:32:28 +0000

Battery industry must prepare for significant deficits in key minerals such as copper, nickel, lithium, and cobalt, with the shortfalls ranging from 10% to 40%.

As nations strive to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change, the transition to clean energy has been heralded as one of the most pressing imperatives of our time.

Electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage capacities have emerged as a beacon of hope, promising a future of sustainable transportation powered by renewable energy. However, beneath the surface of this narrative lies a significant challenge: the looming supply gap of battery minerals, according to Sprott, a Toronto-based global asset manager providing clients with access to highly-differentiated precious metals and real assets investment strategies.

Battery minerals, including copper, cobalt, lithium, nickel, graphite, and manganese, serve as the backbone of modern energy storage systems.

Minerals used in the manufacturing of batteries.

These metals are indispensable for the production of lithium-ion batteries, which power EVs and store renewable energy generated from sources like solar and wind. As the world races towards decarbonization, the demand for these critical minerals is set to skyrocket, driven primarily by the exponential growth of the electric vehicle market.

According to projections based on a Net Zero Emissions Scenario (NZE), the demand for battery metals is expected to experience a seismic surge by 2040. Copper, cobalt, lithium, nickel, graphite, and manganese will witness staggering increases in demand, outstripping current usage by orders of magnitude, as shown by Sprott’s calculations in the graphic below:

Thus, demand for copper will increase by 241%, for cobalt by 278%, manganese +704%, graphite +721%, nickel +843%, and lithium +1,519%.

This surge reflects the pivotal role that these minerals play in enabling the transition to a low-carbon economy.

However, the rosy outlook for clean energy is clouded by the specter of a supply gap, with predictions indicating shortages as early as 2030. The Energy Transitions Commission (ETC), a think tank, warns of significant deficits in key minerals such as copper, nickel, lithium, and cobalt, with the shortfalls ranging from 10% to 40%:

The implications of a battery mineral supply gap are far-reaching – not only could it disrupt the momentum of the clean energy transition, but it could also exacerbate geopolitical tensions as nations vie for control over scarce resources. Moreover, supply constraints may hamper the affordability and accessibility of EVs, hindering efforts to decarbonize transportation effectively, Sprott emphasizes.

Despite these challenges, the supply gap also presents opportunities for investment and innovation. The burgeoning demand for battery minerals is driving interest in mineral exploration and mining companies, poised to capitalize on the growing market.

Clime works Unveils Upgraded Carbon Capture Tech

decarbonization — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 01:10:33 +0000

Direct air capture just got cheaper.

This rendering of Climeworks’ Generation 3 DAC technology will soon be a reality in Louisiana. Image: Climeworks

Switzerland-based Climeworks recently announced its next phase of capturing carbon dioxide with its Generation 3 direct air capture (DAC) technology.

The Generation 3 tech is able to capture twice the CO2 per module compared with its predecessor while cutting its energy consumption and associated costs in half, according to the startup.

It achieves this feat with an upgraded filter that increases direct surface contact with the CO2, which leads to increased capture totals and decreased time spent.

Advancement in DAC technology such as Generation 3 “has become a primary focus for corporate and other large investors in [carbon dioxide removal],” according to Carbon Brief’s recently released “The State of Carbon Dioxide Removal 2024” report.

“Major CDR startups such as Climeworks and Carbon Engineering have received investments from corporations that are looking to offset emissions from their core businesses (Microsoft, Airbus, Chevron, JP Morgan),” according to the report.

Climeworks’ Orca and Mammoth

Climeworks’ first commercial-scale carbon dioxide removal plant was Orca, based in Iceland. Orca was a culmination of previous, smaller-scale DAC plants with the additional ability to permanently store captured carbon into the earth.

Orca’s technology is classified by Climeworks as second generation and consists of large fans — or collector containers — moving air through a filter that catches the CO2. The CO2 is then mixed with water and injected for permanent storage into the earth. Orca is capable of capturing around 4,000 tons of carbon annually from the atmosphere.

Climeworks broke ground on its Mammoth plant in June 2022. Mammoth uses the same technology as Orca, but on a larger scale. Where Orca has eight collector containers capturing carbon, Mammoth has 72, leading to an annual capture cap of 36,000 tons of carbon.

Maintaining momentum with DAC

Commercial-scale DAC is becoming a reality, and that’s due in part to the passage of complementary policy. According to the CarbonBrief report, “national-level carbon dioxide removal (CDR) policy has made some progress in supporting scientific research and demonstration for novel CDR.”

In the U.S., legislation such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act created or expanded upon existing tax incentives for companies to use carbon capture technology. The Biden administration has even gone so far as to require new and existing plants within hard-to-abate sectors to install carbon capture technology before 2039.

But to maintain momentum, the report strongly suggests the clarification and creation of further policy to provide structure. This includes creating universally acknowledged and adhered to certifications for the burgeoning — and often corrupt — volunteer carbon market, in addition to more federal subsidies.

In 2023, Climeworks received $50 million from the DOE’s Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs program to open a DAC facilities in Louisiana. Construction of the first plant to use Generation 3 technology is planned to begin in Louisiana in 2026.