Material Circularity: Principle No. 2 for Building a Circular Economy
Material Circularity: Principle No. 2 for Building a Circular Economy
Eastman
伊士曼
Defining the plastic waste problem
定義塑料廢物問題
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 26, 2024 / Imagine all the items you've bought, used and discarded in your lifetime. How much space would they take up? What about the items discarded by your neighbors, friends and family? From cars to toys to electronics, appliances, textiles, building materials, packaging, household goods and decorations, we buy, use and discard a lot of things - many made with plastic.
馬薩諸塞州北安普敦/ACCESSWIRE/2024 年 3 月 26 日/想象一下你一生中購買、使用和丟棄的所有物品。它們會佔用多少空間？那你的鄰居、朋友和家人丟棄的物品呢？從汽車到玩具再到電子產品、電器、紡織品、建築材料、包裝、家居用品和裝飾品，我們購買、使用和丟棄了很多東西，其中許多是用塑料製成的。
And because we can place them in a trash bin or drop them at a dump, and they seem to disappear, we might not give much thought to their journey after that. Unfortunately, most will end up in a landfill, doomed forever to be "trash" or "waste" - a concept that is foreign to the natural world. And humans make so much of this waste that we are running out of landfill space around the world.
而且因爲我們可以把它們放在垃圾桶裏或者把它們丟到垃圾場，它們似乎消失了，所以我們可能不會過多考慮他們之後的旅程。不幸的是，大多數人最終將進入垃圾填埋場，註定永遠是 “垃圾” 或 “廢物” ——這個概念對自然界來說是陌生的。而人類製造的這些廢物太多了，以至於我們在世界各地的垃圾填埋場已經用光了。
What if we could turn our old, discarded, no-longer-useful plastic into new things?
如果我們能把舊的、廢棄的、不再有用的塑料變成新東西呢？
We would reduce our strain on natural resources and avoid digging giant holes and using our land to bury waste. We would reduce pollution and chemicals leaching into local environments. We would reclaim and repurpose valuable materials and reduce our carbon footprint.
我們將減輕對自然資源的壓力，避免挖大洞和利用我們的土地掩埋廢物。我們將減少污染和化學物質滲入當地環境。我們將回收和重新利用有價值的材料，減少我們的碳足跡。
Reducing our waste in these ways would do us a lot of good.
以這些方式減少浪費會給我們帶來很多好處。
But how?
但是怎麼做呢？
The change needed for material circularity
實現材料循環所需的變革
To change our waste story, we need to adopt a circular mindset. Our perception of what end of life means for plastic needs to change. Instead of seeing the plastic we've used as mere waste, we should recognize its inherent value and reuse it accordingly. Molecular recycling technologies allow us to unlock this value.
要改變我們的浪費故事，我們需要採取循環思維方式。我們對壽命終結對塑料意味着什麼的看法需要改變。我們不應該將我們使用的塑料視爲純粹的廢物，而應該認識到其內在價值並相應地重複使用。分子回收技術使我們能夠釋放這種價值。
The potential of molecular recycling of plastic is immense. By embracing it, we can reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, mitigate the prevalence of plastic waste in our environments and landfills, create value for end-of-life plastics, and transform existing plastic back into molecular building blocks for future products. This transition would create a circular economy, reducing our dependence on natural resources and minimizing our negative impact.
塑料的分子回收潛力巨大。通過採用它，我們可以減少對化石燃料的依賴，減少環境和垃圾填埋場中塑料廢物的流行，爲報廢塑料創造價值，並將現有塑料轉化爲未來產品的分子基石。這種過渡將創造循環經濟，減少我們對自然資源的依賴並最大限度地減少我們的負面影響。
Right now, mechanical recycling is the dominant method for recycling plastic, but it's limited to certain types of plastic. Others that aren't recycled or landfilled may be burned for fuel. Mechanical recycling has the lowest carbon footprint and is the most cost-effective and efficient recycling option. Wherever possible, this is the best solution.
目前，機械回收是回收塑料的主要方法，但僅限於某些類型的塑料。其他未回收或填埋的物品可能會被燒成燃料。機械回收的碳足跡最低，是最具成本效益和最高效的回收選擇。只要有可能，這是最好的解決方案。
But mechanical recycling has limitations, starting with the very narrow range of simple plastics it can process, such as clear plastic water bottles and clear gallon milk jugs. Also, plastics that are mechanically recycled degrade each time they're processed until they can't be mechanically recycled anymore. Mechanical recycling is finite. Molecular recycling is infinite because the plastics do not degrade, no matter how many times they're processed. And the vast types and amounts of plastic items that cannot be mechanically recycled - colored plastic bottles, eyeglass frames, food containers and polyester carpet are just a few - can be processed by molecular recycling.
但是機械回收也有侷限性，首先是它可以加工的簡單塑料的範圍非常狹窄，例如透明的塑料水瓶和透明的加侖牛奶罐。此外，機械回收的塑料在每次加工時都會降解，直到無法再進行機械回收爲止。機械回收是有限的。分子回收是無限的，因爲塑料無論經過多少次加工都不會降解。而且，無法機械回收的大量塑料製品（彩色塑料瓶、眼鏡架、食品容器和聚酯地毯只是其中的一小部分）可以通過分子回收進行處理。
To achieve true material circularity, we need material-to-material molecular recycling. To create a circular economy, we need to invest in better access, collection and sorting within the mechanical recycling system. We also need to build an infrastructure that supports molecular recycling to revolutionize materials.
爲了實現真正的材料循環，我們需要材料間的分子回收。爲了創造循環經濟，我們需要投資於改善機械回收系統內的准入、收集和分類。我們還需要建立支持分子回收的基礎設施，以徹底改變材料。
The complexity of advanced recycling
高級回收的複雜性
The phrase "advanced recycling" doesn't really tell us much about the process. The general term covers any technology that transforms waste to be used again and isn't traditional mechanical recycling. Technologies that some characterize as advanced recycling might in fact be transforming waste materials into fuel. We would argue that these technologies should not be characterized as recycling.
“先進回收” 一詞並不能真正告訴我們有關該過程的太多信息。該通用術語涵蓋任何將廢物轉化爲可重複使用的技術，而不是傳統的機械回收技術。有些人稱之爲先進回收的技術實際上可能正在將廢物轉化爲燃料。我們認爲，不應將這些技術描述爲回收利用。
However, there are other technologies that are truly circular and produce building blocks identical to those produced from fossil resources, so they can then be used to make new high-performance materials. This is referred to as material-to-material recycling and is preferred. It keeps existing materials in use, reducing our need to create more from fossil resources. It's also what we mean when we refer to Eastman molecular recycling.
但是，還有其他技術是真正的循環技術，可以生產與化石資源相同的構件，因此它們可以用來製造新的高性能材料。這被稱爲物料間回收，是首選。它可以繼續使用現有材料，從而減少了我們從化石資源中創造更多材料的需求。當我們提到伊士曼分子回收時，這也是我們的意思。
But even within material-to-material molecular recycling, there are a range of technologies with varying environmental benefits or consequences. The most sustainable processes can repurpose an extremely high percentage of the processed waste with very little yield loss. They use the least amount of hazardous chemicals and have lower carbon emissions while producing useful feedstock from waste.
但是，即使在材料對材料的分子回收中，也有一系列具有不同的環境效益或後果的技術。最可持續的工藝可以將極高比例的已處理廢物重新利用，產量損失很小。它們使用的危險化學物質最少，碳排放量更低，同時從廢物中生產有用的原料。
We know consumers are looking for recycled content. And that means businesses are looking for recycled materials. So why aren't we doing more material-to-material molecular recycling?
我們知道消費者正在尋找可回收成分。這意味着企業正在尋找可回收材料。那麼，爲什麼我們不進行更多的材料間分子回收呢？
The problem is most of these recycling technologies are relatively new. Recycling technologies and facilities are expensive and take time to build. With failing perception of recycling and confusion around accepted materials, more and more people are giving up on putting plastic in their recycling bins. Mechanical recycling, which our current infrastructure is built for, accepts limited types of plastics. And the range of accepted plastics varies by municipality.
問題是這些回收技術大多相對較新。回收技術和設施價格昂貴，建造需要時間。由於人們對回收的認識不佳，人們對可接受的材料感到困惑，越來越多的人放棄了將塑料放入回收箱的決定。機械回收是我們當前基礎設施的基礎，它接受的塑料種類有限。可接受的塑料的範圍因城市而異。
One advantage of Eastman molecular recycling is that it recycles a wide range of materials that cannot be mechanically recycled. These technologies provide a means to recycle not just more plastic but more types of plastic - meaning less ends up in landfills.
伊士曼分子回收的一個優勢是，它可以回收各種無法機械回收的材料。這些技術不僅可以回收更多的塑料，還可以回收更多類型的塑料，這意味着最終進入垃圾填埋場的塑料更少。
This is the promise of molecular recycling. The challenge is that we don't have a clear and consistent approach to collecting and recycling more plastics. To activate material circularity through molecular recycling, we need to aggressively pursue:
這是分子回收的前景。面臨的挑戰是，我們沒有明確而一致的方法來收集和回收更多的塑料。爲了通過分子回收來激活材料循環，我們需要積極追求：
- Design for recyclability
- Improved access to recycling for a majority of households
- Infrastructure for collecting and sorting waste and transporting it to proper recycling facilities
- Molecular recycling facilities that operate at scale
- Policies that enable the development of effective recycling technologies
- 可回收性設計
- 改善大多數家庭獲得回收利用的機會
- 收集和分類廢物並將其運送到適當的回收設施的基礎設施
- 大規模運營的分子回收設施
- 有利於開發有效回收技術的政策
What's Eastman doing for a circular economy?
伊士曼爲循環經濟做了什麼？
We're working closely with waste management companies to create new feedstock streams. We're also supporting take-back programs and collection efforts. That includes The Recycling Partnership's PET Recycling Coalition, which offers grants to fund viable research, infrastructure and knowledge sharing to help capture more PET waste for recycling. We're engaging in meaningful partnerships that are critical for scaling the circular economy.
我們正在與廢物管理公司密切合作，創造新的原料流。我們還支持回收計劃和收款工作。這包括回收夥伴關係的PET回收聯盟，該聯盟提供補助金，資助可行的研究、基礎設施和知識共享，以幫助回收更多的PET廢物進行回收。我們正在建立有意義的合作伙伴關係，這對於擴大循環經濟至關重要。
Beyond that, we're making significant investments in facilities that can implement molecular recycling and turn hard-to-recycle plastic waste into feedstock for new materials and products.
除此之外，我們還在設施上進行大量投資，這些設施可以實現分子回收並將難以回收的塑料廢物轉化爲新材料和產品的原料。
We've developed two technologies that can greatly expand plastic recycling: polyester renewal technology (PRT) and carbon renewal technology (CRT). These technologies complement mechanical recycling by accepting a wider range of plastics like those prevalent in plastic packaging, other single-use plastics, textiles and more. Our PRT facility in Kingsport, Tennessee, is nearing completion, and we're targeting the facility to be operational by the end of 2023. It will be one of the largest material-to-material recycling facilities in the world, processing 110,000 metric tonnes of polyester waste annually and producing high-quality, new products that perform just like virgin materials.
我們開發了兩種可以極大地擴展塑料回收的技術：聚酯再生技術（PRT）和碳再生技術（CRT）。這些技術通過接受更廣泛的塑料（例如塑料包裝、其他一次性塑料、紡織品等中普遍使用的塑料）來補充機械回收利用。我們在田納西州金斯波特的PRT設施已接近完工，我們的目標是到2023年底該設施投入運營。它將成爲世界上最大的材料到材料的回收設施之一，每年處理110,000公噸的聚酯廢物，並生產性能與原始材料一樣的高質量新產品。
We've also announced a similar PRT recycling facility in France. A partnership with Interzero will supply 20,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste to our facility to be turned into first-quality feedstock. When operational (expected by 2026), the first phase of the facility will be able to recycle 110,000 metric tonnes annually, with that growing to over 200,000 metric tonnes with the completion of the second phase.
我們還宣佈在法國建立類似的PRT回收設施。與Interzero的合作將向我們的設施供應20,000公噸塑料廢物，將其轉化爲高質量的原料。該設施的第一階段投入運營後（預計到2026年），每年將能夠回收11萬公噸，第二階段完成後，回收量將增長到20萬公噸以上。
With many companies looking for recycled content, these innovative and invaluable technologies can turn would-be waste into valuable materials and drive the circular economy forward.
隨着許多公司在尋找可回收成分，這些創新而寶貴的技術可以將潛在的廢物轉化爲有價值的材料，並推動循環經濟向前發展。
A circular economy not only supports a more responsible approach to materials and business but also has countless positive impacts for society. Keep reading to learn how molecular recycling contributes to a circular economy and how circularity can improve the quality of life for billions around the world.
循環經濟不僅支持對材料和業務採取更負責任的態度，而且還對社會產生了無數的積極影響。繼續閱讀以了解分子回收如何促進循環經濟，以及循環如何改善全球數十億人的生活質量。
View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Eastman on 3blmedia.com.
在3blmedia.com上查看更多多媒體和更多來自伊士曼的ESG故事。
Contact Info:
Spokesperson: Eastman
聯繫信息：
發言人：伊士曼
SOURCE: Eastman
來源：伊士曼
譯文內容由第三人軟體翻譯。