Very few outside of the chemical industries will have heard of polymers in liquid formulations – or PLFs – but almost everyone in the world interacts with them on a daily basis.
Found in millions of consumer and industrial products, they are an intrinsic part of our lives – from the paints on our walls to the shampoo and detergents in our cupboards. In fact, 36 million tonnes of these materials (enough to fill Wembley Stadium 32 times over) are made and sold for $125 billion each year.
Despite their importance, the way that PLFs are made, used and disposed of is putting unnecessary strain on the environment by releasing carbon dioxide into our atmosphere, using up the earth’s finite resources and generating physical waste. These issues create risks for all parts of the value chain, from monomer producers to product formulators and waste management companies.
The RSC have created a report that looks at the opportunities to make millions of household and industrial products containing PLFs more sustainable.
The PRA were pleased to support The Royal Society of Chemistry on this project. Please visit the site for more information and to read the report. Polymers in Liquid Formulations (PLFs) (rsc.org)
