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The eco-material myth
This is especially important when we accept that the notion of an eco-material, as collectively understood (a material whose main quality is to have a positive impact on the environment), does not exist. Why? From the moment it is extracted as a raw material and transformed to be exploited, it necessarily has an impact on the planet’s resources. While a positive impact is therefore difficult to speak of as such, beyond depleting the raw material itself, the depletion of natural resources within the production (water, crude oil, energy reserves) will always impact on the environment. So the challenge lies in limiting and reducing the impact of industrial activity through the choice of the right materials for the right purpose, and the right transformation processes.
Turning waste into resource
Alternative production methods are required in order to meet long-term demands and protect the environment: yet despite the shortage of resources, according to the German Environment Agency just under 30% of plastics are recycled, with the majority incinerated for energy production or dumped, leading to as much as 500,000 tonnes of plastic from the EU alone making its way into the oceans annually. Not only is this plastic resulting in amalgamation of huge plastic reefs…
