Plastics Flashcards
What is the original 1987 definition of “Sustainability” and what does it means when people talk about the 5P’s and the SDG’s?
Sustainability: Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
5P’s:
* Five dimensions of sustainable development (People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership).
* Guiding principles for achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals
* They aim to balance social, environmental, and economic aspects
SDG’s:
* 17 global goals adopted by the United Nations to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity by 2030.
* Each goal has specific targets and indicators to measure progress
Name three (3) plastics products and explain why and under which conditions of use they can be considered environmentally friendly?
Polyactic acids (PLA) cups:
* bioplastic made from fermented plant sugars, derived from corn or sugarcane
* environmentally friendly because they are derived from renewable resources and have a lower carbon footprint compared to petroleum-based plastics.
Recycled PET products:
* derived from post-consumer or post-industrial recycled plastic bottles
* Reduced the demand for new materials and decreases energy consumption compared to the production of virgin PET.
* Manufacturing process is lowered and it helps in diverting plastic waste from landfills
Silicone Stretch Lids:
* Can fit over a variety of containers, reducing the need for single-use plastic wrap.
* They are environmentally friendly because they are reusable and can help reduce plastic waste.
The plastics used in products (e.g., packaging) are typically identified by seven (7) triangles, each with a number from 1 to 7. What classes of plastics do the numbers refer to? Can these plastics be recycled? Which ones are problematic and why?
- PET: beverage bottles. Can be recycled
- HDPE: milk jugs, plastic bags, bottle caps. Can be recycled
- PVC: pipes. Difficult to recycle due to to is high chlorine content and additives in contains. Release harmful chemicals when recycled
- LDPE: plastic bags. Not widely, but can be recycled
- PP: flower pots. Can be recycled
- PS: styrofoam. Rarely recycled due to its low density and high contamination. Difficult to clean due to its porous nature
- O (Other): All other plastics (PC, Nylon, ecc). Varying properties and recyclability. They were produced in limited volumes at the time the codes were established.
Most problematic are: 3, 6, 7
What is a “value chain”? Define “value” and give an example of a so-called linear and a circular value chain.
Value chain:
* set of activities that a company performs to deliver a valuable product or service to its customers.
* includes all the steps and functions that add value at each stage of the product’s life cycle, from raw materials extraction to disposal or recycling.
Value:
* benefit that the customer receives from the product or service, which may include quality, functionality, convenience, durability, sustainability, etc
* goal is to create a product that is worth more to the consumer than the sum of its individual parts and production costs
Linear value chain:
* traditional model of producing and consuming
* Example: Cotton is grown and harvested, processed into fabric, distributed to retailers, purchased by consumers and eventually discarded as waste when the product reaches the end of its life.
Circular value chain:
* emphasis on sustainability and minimizing waste. Closed loop where products are designed to be recycled, reused or remanufactured at the end of their life, thus reducing their environmental impact.
* Example: PET bottles in Switzerland. After consumption, the container can be collected, processed (recycling) and the used as raw material to create a new container
What does “Lansink’s ladder” mean? How is it relevant for developing a circular economy for plastics products?
Lanskin’s ladder:
* ranks different waste management options according to their environmental impact
* has 7 steps, from the most preferred to the least preferred option, with the goal of guiding waste management options (1. Prevention, 2. Reuse, 3. Recycle, 4. Composting, 5. Incineration with energy recovery, 6. Incineration, 7. Landifil
Relevant for circular economy for plastic production:
* Prioritizing the most sustainable and resource-efficient ways of managing plastic waste
* Keep plastics in the loop as long as possible, and to minimize the environmental impact of their disposal
* Help reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, greenhouse gas emissions, and plastic pollution.
What can be done to develop solutions for creating a circular economy? And why is it so difficult to implement these six (6) solutions?
- Engage consumers: Educate and motivate people to adopt more sustainable consumption patterns and behaviors, such as sharing, reusing, repairing, and recycling products.
- Ecodesign: Design products that are durable, repairable, reusable, and recyclable, and that minimize the use of resources and energy throughout their life cycle
- Install take-back loops: Establish systems and infrastructure for collecting, sorting, and recovering materials from products after their use, and for feeding them back into new production cycles.
- Disruptive technologies: Leverage digitalization and biotechnology to enable new ways of producing, delivering, and consuming goods and services, and to create new value from waste streams.
- Ecosystems: Collaborate and co-create with different stakeholders across sectors and disciplines to foster innovation and synergy in the circular economy.
- Alternative business models: Adopt new strategies and practices that shift from selling products to providing services, and that incentivize circularity and sustainability.
Difficult to implement because they require:
* A systemic change: transforming the entire value chain, from production to consumption to waste management, and addressing the interrelated environmental, social, and economic challenges.
* A mindset shift: Overcoming the cognitive biases and habits that favor the status quo and resist change and embracing a new vision and mission for the future
* A collaborative effort: Engaging and aligning the interests and actions of multiple actors
Why is it important in projects to have SMART goals? Define what the acronym S.M.A.R.T. stands for and give one example for each letter.
Help to define and measure the desired outcomes and track the progress of the project.
S.M.A.R.T.:
* Specific: The goal should be clear and precise. For example, instead of saying “I want to improve my presentation skills”, a specific goal would be “I want to deliver a 10-minute presentation on the topic of plastics without using notes or slides”.
* Measurable: The goal should have a way to quantify or evaluate the achievement or success. For example, instead of saying “I want to learn more about plastics”, a measurable goal would be “I want to read 10 articles and watch 5 videos about plastics by the end of the month”.
* Attainable: The goal should be realistic and feasible, not impossible, or too easy. For example, instead of saying “I want to invent a new type of plastic”, an attainable goal would be “I want to design and test a prototype of a biodegradable plastic bag”.
* Relevant: The goal should be aligned with the purpose and vision of the project, not irrelevant or contradictory. For example, instead of saying “I want to travel to 10 countries where plastics are used”, a relevant goal would be “I want to visit 5 local plastic recycling facilities and interview their managers”.
* Trackable: The goal should have a timeline and milestones to monitor the progress and completion of the project, not indefinite or open-ended. For example, instead of saying “I want to write a report on plastics”, a trackable goal would be “I want to write a 20-page report on plastics by December 15, with a draft due by November 30 and a peer review by December 10”.
What is the difference between a milestone and a deliverable? Give one example for each
Milestone:
* key accomplishment that shows progress towards the goal
* Example: completing a presentation on the composition of safety glasses.
Deliverable:
* product that is produced in the process of accomplishing the goal.
* Example: the presentation document itself
Explain what is “The Scientific Method”? Why is it being used?
Scientific method:
* research procedure that aims to find the laws, rules and principles underlying the natural world.
* used to create scientific knowledge and to make predictions based on models
* way to ensure the reliability and validity of the research findings.
* It provides a systematic and organized approach to investigate phenomena.
* It ensures that the process is logical, repeatable and transparent
Steps:
1. Define research problem
2. Literature research
3. Define Hypothesis
4. Experimental design
5. Conduct experiments
6. Analyse data
7. Generate solutions
8. Implement solutions
9. Document results
What is “Innovation” and why is it important?
Innovation
What is it:
* The process of creating new or improved products, services, or processes that meet the needs of customers, markets, or society.
* It involves finding novel solutions to challenges, introducing new methods and generating value
Why is it important?:
* A key driver of economic growth, social welfare, and environmental sustainability
* Can grow your business –> add value and increase profit
* Helps to stay ahead of competition –> ability to adapt to changing markets
* Helps to take advantage of new technologies –> ability to differentiate.
Explain the difference between evolutionary and disruptive innovation
Evolutionary innovation:
* process of improving existing products or services by making incremental changes, such as enhancing performance, reducing costs, or adding features.
* It builds on existing technologies or ideas, making small enhancements over time to enhance performance, efficiency, or features.
* Example: development of faster and more efficient computers
Disruptive innovation
* process of creating new products or services that challenge the existing market and eventually replace the dominant players, such as introducing new technologies, business models, or customer segments.
* Example: emergence of digital cameras that replaced film cameras
Differences:
* Degree of change: Evolutionary innovation involve gradual improvements to existing concepts, while disruptive innovation introduces a fundamentally new approach or idea.
* Market impact: Evolutionary innovations typically target existing markets and aim to maintain or expand market share. Disruptive innovations often create new markets or redefine existing ones by addressing different customer needs.
* Risk: Evolutionary innovation is generally considered less risky as it builds on proven concepts. Disruptive innovation involves greater uncertainty and risk, as it may challenge established norms and face initial resistance.
* Timeline: Evolutionary innovation is often a continuous and ongoing process, with frequent small changes. Disruptive innovation may occur less frequently but can have a more profound and transformative impact when it occurs.
Define the terms: EU Directive, EU Regulation, ISO Standard, Net Zero. What is the difference and why are they each important for developing a circular economy?
EU Directive:
* A legal act that sets out a goal or objective that all EU countries must achieve but leaves them the choice of how to implement it in their national laws.
* It includes a timeline for national governments to turn it into law and aims at harmonizing the legal framework that facilitates operational procedures in a single internal EU market.
EU Regulation:
* A legal act that is binding and directly applicable in all EU countries, without the need for national transposition.
ISO Standard:
* A voluntary document that provides specifications, guidelines, or characteristics for products, services, or processes, to ensure quality, safety, and efficiency.
* Developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Net Zero:
* A state of balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere.
* Implies reducing emissions as much as possible and offsetting the remaining ones with carbon sinks, such as forests or carbon capture and storage technologies.
What do you understand by Intellectual Property (IP)? Why is it important to protect it?
What:
* Products of the intellect that have commercial value.
Why important:
* To protect because it gives the creators the right to benefit from their work,
* encourages innovation and creativity, and
* fosters economic and social development.
Name ways to protect IP and how would each approach be able to protect IP?
Patents:
* Legal right granted by a government authority that gives the inventor or owner the exclusive right to make, use, or sell an invention for a limited period of time.
Trademarks:
* sign, symbol, word, or phrase that identifies and distinguishes the source or origin of a product or service from others.
* Can protect the reputation, brand identity, or market position of a product or service, and prevent others from using confusingly similar or misleading signs that could deceive or confuse consumers.
Trade secrets:
* Confidential information that has commercial value and is not generally known to the public.
* Can protect the know-how, methods, formulas, designs, or data that give a competitive advantage to a business or organization.
Publications:
* Publicize information to prevent competitors from protecting an area of business interest. A published (non-granted) patent is also a publication!
Copyright:
* includes literary and artistic works.
* It applies automatically upon creation, offering legal safeguards without the need for registration.
* Ensures fair use through exceptions like fair use, allowing limited use for purposes like education.
* It balances creators’ rights and public access to foster a creative and innovative environment.
What is a Patent? And what are the requirements/criteria that need to be fulfilled to be able to apply for a patent and the final granting of a patent by the patent office?
Patent:
* exclusive right, established by a legal contract between the government and the inventor or assignee.
* The inventor agrees to make their discovery public in this arrangement. In return, they are granted exclusive rights for approximately 20 years.
* The patent grant includes claims that define the specific aspects protected by the patent and legally delineate its boundaries and limitations..
Requirements for patentability:
* Utility: it must be of practical use.
* It must show an element of Novelty, that is, some new characteristics Utilitywhich is not known in the body of existing knowledge (Prior art) in its technical field.
* It must show an Inventive step (Nonobviousness) which could not be deduced by a person with average knowledge of the technical field.
* Its subject matter must be accepted as “patentable” under law. In many countries, scientific theories, mathematical methods, plant or animal varieties, discoveries of natural substances, commercial methods, or methods for medical treatment (as opposed to medical products) are generally not patentable.
- Inventor must file a patent application with the relevant patent office, such as the European Patent Office (EPO) or the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The patent application must contain a clear and complete description of the invention, one or more claims defining the scope of protection sought, and any drawings or other information necessary to understand the invention.
- The patent office will examine the patent application to determine whether it meets the patentability requirements and complies with the formalities. The patent office may issue a search report and a written opinion on the patentability of the invention and may also raise objections or rejections that the applicant must respond to. The patent office may also publish the patent application after a certain period, usually 18 months from the filing date, to allow the public to inspect it and submit any observations or oppositions.
- If the patent office grants the patent, the applicant must pay the grant fee and any renewal fees to maintain the patent in force.
- The patent will have a maximum term of 20 years from the filing date, subject to certain exceptions and extensions.
- The patent will be valid only in the countries or regions where it is granted and may be subject to further validation procedures or translations.
From diagram:
Pre work on claims –> File initial patent application (start date) –> Decide on international filing ( < 12 month after initial filing) –> Patent application publishes (18 months after first filing) –> Patent granted (> 2-4 years after filing)
