In our daily life, there is a big chance that we touch something made of plastics almost every day of our lives. Even though plastic materials have helped to provide us with products design for our everyday lives, it comes at a cost regarding the natural resources required and the environmental impact during their lifecycle. In this century, many studies have shown that company owners and consumers are becoming more and more concerned about the sustainability of their packaging. Also, organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have encouraged the development of innovations that reduce petrochemical usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and other pollutants over a products lifecycle.
Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) is one of the most amazing and significant used mineral fillers in the plastics industry and its usage has grown greatly over the past years due to its incredible help to reduce the environmental footprint in the plastic industry. Once thought of simply as a resin extender, the addition of calcium carbonate in plastics has been shown to contribute, no only to increased performance, improved processing, and improved sustainability of the finished part, but as greenhouse gas, petrochemical and energy usage reducer.
Calcium carbonate is the main mineral found in limestone, marble and chalk, and is a natural resource that can be found in all parts of the world. The use of CaCO3 in plastics reduces petrochemical and energy usage during the manufacturing process, minimizing the carbon footprint and greenhouse gas impact of finished plastic products. Studies conducted by Heritage Plastics have shown that using a 40% loaded calcium carbonate filled material can generate a Green House Gas savings of approximately 23%. Other significant environmental benefits include:
- 15-20% overall energy savings
- 16-20% reduction in the use of crude oil
- 15-19% reduction in the use of natural gas
- 12-17% reduction in the use of coal
- 12-16% reduction in the use electricity
- 13-17% reduction of greenhouse gasses
- 15-20% reduction of oxides of sulfur (SOx)
- 13-17% reduction of oxides of nitrogen (NOx)
- 11-15% reduction of particulates
We of LatinA Tech, are 100% engaged in the reduction of the environmental footprint, since or products are directly tangled to the agricultural postharvest care. Calcium Carbonates of LatinA Tech also offer substantial environmental benefits by reducing CO2 emission, energy and petrochemical derivate consumption during packaging manufacturing and conversion processes and by minimizing LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) of finished plastic products. LatinA Tech is pleased to promote that its Calcium Carbonate, when added to plastic products, reduces the overall negative impact upon the plastic articles by replacing part of the petrochemical based components, which has led to a strong development in environmentally friendly applications with tangible goals on less emission of greenhouse gases and air pollutants (NOx and particulates).
Interested in changing to an ecofriendly packaging solution? Contact our team to schedule your free consultation on which packaging is most suitable for you needs!
Other resources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/calcium-carbonate
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