MOSCOW (MRC) -- Plastic is good for the environment because competing products including paper packaging and fiber-based textiles are worse, said Bloomberg, citing Exxon Mobil Corp.
"From a sustainability viewpoint, plastic packaging beats alternatives," Jack Williams, a senior vice president at Exxon, said at an investor presentation in New York Thursday.
Manufacturing plastics takes less energy than other products, he said, citing a study by researcher Franklin Associates and sponsored by the American Chemistry Council industry group. Alternatives generate five times the amount of waste and use more water, Williams said.
"Bottom line: plastics provide a net benefit to society and to the environment," he said.
Exxon’s comments come in marked contrast to cities, governments and companies that are taking action against single-use plastics including bags, straws and coffee cups due to their impact on the environment. Total plastic waste in the oceans is expected to more than double by 2030 without significant policy changes, the International Energy Agency said in a 2018 report.
Williams acknowledged that plastic waste is “an important societal issue” that must be addressed. Exxon is exploring ways to use more recycled material in its chemicals production and is funding efforts to improve waste management.
As MRC informed before, in September 2019, ExxonMobil announced plans to spend GBP140 million over the next two years in an additional investment program at its Fife ethylene plant, which has a capacity of more than 800,000 t/y.
Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 2,093,260 tonnes in 2019, up by 6% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. PE shipments rose from both domestic producers and foreign suppliers. The estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 1,260,400 tonnes in January-December 2019, up by 4% year on year. Supply of almost all grades of propylene polymers increased, except for statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers).
ExxonMobil is the largest non-government owned company in the energy industry and produces about 3% of the world's oil and about 2% of the world's energy.
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