On Earth Day, ACC says US chemical firms lead sustainability, environmental efforts
This Friday’s 42nd annual Earth Day draws attention to ongoing actions that support sustainability and environmental improvement, and the US chemical industry is at the forefront of such development, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC).
Chemistry is revolutionizing the world by transforming the ways in which people use energy, enhancing energy efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enabling breakthroughs in sustainable technologies in energy generation, storage, recovery and alternative fuels, the ACC said.
Energy efficiency
Chemistry empowers efforts to improve energy efficiency. From plastic foam insulation in buildings, lightweight vehicle parts and solar panels to compact fluorescent light bulbs, wind turbines, rechargeable batteries, fuel additives and packaging, chemistry helps society save energy every day, the group said. Chemistry’s innovative products and technologies are driving new energy options, boosting energy savings, helping to create green jobs and propelling US economic growth, the ACC said.
Energy efficiency starts with operations. Since 1974, the business of chemistry has reduced energy consumption by more than half - part of an ongoing commitment to sustainability. Just this week, the ACC said it honored member companies for energy-efficiency programs that saved 14.8 trillion BTUs, enough energy to power all the homes in the city of Akron, Ohio, for one year.
Plastics recycling
Recycling rates for plastic bottles, containers and bags continue to grow. Today, there are more ways than ever to “close the loop” on recycling by purchasing products made with recycled plastics, the ACC noted.
Energy recovery
New technologies are better able to recover the energy contained in plastics and other materials, the ACC said. Plastics have a high BTU (energy) content that can be converted to electricity, synthetic gas, fuels and recycled feedstocks for new plastics and other chemistry products. Energy recovery is helping to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfills while producing renewable alternative energy.
Modern energy recovery technologies are more sustainable than ever, the ACC said. Moreover, energy recovery is complementary with recycling. Communities with both energy recovery and recycling facilities have higher recycling rates and less waste going to landfills than those with recycling only.
Sustainability
The ACC says its Responsible Care initiative guides the health, safety and environmental performance of the global chemical industry. Responsible Care enables chemical makers to make a strong contribution to sustainable development through improved performance, expanded economic opportunities and development of innovative technologies and solutions to societal problems.
Environment
America’s chemical makers create countless products that help protect the environment, with ACC companies employing many of these innovations to improve environmental performance at manufacturing facilities. The ACC also says it has established 300 community advisory panels to solicit input from and improve communication with towns and cities.
The chemistry industry’s greenhouse gas emissions have fallen 23% since 1990, even as production rose 32% in that time frame.
In particular, ACC member companies have reduced releases to the environment by 79% since 1988, the group said.
The chemistry industry also helps society reduce its global greenhouse gas emissions. According to a study, chemistry used in energy-saving or renewable energy products saves twice the GHGs that are emitted in making the products, the ACC said.
The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970.
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