Thank you for being part of 2023 journey
This holiday season, let’s reflect on the remarkable versatility of plastics. Not only do they add vibrancy to our festive decorations and gift packaging, but they also help insulate our homes, keeping us warm during winter. Beyond that, they play a vital role in promoting circularity and sustainable practices. These materials serve as catalysts for innovative solutions that elevate our daily lives.
The Plastics Europe team wishes you a season filled with joy, celebrations, and the collective pursuit of sustainability.
Critically important industry in Europe
Plastics are a strategically significant component of the European economy, finding applications across a spectrum of sectors, including automotive, construction, packaging, consumer goods, healthcare, and renewable energy.
RENEWABLE ENERGY — Plastics are critical for the development of clean, efficient and durable alternative and renewable energy solutions, including wind turbines and solar panels, as well as electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles. These solutions reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resource efficiency.
HEALTH — Modern healthcare would be impossible without the many plastic-based medical products we take for granted. Plastics are everywhere, from personnel protective equipment, sterile syringes, intravenous blood bags and heart valves to “artificial skin” for emergency burns treatment and orthopaedic devices. Innovations in plastics are making new advances in healthcare possible and 3D printing has opened up the possibility of using plastics to print kidneys, skin, bones, cartilage, tissues and blood vessels.
BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION — Plastics are increasingly used in building insulation due to their excellent insulating properties, which can help reduce energy demand for heating and cooling. Because they are corrosion-resistant, they are used to create pipes and fittings for plumbing and drainage systems. Plastics are used to make energy-efficient windows and doors as well as weather-resistant roofing and facades.
AUTOMOTIVE — Plastics help to reduce vehicle weight and improve fuel efficiency. They are used in airbag housings, seatbelts, door panels and many other components owing to their flexible, durable and lightweight characteristics. Plastics are ideal for exterior components in vehicles (bumpers, hoods, …) thanks to their high resistance to impact and corrosion. The materials are also used for battery housing for electric vehicles and help improve energy efficiency, which is key to scaling up e-mobility.
AGRICULTURE & FOOD — Plastics are increasingly used in building insulation due to their excellent insulating properties, which can help reduce energy demand for heating and cooling. Because they are corrosion-resistant, they are used to create pipes and fittings for plumbing and drainage systems. Plastics are used to make energy-efficient windows and doors as well as weather-resistant roofing and facades.
ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONICS — Plastics are increasingly used in building insulation due to their excellent insulating properties, which can help reduce energy demand for heating and cooling. Because they are corrosion-resistant, they are used to create pipes and fittings for plumbing and drainage systems. Plastics are used to make energy-efficient windows and doors as well as weather-resistant roofing and facades.
The Plastics Transition
Plastics Europe and its members share societal concerns about the European plastics system’s contribution to climate change and the challenge of plastics waste, and the need to foster the sustainable use of plastics. Plastics remain irreplaceable for many applications and have a vital role to play in enabling the sustainability transitions and supporting the competitiveness of many sectors in Europe.