Renewable energy

In order to power the end-to-end process to convert basic raw materials to final polymers, the manufacturing of plastics, as with other industrial processes, requires energy. Provided as electricity, gas or heat, this energy is currently sourced mainly from conventional fossil carbon-based resources (such as natural gas, petrol, or coal).

Improvements are always sought in the energy intensity of the manufacturing processes for virgin polymer production and plastics recycling, through a more efficient use of power consumption. However, moving towards the objective of a climate neutral Europe by 2050 will also require the energy needs to be increasingly met by renewable low-carbon energy, such as renewable electricity or green hydrogen.