Replies to post #20926 on The Rising Influence of Rising Affluence

[DewDiligence]

Re: Petrochemicals

I think your premise is wrong. The world will b consuming hydrocarbons for chemicals production for centuries to come… The remaining quantity of hydrocarbons in the ground is enormous.

The premise in my prior post is political rather than technical. Will the people who are calling for an end to the extraction of fossil fuels carve out an exception for petrochemicals?

[DewDiligence]

KBM pursues plant-based plastic substitute:

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kimberly-clark-partners-with-biotech-innovator-rwdc-to-design-sustainable-alternatives-to-traditional-plastics-301306255.html

In pursuit of its 2030 ambition to reduce the use of fossil fuel-based plastics by half before the end of the decade, Kimberly-Clark announced a partnership with the biotech company RWDC Industries to advance sustainable technology for consumer products that provides much-needed solutions to the world's single-use plastics problem.

The collaboration brings together Kimberly-Clark's deep experience in nonwoven technologies and resin development with RDWC's innovative and cost-effective biopolymer solutions. The partnership will provide Kimberly-Clark with RWDC's polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) source material, Solon, to develop additional products that are marine degradable.

…RWDC uses plant-based oils to produce its proprietary PHA, which can be composted in home and industrial composting facilities. Should products or packaging made with PHA find their way into the environment, they biodegrade in soil, fresh water, and marine settings, preventing persistent plastics from accumulating in the environment.