Sustainable Manufacturing: the key challenges facing the plastic components industry
As one of the most manufactured – and routinely discarded – materials in the world, it’s unsurprising that plastic has become a key focus for sustainable manufacturing. Yet, the sheer prevalence of plastic in use today also creates its own challenges.
According to the latest figures, the production of plastics totalled almost 360 million metric tons worldwide in 2018, and it’s estimated that the manufacture and incineration of plastic produced more than 850 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2019.
The injection moulding of plastic parts and components accounts for a significant portion of the global plastics industry. The process is one of the most common manufacturing methods for both low-volume and mass production, thanks to the many advantages it offers:
- wide freedom of design
- ability to combine different materials
- can handle complex geometries
- high degree of automation
- affordable
- relatively low waste material generated
Plastic components are considerably lighter than machined metal parts, and higher performance materials are continually being developed and improved upon.
As a result, plastic injection moulding is increasingly being used by automotive manufacturers in order to improve fuel efficiency and by the construction industry to produce flooring and roofing, insulation, piping and connectors, windows and doors.
Injection moulding is also becoming increasingly prevalent in consumer electronics and appliances, medical applications, and agricultural machinery and equipment. Each of these markets are driving the sustained growth of the global injection moulded plastic industry, an industry that was worth more than US$258bn in 2019.
The infographic puts this growth in perspective, revealing the top plastic-producing countries in the world. It also highlights some of the upcoming legislation around the world regarding the manufacture of plastic products and requirements for recycled content.
There are real opportunities out there for businesses eager to grab them. Take the rapid rise of bioplastics, for example, a market tipped to grow 16% year-on-year over the next half-decade.
This infographic reveals what is driving the growth of bioplastics, who is the largest user of bioplastics globally and what the most common uses of bioplastics are.
Increasing market demand coupled with innovative new plastic materials and an expanding list of potential applications creates real opportunities for manufacturing companies, especially those looking to reduce their environmental impact.