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News
Taking Climate Action this Earth Day
Earth Day 2020 is April 22, and this year, we’re going big.
Previous Earth Days have focused on recycling and science and schools, but for its 50th year, the organization has chosen climate action as the theme. “Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable,” the organization explains.
We applaud this strong commitment this year because it’s essential that we take action now. Over the next 30 years, the world’s population is expected to grow by 25 percent, but the amount of resource use is predicted to double. We need to do more with less, so that we can protect our planet.
One of the greatest ways to impact climate change is by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities are “the most significant driver of observed climate change.”
There are countless agencies that place significant blame on the plastics industry for GHG emissions, but these claims are somewhat unjustified. “A recent life cycle study of plastic packaging found that replacing plastics with alternatives would nearly double greenhouse gas emissions,” said Steve Russell, vice president of ACC’s Plastics Division, after reviewing a Franklins Associate study. Because plastic is strong, yet lightweight, it allows you to ship with less packaging, which also means less trucks on the road, for example.
Out of all GHGs, carbon emissions make up the great majority; in 2017, carbon dioxide was the primary GHG emission, making up 82 percent. The building and construction sector is responsible for the plurality of carbon emissions. Carbon is unique because there are two categories:
- Operational carbon: what’s emitted during the building’s service life
- Embodied carbon: what’s released during a product’s entire lifecycle
One way that we can impact carbon emissions reductions is by reducing embodied carbon in new construction projects. Thanks to the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) tool, it’s becoming easier than ever to determine areas where architects, designers and engineers can do this.
The tool uses lifecycle assessments (LCAs) and environmental product declarations (EPDs) to determine the embodied carbon output for various products. Within the tool, you can map out your entire project and see where the embodied carbon emission is highest and where you can reduce through identification and selection of alternative materials. LCAs have repeatedly shown that many plastic products, including vinyl, often provide low-carbon alternatives in many building applications that legacy materials.
This Earth Day, the vinyl industry is committed to continued environmental stewardship through social and economic due diligence.