“PLFs haven’t had enough attention over the years because they are ingredients rather than products. It is their flexibility and usefulness that makes them so prevalent – and therefore implementing a circular economy for these products presents several technical challenges,” said RSC president Tom Welton. One drawback is that there are very few ways to recycle them, with more than 36.25 million t/y PLFs not recovered after use.

“Currently, these valuable chemicals are produced in huge quantities, used, and then never recovered. We simply must develop new technologies and apply circular economy principles to collect them, reuse them as new products and raw materials, and offer further bio-based and biodegradable alternatives, Welton added.

PLFs are typically used as thickeners, emulsifiers and binders and have a wide range of applications. There are hundreds of different polymer types, including acrylic, epoxy resins, polyesters, polysilicones, polyurethanes, radiation curable, vinyl and water soluble. 

Their eight key markets, which have a combined estimated global value of $1. 27 trillion, are adhesives and sealants; agriculture; household cleaning; inks and coatings; lubricants; paints and coatings; personal care and cosmetics; and water treatment.

The task force, which aims to map out a sustainable future for PLFs, has identified more than 200 different PLFs across the eight market sectors. Its plan of action for 2022 initially focuses on five areas:

• establish new innovation networks to promote collaboration between academia, industry and policy;
• identify and champion key research themes and priorities to support researchers and businesses in tackling PLF innovation challenges;
• explore the emerging need for a consistent approach to PLF biodegradability and stability testing;
• investigate opportunities for chemistry-based innovations in developing circular economy solutions in key markets such as paints, adhesives and sealants; and
• engage with key stakeholders to ensure that a science – and evidence-based approach is used to develop future policy for PLFs.

In terms of toxicity, PLFs are generally considered to be of low environmental concern and are currently exempt from registration and evaluation under Europe’s REACH regulation. However, the RSC said the European Commission is currently reviewing this exemption.