Plastic is used to make a whole range of products and yet the potential for saving energy using plastics is far from being exhausted. There are highly effective and sustainable methods to cut energy consumption in traffic, transport and heating, product packaging and other areas of application. Currently, heating, individual mobility and the transportation of goods consume most of the mineral oil required in Europe: Almost 90 % of the oil is used for heating and fuel. Plastic plays an important role to preserve modern societies` standards of living while cutting energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. Plastic is used to design cars, planes, ships and trains that need as little energy as possible. The less heavy a vehicle is, the less energy is needed to run it. Plastics are indeed lightweight when compared to other materials. They are up to 85 % lighter, which significantly reduces the energy consumed. The Airbus A380-800 is a good example. It can transport up to 853 passengers. Fibre composites account for about 25 % of the material that goes into building this aircraft. Thanks to this large amount of plastics, a fully loaded A380 can cover a distance of 14,800 km and it only uses 3.3 l of kerosene per passenger over 100 km. And yet, the A380 does not mark the end of the scale, the Airbus A 350 XWB will include 52 % of composites.

Plastics in Automotive Applications
What is valid for planes is also true for cars. Car body parts such as spoilers and bumpers, instrument panels and headlights, side and interior trims, dashboards, seats, airbags, carpets, tyres, seals, gaskets, fan belts, gearbox mountings, engine covers and many small components are made of plastic. A modern mid-range car contains up to 15 % of plastics. In an average car, plastic components have already replaced many, often heavy, conventional materials. Based on a service life of ten years and an average of 20,000 km per year, plastics in modern cars on European roads save about 2.4 billion t of fuel every year.

Plastics in Building and Construction
Plastic also play a pivotal role in building and construcion as it helps cut the amount of energy needed and reduce greenhouse gas. Whether a building is located in Brussels, Berlin, Warsaw or London, improving its thermal insulation will dramatically reduce the amount of energy used. Using plastic to upgrade a building from old standards into those applied to low-energy houses, the amount of CO₂ emitted can be cut by 70 % to 75 % per year. Indeed, it only takes 70 l of crude oil to produce 1m3 of rigid PU foam for roof insulation. Over its lifetime of about fifty years, the integration of a single cubic meter of rigid foam saves about 5,500 l of heating oil. The energy balance sheet for plastic window frames is also quite impressive: If they had been used all over Europe, they would have helped save 40 million kWh of electricity, which is the equivalent to the nominal output of five large power plants.

Plastics In Packaging
Packaging with plastic is constantly improving to effectively contribute to conserving resources and saving energy. More than every second product manufactured in Europe is packaged with plastic. According to weight, however, plastic accounts for only 17 % of the total of packaging materials used. Less material is required to package more goods. Another aspect to saving energy thanks to plastic is linked to longer food preservation provided by the protective characteristics of the packaging material. In a product's energy balance, the content is most important, while packaging accounts for only a few percent. Plastic packaging responds to the most stringent requirements in terms of flexibility, hygiene, durability, and aroma protection.

Indispensable
When it comes to energy saving and reduction of CO₂ emissions, plastic is an indispensable material. It is high time to exploit its potential to the maximum and make use of the possibilities we have at hand to improve energy efficiency, reduce pollution and shape a sustainable future for all.