The Plastics Industry Pipe Association of Australia is putting a spotlight on how plastic pipe systems align with the key principles of the circular economy.
With Australia’s focus on transitioning from a linear to a circular economy, Plastics Industry Pipe Association of Australia (PIPA) recognises the importance of educating how plastic pipe systems align with the key principles of the circular economy.
This includes better use of resources, closed-looped resource flows and preventing waste and pollution through better design.
“When we talk about a circular economy, we are talking about an innovative model for rethinking our approach to products by design,” PIPA Executive General Manager Cindy Bray said.
“The aim is to ensure products are used efficiently and in use for as long as possible. Plastic pipe systems achieve this with their long life – from design, manufacturing, use, repair, re-use, recovery, and recyclability.”
Engineered to last
The first phase of a circular economy is design and make. This covers efficient use of resources and prevention of waste and pollution through better design and manufacturing processes.
The plastic material used to manufacture pipes is engineered to be robust, reliable, and recyclable. They are intended and designed to last a long time, more than 100 years. The engineered polymers used are stable materials. These properties suit a product such as pipes requiring long life expectancy.
Another part of the circular economy is to design a product that can remain functional over its lifetime without requiring excess maintenance or repair when installed correctly under regular operation.
“For plastic pipes, it is intended that they can be installed and not require any maintenance or repair for decades, unlike other materials,” Bray said.
Plastic pipes withstand the forces to which they are subjected. They do not corrode and resist chemical attack.
At the end of their long service life, plastic pipe systems in buried infrastructure applications can be reused without removing them from under the ground.
“These services are likely to become a host for a new plastic pipe,” Bray said.
“There is a strong focus on recycling, but reusing the pipe significantly reduces the use of energy and resources. It also reduces the environmental impact of digging up a pipeline after 100 years.”
Sustainable products
Alongside the importance of products being circular, Australia is also focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts. When it comes to plastic pipe systems, the industry has been working on understanding the baseline and determining how carbon-intensive the systems are.
“The most reliable way to do this is through Environmental Product Declarations (EDPs),” Bray said.
“These are underpinned by a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and consider the whole life cycle of products or services compliant with the ISO standards.
“It looks at all areas of the lifecycle, including the origin of the raw materials, transportation, processing into production, distribution, installation and product use, maintenance, and end of life.”
Some PIPA members have published EPDs for their products. PIPA has worked with these manufacturers to establish an industry perspective on those aspects of the pipe’s lifecycle that are the same irrespective of manufacturer.
Bray said some people may be surprised that the production plants for manufacturing plastic pipes are relatively simple.
“No combustion or chemical reaction is required. As a result, no smoke or emissions are produced,” she said.
EPDs are helpful for manufacturers to benchmark their products. They also meet market demand for science-based, transparent, verified environmental product information and data, supporting sustainable procurement.
“It is easy to see why plastic is the material choice for pipe and supports a circular economy in a closed-loop system,” Bray said.
“By using resources responsibility through better design, we are working smarter.”
Continuing with this theme, PIPA will be hosting Ozpipe 2024, which takes place on November 11 to 13 in Sydney.
Bearing the theme, “Sustainable Infrastructure – The Future is Now”, the conference showcases a range of technology papers presented by pipes experts from both Australia and around the world.
“If you are a manufacturer or supplier of plastic pipes and fittings, equipment or a specifier, engineer, designer or end user of plastic pipe systems, this is the conference for you,” Bray said.
“Not only will there be an extensive range of papers presented, but there is also the opportunity to view exhibitors and explore poster presentations.”
For more information, visit the Ozpipe website.
