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There is not going to be any shortage of plastics in the medium term. Shale oil and gas production in the US produces vast quantities of ethane as a byproduct.
by wcoenen 7mo ago
There is not going to be any shortage of plastics in the medium term.
Shale oil and gas production in the US produces vast quantities of ethane as a byproduct. This ethane is cracked into ethylene, a feedstock for making plastic. There is an oversupply of the stuff.
- vel0city 7mo agoThe overabundance is a big part of why it's just not commercially viable to do much with recycled plastic. Places will practically give away the virgin material because they have to find someplace for it to go to keep producing other things.