Let’s talk about the mass-balance concept of sustainability. There are no two ways about it – the world’s plastic waste problem has increased exponentially over the last several decades, between the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the devastating effects on sea life and resulting threats to the human food chain, and the grim estimates indicating there will be more plastic by weight than fish in the ocean by 2050.

These issues are a significant part of our larger global waste and climate change crisis; and with increased scrutiny from consumers, NGOs, investors, and stakeholders demanding that brands engage in more environmentally responsible practices, it is imperative companies set goals to include recycled content in their products.

Many manufacturers in the chemical industry are doing just that — and turning to a mass-balance approach to achieve greater sustainability in the production of chemicals.