Identifying the flows and stocks of additives in polyvinyl chloride plastics for balancing environmental and economic impacts

A comprehensive and in-depth study of the flow and stock characteristics of thorough categories of plastic additives is the first step in uncovering the internal mechanisms of chemical problems in plastic pollution. This study documents the material metabolism of 34 plastic additives in PVC plastics in China during 2020 and evaluates the trends when both environmental and economic benefits from these additives are optimized. A total of 8.65 million tons of plastic additives were used in the manufacturing process of PVC plastics, with 3.7 million tons added to the stock of new plastic additives. The research findings reveal significant variability in the distribution characteristics of different types of plastic additives across various types of PVC plastics (standard deviation: 5.6 %-12.1 %). Moreover, the contradiction between the comprehensive environmental impacts and economic benefits of most plastic additives has been confirmed. The optimization results indicate that the improvement in economic efficiency (9 %-14 %) and a reduction in the integrated environmental impact (9 %-19 %) can be achieved simultaneously by optimizing the current usage structure of plastic additives. Therefore, formulating targeted policies to guide the capacity development of different types of plastic additives in future industries would be beneficial. This study aims to provide scientific information and management strategies for chemical issues in plastics.