Plastic makes us mobile

More weight, more energy consumption

Hard times – or smooth sailing and good flying with metal, steel, glass, wood, fabric, and leather. Without plastic, transportation vehicles would revert to rustic tin bowls. This may evoke nostalgic feelings, but it has a negative impact on the environment, well-being, and range of motion. Let's leave aside the aesthetic qualities of this almost limitlessly malleable material for design departments.

Whether cars, motorcycles, trucks, ships, airplanes, or spaceships: more weight means more energy consumption. That's bad for the climate and your bank account. Combustion engines aside, without thermally resilient and chemically resistant high-performance plastics, e-mobility is nothing more than a fantasy. When it comes to rubber, it's back to nature. Because rubber tires without elastomers wear out quickly – in SUVs as well as cargo bikes – even more rainforest has to make way for cultivation at the equator.

Loss of safety

Doing away with airbags, child seats, and electronic aids such as cameras and assistance systems is dangerous to life and limb. Fabric seat belts are conceivable, at least. But when it comes to crumple zones, things get tricky. Bumpers made of elastic plastic cushion the impact. This is good for both sides in the event of a collision, as a glance at the accident statistics shows. Since the introduction of plastics in the automotive industry, the number of traffic fatalities has been falling – despite the increasing number of registered vehicles.

If plastic-free cars or aircraft are to meet the usual safety standards, substantial investment will be required. This will make private cars a luxury item. Because the lack of materials also affects public transport, traveling by bus, subway, and tram becomes more uncomfortable and expensive. Traveling must once again become affordable. Now, some may argue that less traffic is better for the climate and the environment. The flip side of the coin is that when the world becomes more limited and distances become longer, our horizons shrink and our level of prosperity declines.

Efficient goods transport

Without plastic, the costs of transporting goods by rail, truck, ship, and plane also rise—and not just because of the increased difficulty of mobility. Two examples show why. Big bags can hold up to 2,000 liters of bulk goods. The sturdy plastic bags are easy to handle and versatile. This saves working time. Trucks protect goods with plastic tarpaulins. Alternatives made of canvas do not provide the same level of protection against rain, heat, or frost. Higher wear and tear affects the price of the goods and also causes more CO2 emissions. Without plastic packaging, the proportion of damaged and spoiled products also increases. They have to be replaced and remanufactured. Plastic is essential for logistics. However, this does not make the material the only true solution. Often, pallets and containers made of wood and metal, fabric bags, and string are sufficient. Not every pallet needs to be wrapped in plastic film. 

Mars and the moon in the far distance

Let's look up at the stars. With the exploration of space, humanity has overcome planetary boundaries. Since the maiden flight in 1961 and the moon landing in 1969, high-tech plastics have played an important role in space travel. They can withstand extreme conditions, are ultra-light, and protect against radiation. Today, rockets and satellites would be unthinkable without fiber-reinforced plastics and synthetic adhesives.

Whether in the air, at sea, or on the ground, we will not be able to move without plastics in the future either. Perhaps natural fibers such as flax and hemp will enrich the possibilities at some point. There is still a long way to go, but one thing is already certain: better synthetic materials—bio-based and biodegradable—will also become important. Research and development is being conducted in all directions. The plastics industry is at the forefront.

Change of perspective: External expertise

What role will plastics play in the mobility of the future?

The general trend in the automotive industry is toward electronic vehicle concepts and autonomous driving. In production, the question of the service life of materials is playing an increasingly important role. Plastics offer great potential here through recycling and refurbishment. An example: New cars are “fresh” for the first 20,000 kilometers and are passed on after about ten years. At 200,000 kilometers, the vehicle has usually reached the end of its service life because certain components no longer function. However, many others would still be usable. Today, individual body parts made of plastic are already being replaced, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. Modular concepts with a focus on recycling could significantly extend the life cycle of vehicles. The replaced parts then re-enter the recycling cycle instead of ending up in the scrap yard.

Plastics are not only recyclable, but also particularly light. Where does this pay off?

In combustion engine vehicles, less weight means lower fuel consumption. In recuperative electric vehicles (i.e., the process of energy recovery through braking), the weight of a vehicle is secondary, and on the railways, a certain weight is even required for safety reasons. However, the situation is different for small autonomous rail vehicles on isolated branch lines. At DLR, we have developed an innovative concept for such vehicles in the form of the NGT-TAXI. Because these autonomous vehicles operate in isolated mode, they do not need to be as shock-resistant as other vehicles, which makes lightweight plastic parts interesting for their production. It would even be conceivable to produce entire vehicles or bus stops using 3D printers. Then there would be no more broken glass panes. Perhaps plastic railway sleepers will also become more widespread, as wood can no longer be preserved with tar or bitumen for environmental reasons.

Where would plastics prove to be a more sensible option?

There are opportunities to make greater use of plastics in the interior design of public transport such as buses and trains, but also in cars and taxis. This is because people attach particular importance to hygiene in these areas. For example, we are seeing a trend towards easily washable hard-shell seats instead of wooden seats or seats with fabric surfaces. Plastic handrails would also be cleaner and safer than metal ones. The material gives way, so you don't get dents so quickly. I don't know whether the ecological balance of plastic is better than that of wood or metal. But it is certain that recycling improves it. Especially with intensive use, such as in public transport, it is worth switching to plastic components – if they are sorted by type and easy to recycle.

What about autonomous driving?

So-called automatically driving on-demand vehicles are already on the road in San Francisco and some cities in China. These electric robot taxis are significantly cheaper than conventional taxis in the long term and can operate 24 hours a day. They are therefore used intensively – by many people. Hygiene therefore plays an important role here, as it does in other forms of public transport. Even more important, however, is their service life, which brings us back to the topic of refurbishment and plastic as an optimal recycling material.

What potential do you see in the movement of goods?

Why do sea freight containers have to be made of metal and packages of cardboard when it would also be feasible to use a clever box-in-box principle made of recycled plastic? They are stackable, well insulated against heat, and waterproof. Such a system could bring many advantages in terms of logistical handling – and reduce waste at the same time. The first start-ups, such as reBOX from Berlin, are introducing reusable shipping with plastic boxes in practice. Of course, it also involves some effort. The return system has to be operated, collection points are needed, etc. Although ecologically sensible, the solution has not yet reached the market.