Discussing various topics ultimately compiled in a STEEP analysis, we intend to develop our goal and provide the reader with a better understanding of the plastic industry. We will illustrate how the market is structured by helping the reader develop a feeling for the functioning of the micro- and macroeconomics of the industry and how trade between the triad regions is organized. By means of the SWOT analysis we take a closer look at the competitiveness of plastics as a material. The reader will also be informed about the industry’s contribution to sustainable development including environmental protection, economic development and social progress and how plastics can be used and reused innovatively.

Finally, we want the reader to discover things he has not known and/or expected before and gain knowledge which is of relevance for him personally and in a business context.

The general competitors of the plastics industry are other raw materials processing industries such as metal, wood, glass, concrete and ceramics. In North America and Europe, the wood and aluminum industries are strong, while steel and concrete production is strongest in Asia. The production of plastics is spread rather evenly among the regions of the Triad.

The Netherlands is leading the way in energy recovery, setting the example for other members of the European Union. Through the use of household plastic waste as a coal substitute, the EU can preserve natural resources and reduce landfill waste, while creating its own economically viable energy source. By reducing the need for imported energy the EU can gain greater independence and advantage in its trade balances with other nations. This is just one way the EU can meet the challenge--both environmentally and economically--of creating a sustainable future.

The European Union has been working not only to save energy, but to provide sustainable forms of energy to both private and industrial customers at an affordable price. They aim to achieve this while working towards sustainability and respecting concerns for the environment. Without the process of coal substitution, it is estimated that by the year 2010 EU will depend on imported energy for 70% of its power needs. The government must therefore look at energy alternatives to both reduce their dependency on imports, and sustain the Earth’s resources. Plastic waste used in coal substitution is not only an efficient energy source, but cleaner burning than coal. It is comparable to burning biomass (a source of renewable energy) and when substituted for coal, emissions of greenhouse gases (carbon-dioxide) were considerably lower while maintaining the same level of energy production.

• Automotive. As a traditional plastics consumption industry, the automotive industry consumes 7.2% of plastics supplied. Especially light weighted plastics are used to balance high performance with reliability, safety, and minimum environmental impact.

Some topics in this essay:
European Union, Triad Plastics, Strengths Plastics, Dow Polymers, Outlook Future, Recovery Plastic, Western Europe, North America, , Progress Plastics’, plastics industry, plastic industry, energy recovery, plastics consumption, raw materials, plastic waste, bn €, life cycle, household plastic waste, european union, annual growth, automotive electrical components, trade surplus volume, integrated waste management, applications textile fibres,