Ethane (C₂H₆) is a minor component of natural gas.

In Australia, ethane gas is supplied to Altona, Victoria from the Bass Strait, and to Botany Bay, NSW from the Cooper Basin (the northeast of South Australia and southwest of Queensland).

Ethane can be used in its gaseous form as a single-use source of energy. It can also be used by industry as a feedstock and processed to manufacture a range of single-use and beneficial, re-useable, long duration cycle, recyclable, products, which are able to be used within the developing circular economy.

Ethane is used to manufacture ethylene in Australia. Ethylene can be used to manufacture a number of products as shown in the ethane value chain below.

Source: Acil Allen based on American Chemistry Council 2017, Elements of the Business of Chemistry

Polyethylene

Ethylene is used to manufacture polyethylene. There are 3 types of polyethylene:

• Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) which is used to manufacture food and non-food packaging film such as:
  • meat and poultry wrapping, frozen food and liquid packaging
  • stretch and shrink wrap, garment and merchant bags
  • industrial sheeting and agricultural films

• Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) is used to manufacture:
  • Higher tensile, used in film applications for packaging, shrink/stretch film and non-packaging
  • Extrusion coating of paper and paperboard for liquid containers
  • Injection moulded into kitchen and garden products, toys, etc.

• High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is used to manufacture detergent bottles, milk bottles, pipe, etc.

Ethylene oxide

Ethylene can also be used to manufacture ethylene oxide.

Ethylene oxide products are sold into a wide range of markets, including auto coolants, polyester resins, brake fluids, surfactants and detergents, dispersants/foaming agents, etc.

Ethylene oxide is also used to manufacture polyesters which are used to make fibres, films and resin.

Other important ethylene oxide derivatives include:

• ethoxylates (shampoo, kitchen cleaners, etc)
• glycol ethers (solvents, fuels)
• surfactants (agricultural, personal care, etc)
• polyols for polyurethanes (adhesives, building products, insulation)
• polyethylene glycols (toothpaste, medicines, etc)
• polyalkylene glycols (antifoam agents, hydraulic lubricants, etc)

Ammonia (NH₃) is manufactured from natural gas (methane) and air (contains nitrogen).

Ammonia is manufactured in Australia.

Uses

Ammonia is used as an industrial refrigerant, in cleaning products, fermentation, brewing and winemaking [1].

Ammonia is also used to manufacture:

• Ammonium sulphate which is used in fertilisers
• Ammonium nitrate which is used in fertilisers for crops
• Ammonium phosphates which are used in fertilisers and animal feed
• Ammonium nitrate which is used in explosives for mining, construction and the oil and gas industries
• Urea which is used in:
  • animal feeds
  • fertilisers
  • the manufacture of AdBlue®

Benefits

The use of chemical fertilisers in agriculture increases agricultural yields, so avoiding emissions from land-use change [1].

Explosives are essential in the mining industry which is Australia’s largest industry sector.

AdBlue® is a fluid used to reduce emissions, and an essential additive in the catalytic convertor fitted to the exhaust systems of some diesel cars and trucks.

Polyurethane is a polymer-based construction material. It can include rigid or spray foam and can be used in residential and commercial buildings for insulation.

Polyurethane insulation helps conserve natural resources and helps preserve the environment by reducing energy usage. With its excellent strength-to-weight ratio, insulation properties, durability and versatility, polyurethane is frequently used in building and construction applications [1].

Polyurethanes are formed by reacting a polyol (an alcohol with more than two reactive hydroxyl groups per molecule) with an isocyanate in the presence of suitable catalysts and additives to produce a foam. For insulation foam, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) is usually used.

In Australia, our buildings account for 19 per cent of total energy used and 18 per cent of our total direct GHG emissions according to the Australian Energy Update 2017 [2].

Polyurethane insulation is a key part of a sustainable, energy efficient solution because it has a range of advantages over alternative materials for meeting energy efficiency requirements. Polyurethane insulation materials also save more energy during their lifetime than is used in their production.

Polyurethane insulation improves living comfort while generating significant energy savings, thereby improving access to affordable and future-resilient housing and increasing energy efficiency [3]. The initial cost of building energy efficient housing is generally higher due to the extra costs associated with improved insulation. These are short-term costs, which will be returned as the gains from energy savings will be significant [4].

Polyurethane insulation systems create protective air barriers in roofs, walls and under floors, effectively sealing off the building from the elements to help save energy. Furthermore, buildings insulated with polyurethane foam often require smaller heating and air conditioning units, which could save additional money for the building owner [5].

Energy efficient buildings, such as those using polyurethane foam products, use less energy to heat and cool, requiring less fossil fuel use and emitting fewer greenhouse gas emissions [5].

Polyurethane insulation has fire resistant properties and is thinner compared to conventional materials, which leads to lighter construction and more indoor space [6].

Polyurethane spray foam insulation is a highly energy-efficient product and quickly offsets its manufacturing footprint. Compared to other insulation and air sealing products, the environmental payback period for spray foam can be as little as 7 to 8 years. With the typical insulation life span of 75 years, this means that spray foam can save energy for generations [7].

More information on polyurethane insulation is available on the Australian Modern Building Alliance (AMBA) website.

Plastics are a versatile, cost-efficient, lightweight and hygienic group of materials. They were originally invented in the 1860s to replace elephant ivory for billiard balls (one tusk produced roughly 5 balls).

Plastics inspire and enable countless design opportunities for innovations that help make life better, healthier and safer every day, and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The Australian Plastics Industry

The plastics industry employs 34,500 people in 2,500 business Australia wide and contributed $3.3 billion of GDP in 2017-18¹. It is intrinsically linked to critical supply chains of key industries across the economy. Major market segments include manufacturing, including food and packaging, transport, electrical and electronics; construction; services; mining, and agriculture.
The industry manufacturers and imports raw materials (polymers), designs and manufactures these into finished goods to meet consumer demand and is involved in recovering and recycling these back into new raw materials for ongoing use into increasingly circular economies.

Markets

Australians consume approximately 3.5 million tonnes of plastic products each year², which is approximately 1 per cent of global demand. Of this, 60 per cent of plastic products consumed are imported finished goods and semi-finished goods³, with 40 per cent met through local manufacturing using either virgin resins or recycled resins.

Plastics products have a range of working lifespans including items such as short-term consumer packaging (up to one year), medium-term automotive parts, supermarket and milk crates (1-10 years) and long-term infrastructure such as mains water pipes (more than 50 years).

Plastic products contribute to sustainable food production (crop protection films, water tanks and irrigation pipes, processing tanks, trays, fittings and fixtures), and help reduce food wastage by keeping food fresher for longer (industrial, commercial and consumer packaging). Reducing waste also helps reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Plastic products improve our health and well-being through the delivery of clean drinking water to our towns and households and the removal of waste through a range of poly pipes, fittings and tanks. This helps protect us from illness and prevents the spread of disease. Medical and surgical supplies, personal protective equipment, flooring and fittings are the material of choice for hospitals and surgeries.

Plastic products improve safety and reduce injury through seatbelts and airbags in cars, child safety seats and bicycle helmets, and personal protective equipment for our police, fire fighters and armed forces.

Plastic products help to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gases by improving the insulation in our homes and other buildings.

Sustainability

The lightweight, hygienic and cost-effective properties of plastic products help industry, government and communities achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This includes objectives under #6 – Clean Water and Sanitation, #7 – Affordable and Clean Energy, and #12 – Responsible Consumption and Production.

Plastic products have been found to have a lower total greenhouse gas contribution than alternatives in most applications across product life cycles. For example, the environmental cost of plastic in consumer goods has been reported as 3.8 times less than the alternative materials that would need to replace plastics⁴.

Creating an Australian Plastics Circular Economy

Chemistry Australia is committed to helping create an Australian Plastics Circular Economy. This system prioritises resource conservation and efficiency, using design innovations that enable longer product lifespans, as well as re-use, recovery and recycling technologies that transform used products into high value resources. This allows society to capture the greatest value from materials that have traditionally been discarded and make them available for the manufacture of new plastic products.

Advanced Recycling

In addition to increasing the mechanical recycling of plastics, Chemistry Australia members are investing in advanced recycling technologies (also known as chemical recycling) to further increase the type and amount of plastic products recycled in Australia.

Advanced recycling is increasingly being used overseas to convert plastic waste into high-value recycled plastics. Advanced recycling is complementary to mechanical recycling and Australia will need both technologies to achieve a Plastics Circular Economy.

Chemistry Australia has collaborated with CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, on a report into advanced recycling. Advanced recycling technologies to address Australia’s plastic waste explains the range of advanced recycling technology types, their contributions, and the pathways needed for their introduction.

To find out more about the CSIRO Advanced Recycling Report, visit the CSIRO website.   

Alternatively, read our media release Chemistry Australia and CSIRO collaborate on advanced plastics recycling report.

Eliminating Plastic Pollution

Plastic products at the end of their life can also end up as pollution on land, in rivers and oceans, creating environmental and other problems. This is a complex, global issue that will need coordinated action by governments, industry and communities to solve. The United Nations has identified that globally, “A shift to a circular economy can reduce the volume of plastics entering oceans by over 80 per cent by 2040; reduce virgin plastic production by 55 per cent; save governments US$70 billion by 2040; reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent; and create 700,000 additional jobs – mainly in the global south”⁵.

Operation Clean Sweep®

Operation Clean Sweep is a global program designed to help the plastics and logistics industries eliminate the loss of plastic resin pellets, flake and powders from all parts of the plastics value-chain into the environment.

Chemistry Australia is the joint licensee with the Tangaroa Blue Foundation, which manages Operation Clean Sweep Australia®. We encourage all part of the plastics value chain in Australia to sign on to this important initiative and demonstrate their commitment to helping eliminate plastic pollution.

CSIRO Mission to end plastic waste

Chemistry Australia has partnered with CSIRO on its Ending Plastic Waste Mission, with the target of reducing plastic waste into the environment by 80 per cent by 2030. The mission aims to use science and technology to inform and develop a range of solutions to prevent plastic waste entering our environment, as well as transform the way we use, re-use and recycle plastics at their end of life.

National Plastics Plan

Chemistry Australia supports the Federal Government’s National Plastics Plan 2021, which comprehensively maps a pathway to support the sustainable use of Australia’s valuable plastic resources. The National Plastics Plan recognises the need for all stakeholders across industry, governments, and consumers to work together to significantly reduce waste and boost the recovery and reuse of plastics at their end of life.

There is a growing number of product stewardship schemes in Australia, ensuring that a greater range of plastic products at the end of their lifespans can be collected, re-purposed and recycled.

APCO

Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), a not-for-profit organisation leading the development of a circular economy for packaging in Australia.

APCO works with governments, businesses and other organisations from across Australia’s large and complex packaging value chain to deliver a co-regulatory framework which recognises that all sectors and governments have both a responsibility and a role to play to find the best possible solutions for packaging efficiency and sustainability in Australia.

Chemistry Australia is a member of APCO and supports the 2025 National Packaging Targets, along with the obligations set out in the Australian Packaging Covenant. It also participates in APCO advisory groups to support delivery of the APCO targets and objectives.

UN Treaty to End Plastic Pollution

The United Nations Environment Assembly resolved in March 2022 to develop a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution (Resolution 5/14) . The treaty will be developed by member governments, with plans for the treaty to be finalised by 2024/25. The resolution recognises the international transboundary nature of plastic pollution and the importance of globally coordinated national actions by governments, industry and communities, based on sound science and policy, to achieve positive outcomes.

Chemistry Australia supports the development of a suitable treaty able to coordinate the global actions required. We are working closely with the Australian Government and the global plastics industry to provide input and advice about how to create positive change, including using the significant capability of the Australian plastics industry.

Global Partners for Plastics Circularity

As a member of the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), Chemistry Australia is part of the Global Partners for Plastics Circularity. Its website maps the ambition and actions to support governments developing and implementing a balanced UN Treaty to end plastic pollution.

The term industrial gases refer to gases such as acetylene, argon, ammonia, carbon dioxide, chlorine, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and a range of other speciality gases, used in a wide range of applications.

The industrial gases sector, and the industrial and medical gases companies it represents, are an important enabler for many strategic industry sectors that support the Australian economy.

Industrial gases [1] are essential to a diverse range of industries including:

• Water treatment – Oxygen and carbon dioxide can be used to improve water treatment
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Food processing – Carbon dioxide and nitrogen can be used to freeze food; carbon dioxide is used in beverages and in dry ice production.
• Refining and petrochemical plants
• Electricity generation
• Chemical processing.

Medical gases [1] are essential to:

• Healthcare - Oxygen is used in hospitals, aged care facilities and in-home patients. Nitrous oxide is used in surgery and medical procedures.
• Medical imaging - Helium is used in MRIs
• Cryobiology and cryotherapy, including assisted fertility and sample retention.

Australia New Zealand Industrial Gas Association (ANZIGA) represents companies that produce and distribute industrial gases, including bulk and compressed gas for the industrial, medical, food, scientifically and hospitality markets in Australia and New Zealand.

Safety

Safe use, storage, transport and handling of industrial, food and medical gases is important.

ANZIGA publish a range of safety publications covering topics including:

• Cylinders, installation, decant filling, manual handling, etc.
• Acetylene
• Load restraint and transport
• Medical gas
• Hydrogen

Additional safety information is also available on the following topics:

• Transport
• Flammable gases
• Helium
• Nitrous oxide
• Toxic gases
• Hydrogen

Hydrogen

Hydrogen is a major industrial gas and is utilised across a range of industries. It is widely used in the production of bulk chemicals, intermediates and specialty chemicals.

Hydrogen can be used as a green energy source and is a major player in a cleaner energy future.

More information on hydrogen is available on the ANZIGA website.

Plastic products provide significant benefits to people, the economy, and the environment.

Globally the world is looking for ways to improve overall circularity, including decreasing waste and improving both resource and energy efficiency, whilst meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The lightweight, hygiene, design flexibility and cost properties of plastics make it a material of choice for many applications.

Sustainability

Products should be designed to ensure they achieve their highest possible use within circular economies, including opportunities to be re-used and in long-duration lifespans where able. At the end of their useful life, plastic products need to be recovered and recycled to create feedstocks for new product manufacturing.

Recycling, therefore, is one of the key technology stages that contribute to achieving a plastic circular economy. In addition to design, re-use, re-manufacturing and long duration cycles, recycling plays a key role in eliminating waste and circulating materials at their highest value.

The current transition from a linear to an Australian plastic circular economy is a priority area of work for our members and partners, to help prevent pollution. Our members are leading the way with new investments to increase mechanical recycling and introduce complementary advanced, or chemical, recycling to recover more products at their end of life. These technologies convert used plastics into high value materials for new products with recycled content.

 Governments have also committed to transforming Australia’s waste and recycling industry via programs including the Recycling Modernisation Fund (RMF). These will support an increase in the capacity of recycling facilities around the country, including the infrastructure that delivers used products to them for processing.

Plastics can be recycled by a number of different approaches including:

• Mechanical
• Chemical or advanced

Recycling technologies

Mechanical recycling is the most common approach used for recycling plastics like polyethylene terephthalate (PET) used to make soft drink bottles, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) used to make milk bottles and polypropylene (PP) used to make a variety of consumer packaging. Mechanical recycling refers to the processing of plastics waste into secondary raw material or products without significantly changing the material’s chemical structure [1].  It involves collection, sorting, shredding, washing and extrusion into pellets.

Chemical or advanced recycling is the conversion to monomer or production of new raw materials by changing the chemical structure of a material or substance through cracking, gasification or depolymerisation, excluding energy recovery and incineration [2].

Advanced recycling converts waste polymers into their original monomers, oligomers, hydrocarbons, or other valuable chemicals, such as energy and fuels, which can be reused as raw materials for the production of new plastics [3].

Advanced Recycling Report

Chemistry Australia and its members have collaborated with CSIRO on a report into advanced recycling.  CSIRO’s Advanced recycling technologies to address Australia’s plastic waste report identifies the types of technologies available, the contribution they can make, and what is needed for their introduction.

The Report considers a range of advanced recycling technology pathways, which are increasingly being used overseas to convert plastic waste into high-value recycled plastics and other products.  

Please refer to media release Chemistry Australia and CSIRO collaborate on advanced plastics recycling report for more details.

Packaging

The Australian Packaging Covenant (APCO) is Australia's commitment to smart packaging, less waste and a cleaner environment.

Chemistry Australia supports APCO and is a foundation signatory to the first Covenant in 1995.  Chemistry Australia and its signatory members are committed to the sustainable management, use and recovery of packaging and the APCO 2025 targets.

Plastic packaging is a particularly energy and material efficient method of preserving, transporting, storing, preparing and serving food.  It contributes to a wide variety of packaging types to meet the increasing demands of modern, safe living.

Plastic packaging can extend the shelf life and prevent tampering of our food.  Like other applications, plastic packaging should be designed to operate within a circular economy.

Paints and coatings protect and beautify the surfaces to which they are applied and enhance the value of everything from homes and manufactured products to bridges and other structures. 

Practically every man-made product has a coating that is necessary to protect it and maintain its usefulness.  Primary categories of paints and coatings include the following:

• Architectural Coatings – These are products that can be applied by professional trade painters and “do-it-yourself” consumers” to beautify and maintain the surfaces of homes, public buildings, offices and factories.
• Industrial Coatings – These are coatings applied at the time of manufacture of products.
• Special Purpose Coatings – These include a wide array of divergent coatings that tend to be “field-applied”, as opposed to being applied in a factory setting. This segment can be divided into the following major sub-segments:
  • Automotive Refinish Coatings;
    • Industrial Maintenance Coatings;
  • Traffic Marking Paints; and
  • Marine Paints.

The Australian Paint Manufacturers’ Federation (APMF) is the industry association for the paint and coatings industry. More information on paint and surface coatings is available on their website.

The APMF provides a number of resources for the industry including:

• Painting fact sheets
• Information sheets on paint related topics
• Automotive refinishing guide
• Manual handling guide
• Graffiti

Product Stewardship

Paintback^® is a cost-effective solution for household and trade painters to remove unwanted paint and packaging and prevent it from ending up in landfill and vital waterways. Paintback^® also funds research to find better uses for unwanted paint.

Sustainability

The paint and surface coatings industry continues to be proactive in developing new products and technologies to reduce the environmental impact of the production and use of their products, such as lower VOC-containing products, in paints and inks.  There are now many examples of innovations designed to minimise energy consumption, VOC emissions, water consumption and transport, within the surface coatings industry.  Other sustainability examples include an increasing use of renewable materials, advanced recycling and waste recovery techniques and the supply of products in returnable packaging [1].