B. McGinley
Deloitte Consulting LLP,
United States
Keywords: lightweight polymers
Summary:
Lightweighting is quickly becoming one of the most practical sustainability levers to decarbonize polymer-intensive value chains—delivering near-term emissions reduction without waiting for breakthrough technologies. In this keynote, we’ll share insights from Pathways toward Sustainability, a new study by Deloitte and Princeton University’s Andlinger Center, and which spotlights how end markets key to advanced polymer solutions—combined with cross–value chain collaboration—can accelerate industry progress toward net-zero and circularity targets. We’ll focus on two headline findings. First, an analysis informed by OPIS data indicates that the end markets where lightweighting matters most—packaging, construction, and automotive—can materially reduce energy demand and emissions while strengthening circularity outcomes. Second, Deloitte’s “green premium” analysis shows that while low-emissions inputs can carry meaningful cost at the building-block stage, that premium often dilutes substantially at the finished-product level—making collaboration the decisive factor in scaling solutions. We’ll conclude with the highest-impact opportunities for manufacturers and polymer users to work together to scale low-emissions polymers—protecting performance, compliance, recyclability, and cost competitiveness.