Sustainable Options in Polyethylene Jackets for Optical Fiber Cables
Global annual plastic production exceeds 390 million tons with polyethylene production accounting for about 160 million tons and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from typical polyolefin production processes, resulting in about 1.6 KG of CO2 equivalent emissions per KG of polyethylene. Polyethylene used in wire and cable accounts for about 2% of global polyethylene, and plastic production accounts for between 4 and 8% of global petroleum consumption. Currently, global polyethylene production is increasing with only about 8% of plastic waste currently being recycled5. More sustainable solutions for polyethylene cable jacket supply are needed including bio-based feedstocks, mechanical recycling and chemical recycling.