HOW GREEN ARE PETRO-POLYMERS GOING TO BE

The controversy between ''petro-polymers'' and ''green polymers'' is a false one. Polymers synthesized by organisms, manipulated or not, are seen as green. Polymers based on cracker products, so called petro-po lymers, are considered to be environmentally unfriendly. Arguments use d in favour of ''natural'' polymers are: biodegradability, renewable r esources, recyclability, non waste producing etc. We think that severa l of these arguments are incorrect or irrelevant. Furthermore, we are convinced that petro-polymers might move substantially towards a susta inable situation. It might seem strange, but the most important steps towards such a situation have to be made not in the field of petro-pol ymers themselves but in the domain of energy supply.