Asia, consumption rates

The world s consumption of polyurethanes has been growing continuously because as materials they offer so many different properties and unique ecological and economic advantages. In fact, its consumption rate is increasing by up to 5% a year, (source www.inntecsrl.eu/cms). And there seems to be no end to this trend, quite the opposite actually polyurethane systems are finding new fields of application and market segments in Europe or the U.S., in Central or South America, in Asia, Africa or Australia. 

The growth rate, 4-7% per year, is greater than that of the plastics industry as a whole. Table 2.6 and Figure 2.4 show the consumption of composites in North America, Europe and Asia. Approximately 31% of composite matrices are thermoplastics, and 69% are... 

FIGURE 2.8 S02 emissions in many different regions as a function of rate of fuel consumption. Data for Europe and the United States are for 1980, and those for Asia are for 1987 (from Kato and Akimoto, 1992). 

The consumer markets in North America appear to have contracted, but there has been an increase of cannabis use in Africa and in most countries of South America. The situation in Europe is mixed. A decline of cannabis use was found in the Oceania region, which has the world s highest levels of prevalence rates for cannabis. Countries of East South-East Asia showed stable or declining cannabis consumption trends while in South-Asia, South-West Asia and Central Asia the reported trends suggest an increase. 

A key element of this slowdown has been the downward trend in amphetamines use in North America. Methamphetamine consumption among high school students in the USA fell by more than 37 per cent over the 2002-2006 period. The rate was closer to 20 per cent for the rest of the population. There has also been a clear stabilisation of demand within Europe and Asia. Overall, 44 per cent of reporting countries recorded a stabilization of ATS consumption in 2005, up from 33 per cent in 2000, while the proportion of countries experiencing an increase fell from 55 per cent in 2000 to 45 per cent in 2005 11 per cent of countries reported a decline in ATS use. 

Though domestic production of ATS is limited in Africa and South America, drug use surveys conducted in the two regions show that ATS consumption is far from negligible. This means that the markets are supplied by ATS diverted from legitimate pharmaceutical trade. In fact, the defined daily dose per 1000 inhabitants for legally produced ATS in the Americas amounts to more than 10, as compared to rates between 1 and 2 in Europe and Asia.31... 

From 1994 to 1998 world nitrogen fertilizer consumption increased at an average rate of 3% per year. Socialist Asia, South Asia and Latin American led the consumption increases. Consumption in Western Europe stabilized while demand in the former Soviet Union continued to fall. From 1998 to 2000, world nitrogen fertilizer consumption increased more slowly than it had in the previous period36. 

The epoxy resin production value in the United States, western Europe, and Asia is estimated to be over 2.5 billion. Almost 900,000 metric tons (t) of epoxy resins is consumed in these regions with around 35 percent of the consumption in Asia. The overall global consumption in 2002 was approximately 970,0001 (2.14 billion lb) with a 4 to 5 percent annual growth rate.3 The 7 to 10 percent growth rate in the 1970s has slowed except in Asia. Future consumption will average about 2 to 4 percent per year from 2004 to 2008 in the United States and western Europe.4 In North America the demand for epoxy resins is forecast at 690 million lb, valued at 1.4 billion, in 2004.5... 

Consumption of biodegradable plastics increased from 5,800 tonnes in 2000 to 17,800 tonnes in 2005. During the period 2005-2010, Asia Pacific biodegradable plastics consumption is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 16.7% to reach 38,500 tonnes in 2010. 

Although water is the most common substance in the world, only 3% is fresh water (97% is seawater), and only 1% is available for human consumption. According to many experts even 1% is adequate since firesh water supply is infinite because of the natural water cycle [1,3]. However, the availability and application of water is uneven around the world in water-stressed countries such as India, China as well as in countries in South-East Asia, Northern Afifica and North-East Afiica, the situation is especially acute. In India, for example, groundwater from aquifers is being pumped at nearly twice the rate of aquifer recharge from rainfall, while both the demand for water and the country s population is expected to increase at least 50% by 2050 [4]. 

Estimates for the world market for BFRs at the end of the 90s was around Im tonne/year, with the US and Europe taking more than 70% of global consumption, Japan around 14% and the rest elsewhere in Asia. Global growth rates are said to be 7-8% with Asia the fastest sector of all. 

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