Serving the Teesside Business Community | 35
“It’s a gigantic task
but I firmly believe
that together we can
make a very significant,
positive difference to our
environment.”
Used in a variety of industries, SABIC’s
chemicals go into the plastic for car interiors
and exteriors such headlamps, bumpers and
grilles, making vehicles lighter, reducing fuel
consumption and reducing C02 emissions.
SABIC-manufactured chemicals are used
in the construction industry and in insulation
materials for energy-efficient housing. In
the automotive sector, its products help
customers create strong, lightweight
materials, making vehicles lighter, thereby
saving fuel and CO2 emissions, as they do in
the mass transportation market too.
In the medical fields, SABIC’s materials are
used for artificial heart valves, CT and MRI
scanners and a host of other ingenious, life-
saving and hygienic medical products.
It would be impossible to imagine a world
without mobile phones, laptops, televisions
or the internet. And yet all such electronic
devices and the necessary cables, plugs and
chargers require plastics. Indeed, without
plastics, our global communication and
transportation network would cease to exist.
Plastic packaging means food and drink
lasts longer, is easier to transport and is
Smith reveals: “There is much research
more readily available, particularly in areas of
and development currently being done to
the world that would otherwise struggle to
look at recycling technologies. At a corporate
sustain themselves independently.
level, SABIC announced this year at the
Smith, SABIC’s Teesside site director, says:
World Economic Forum in Davos, its ambition
“Plastic takes the form of many roles in our
to pioneer the chemical recycling of mixed
everyday lives and yet it is often unnoticed or
plastic waste to produce a raw material for
taken for granted.
our plants.
“Recent
“Closer to home,
“We all have a responsibility to Renew
research by Trucost
ELP will
protect our planet, the real issue shortly commence
shows that the
environmental cost
construction of
is what we do to reduce and
of using alternative
the world’s first
recycle plastic waste.”
materials could be
commercial-
nearly four times
scale plant at its
greater. The study measured environmental
recently acquired site at Wilton International.
impacts such as the consumption of water,
The plant will use an innovative chemical
energy and carbon dioxide emissions.
process to convert end-of-life plastic waste
“We all have a responsibility to protect
into sustainable oils and chemicals, with a
our planet, the real issue is what we do to
processing capacity of 80,000 tonnes per
reduce and recycle plastic waste.
annum.
“All plastic, including single-use plastic, can
“SABIC on Teesside sees the potential
be recycled; it’s clear, therefore, that it’s time
to further convert such raw materials and
we stopped thinking of plastics as throwaway feed them directly into our Olefins cracker at
products but as a renewable resource. Plastic Wilton, so starting the whole process again.
is too valuable to throw away.
“I’m very keen to explore this more, as
“Technology and innovation has moved on
I’d really like to see this capability on the
substantially in the last few years and our
Teesside site and see how we at SABIC
industry is committed to achieving the goal
can play our role in the creation of a circular
of recycling all mixed plastic waste.
economy.”
“We’re at a place in history where
society’s relationship with plastics is
SABIC is one of the founding
evolving. Industry, government and the wider
members of the UK Plastic Pact, a
society all want the same thing: to reduce
world-first initiative which aims to
plastic waste so we leave the environment in
transform the plastic packaging system
a better place for generations to come.”
in the UK, whilst keeping plastic in the
Smith believes there is now an opportunity
economy and out of the environment.
for the UK to develop more sustainable
Alongside SABIC, 42 major
businesses, to enhance infrastructure and to
businesses - including M&S, Tesco,
establish and embed a culture that recycles
Nestle and Unilever - have committed
used materials wherever possible.
to reach a series of ambitious targets
“Ultimately, it comes down to education,
by 2025 to eliminate avoidable plastic
which needs to be undertaken on a global
waste.
basis,” he continues. “As governments,
The pact will be replicated in
local authorities, national government
other countries to form a powerful
organisations, manufacturers, suppliers,
global movement as part of the Ellen
retailers and consumers, we all need to look
MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics
at our habits to see how we can reduce
Economy Initiative.
plastic waste and littering.
Through the pact, ambitious targets
“As most of the plastic in the ocean comes
for 2025 include:
from the land, it is essential, naturally, that
• 100% of plastic packaging
we prevent litter on the land. This includes
to be reusable, recyclable or
behaviour change initiatives and improving
compostable
waste management in developing countries.”
• 70% of plastic packaging
effectively recycled or composted
According to the Ellen MacArthur
• Elimination of single-use plastic
Foundation, 98% of the litter in our
through re-design, innovation or
oceans emanates from countries
alternative delivery models.
outside Europe and the United States.
Many experts in the field believe that
adopting the principles of circularity laid out
in the government’s UK Industrial Strategy
could lead to a low carbon manufacturing
revolution, creating jobs and wealth as we
establish a world-leading cir