Although many individuals blame industry for climate change, the business climate has been shifting to focus on innovative initiatives toward solutions. Many industry leaders today want what is best for their customers and the planet. According to the UN Climate Action Summit business is already contributing to positive change.[1]
Accelerated climate solutions can strengthen our economies and create jobs, while bringing cleaner air, preserving natural habitats and biodiversity, and protecting our environment.
In the past few months, a number of sustainability initiatives have made progress in the chemicals and materials industries. Innov8 Updates’ Innov8 Green section regularly reports on these efforts, and has compiled some of the most recent actions below.
Circular Plastics Alliance[2]
In September 2019, more than 100 public and private partners companies covering the plastics value chain signed the declaration of the Circular Plastics Alliance, which promotes voluntary actions for a well-functioning EU market in recycled plastics.
The declaration aims toward a target of 10 million tons of recycled plastic used to make new products every year in Europe, by 2025. This target was set by the European Commission in its 2018 Plastics Strategy, as part of its efforts to boost plastics recycling in Europe.
The list of partners and companies that have signed the declaration can be found here and the list continues to grow as the Alliance encourages other companies to join. The declaration’s actions to reach the target, include:
- improving the design of plastic products to make them more recyclable and integrate more recycled plastics;
- identifying untapped potential for more plastic waste collection, sorting and recycling across the EU, as well as the investment gaps;
- building a Research & Development agenda for circular plastics;
- establishing a transparent and reliable monitoring system to track all flows of plastic waste in the EU.
Avery Dennison [3]
A partnership of EcoVadis and Avery Dennison has made the short list for the Innovations in Sustainability Award to be announced at the Future of Sourcing Awards, October 16, 2019.
The awards, sponsored by the Sourcing Industry Group, honor organizations and individuals that show innovation, leadership, and transformation in categories that are critical to the sourcing industry.
In 2015, Avery Dennison set eight 2025 sustainability targets, including lowering GHG emissions, achieving 95% landfill-free facilities, and sourcing 100 percent of paper made from fiber certified as sustainable. “We knew that reaching these goals would require engaging closely with suppliers on corporate social responsibility performance, and having a clear strategy for managing responsible purchasing across our extensive supplier network,” said Robyn Buma, senior director, global procurement at Avery Dennison in a company press release.
Avery Dennison partnered with EcoVadis to implement a collaborative program to review corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance in their global supply chain. EcoVadis’ platform and services deliver scorecards with quantitative ratings and qualitative details on 21 CSR criteria across four criteria themes: environment, labor and human rights, business ethics, and sustainable procurement.
“Avery Dennison is thrilled to be recognized for our sustainability procurement program,” said Buma in the release. “This project not only minimizes Avery Dennison’s environmental risk downstream, it provides a tangible way to collaborate with our suppliers on meaningful projects that advance our sustainable sourcing strategy.”
Braskem [4]
October 2019, Braskem plans to announce a partnership with Kautex Maschinenbau at a major industry trade fair. This involves Braskem supplying its Green Plastic resin made from sugarcane, as well as post-consumer resin, for the pioneering production of bottles made from high-density polyethylene with three layers, one consisting of foam. The solution reduces the CO2 footprint of the final product compared to those made using conventional technologies.
The bottles may be collected and sent for recycling under another partnership with Erema, a manufacturer of machines for plastic recycling. The initiative reaffirms the three companies’ commitment to the Circular Economy.
“This partnership with Kautex and Erema confirms once more that the global industry is increasingly interested in sustainable solutions that add value to finished goods,” said Gustavo Sergi, director of Renewable Chemicals at Braskem in a company press release.
Covestro [5]
In addition to signing the declaration of the Circular Plastics Alliance,2 Covestro supports youth innovators tackle the global climate crisis through its support of the UN Young Champions of the Earth prize 2019.
Seven winners from around the world were chosen from over 1000 applicants. These young entrepreneurs received their awards ($15,000 each in seed funding) during a special ceremony corresponding with UN General Assembly week in New York City in September 2019.
A global jury including Covestro CEO Markus Steilemann selected 35 regional finalists from over 1000 applicants, all aged between 18 and 30.
“The business world needs fresh thinking and much more of a start-up culture to tackle environmental challenges while ensuring global long-term growth,” said Steilemann in a Covestro press release. “The Young Champions of the Earth can help achieve this – and everyone at Covestro is proud to support them. We want to help make the world a brighter place.”
For summaries of the winning projects, see the Covestro press release.
Eastman [6]
Eastman plans to unveil the sustainable transformation of its cosmetics portfolio at LUXE PACK MONACO at the Grimaldi Forum Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, 2019. Eastman will showcase next-generation Eastman Trēva™ engineering bioplastic and introduce Eastman Cristal Revēl™ copolyesters, a new line of proprietary post-consumer recycled content (PCR) compounded polyesters. These new sustainable materials will participate alongside The Glass Polymer™ family of cosmetic materials in the circular economy via Eastman’s recently announced recycling technology loops: mechanical recycling stream technologies, carbon renewal technology, and advanced circular recycling.
The LUXE PACK in green Awards recognize worldwide sustainable packaging innovations and the best responsible initiative. Eastman is among this year’s nominees for its transformative circular solutions. Winners will be announced Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019.
“At Eastman, sustainability is at the core of who we are as a company. Investment in these new technologies underscores our unwavering commitment to ensure full participation in the circular economy,” said Glenn Goldman, marketing director, Eastman Specialty Plastics in a company press release. “The products we are introducing today provide real solutions to sustainability challenges and represent a brighter future for our company and our partners.”
ExxonMobil [7]
ExxonMobil and Mosaic Materials have entered into an agreement to explore the advancement of technology that can remove carbon dioxide from emissions sources, according to an ExxonMobil press release.
Mosaic Materials research focuses on a process that uses porous solids, known as metal-organic frameworks, to separate carbon dioxide from air or flue gas. The agreement with ExxonMobil will enable further discussion between the two companies to evaluate opportunities for industrial uses of the technology at scale.
“New technologies in carbon capture will be critical enablers for us to meet growing energy demands, while reducing emissions,” said Vijay Swarup, vice president of research and development for ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, in the press release..
“Our agreement with Mosaic expands our carbon capture technology research portfolio, which is evaluating multiple pathways — including evaluation of carbonate fuel cells and direct air capture – to reduce costs and enable large-scale deployment. Adding Mosaic’s approach will allow us to build on their work to evaluate the potential for this technology to have a meaningful impact in reducing carbon dioxide emissions,” he said.
“Through this agreement with ExxonMobil, we look to accelerate the pace of our development and demonstrate the business and environmental benefits that our technology can offer,” said Thomas McDonald, chief executive officer of Mosaic Materials in the press release. “Our proprietary technology allows us to separate carbon dioxide from nearly any gas mixture using moderate temperature and pressure changes, substantially increasing energy efficiency and decreasing costs.”
This engagement builds upon ExxonMobil’s portfolio – in collaboration with startups, academia and governments – to develop next-generation energy technologies that improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ExxonMobil supports Cyclotron Road, a fellowship for entrepreneurial scientists that is managed in partnership between Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Activate, an independent nonprofit.
ExxonMobil also recently announced a 10-year, up to $100 million agreement to research and develop advanced lower-emissions technologies with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and National Energy Technology Laboratory.
Solvay [8]
One green Solvay initiative is a partnership with a large solar farm built in South Carolina. Solvay is purchasing 100% of the Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) produced by the solar farm over the course of the next 15 years. According to a Solvay press release, as of 2018, Solvay ranked 9th in the US with the most solar capacity installed, according to a report put together by the Solar Energy Industries Association.
“Solvay Solar Energy, Jasper County SC” solar farm is a 900-acre, 71-megawatt facility south of Charleston, South Carolina. These figures might seem a little abstract, so let’s put things this way: this expanse of solar panels covers an area equivalent to 500 football (soccer) fields and provide enough power for 15,000 households – or 164,000 MWh a year, offsetting approximately 80,000 tons of CO2 emissions. This makes it the largest solar farm in a region where the sub-tropical climate suffers no shortage of hot sun.
The main thing a solar plant produces is megawatt hours of electricity; but it also generates environmental benefits for producing them from clean, renewable energy. These environmental attributes, duly certified by an independent third party, become RECs, which can be purchased by a different customer than the one who buys the electricity itself.
Solvay has set the objective of a 40% reduction of the carbon intensity of its operations by 2025, through Solvay Energy Services, the group’s global business unit in charge of energy matters.
Talks with Dominion, the American energy company that built the Jasper County solar farm, began in 2016. Solvay runs several facilities in the southwestern US (Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina).The company’s Charleston plant is only 60 miles from the solar farm.
Also, part of the project’s area is devoted devoted to a 450-acre gopher tortoise preserve. Gopher tortoises are a local species of turtle, and a colony of over 100 of them, one of the largest in the state, will thus be permanently protected.
Lightweighting
Another trend that may help the environment is the creation of materials for the lightweighting of vehicles to create better fuel efficiency; several companies, such as, Arkema, BASF, Dow, PPG and Evonik have all been involved in initiatives in this area.
Innov8 Green
Innovation on its most basic level means to do something differently for a value. Critics may argue that the chemical and materials industries have not done enough to fight climate change, but green solutions such as the ones detailed above constitute a mere sampling of green solutions underway in industry and academia and are at the heart of innovation. These solutions can strengthen economies and create jobs, which is not only good for business, but great for the health and well-being of the planet and the people.
Sources
- UN Climate Action Summit 2019. A Race We Can Win. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/un-climate-summit-2019.shtml. Accessed September 24, 2019.
- Circular Plastics Alliance: 100+ signatories commit to use 10 million tons of recycled plastic in new products by 2025. Press Release. https://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-19-5583_en.htm. Accessed September 24, 2019.
- EcoVadis and Avery Dennison Shortlisted for Innovation at Sustainability Award 2019. Press Release. https://www.averydennison.com/en/home/newsroom/press-releases/ecovadis-and-avery-dennison-shortlisted-for-innovation-at-sustainability-award-2019.html. Accessed September 24, 2019.
- Braskem reinforces its Circular Economy positioning at K Fair. Press Release. https://www.braskem.com.br/news-detail/braskem-reinforces-its-circular-economy-positioning-at-k-fair. Accessed September 24, 2019.
- UN Young Champions of the Earth 2019 winners named. Press Release. https://press.covestro.com/news.nsf/id/UN-Young-Champions-of-the-Earth-2019-winners-named?Open&parent=Home_EN&ccm=000. Accessed September 24, 2019.
- Eastman reveals vision for sustainable future at LUXE PACK MONACO 2019. Press Release. https://www.eastman.com/Company/News_Center/2019/Pages/Eastman-reveals-vision-for-sustainable-future-at-LUXE-PACK-MONACO-2019.aspx. Accessed September 25, 2019.
- ExxonMobil and Mosaic Materials to Explore New Carbon Capture Technology. Press Release. https://news.exxonmobil.com/press-release/exxonmobil-and-mosaic-materials-explore-new-carbon-capture-technology. Accessed September 25, 2019.
- Solvay ranked in top 10 by Solar Energy Industries Association. Press Release. https://www.solvay.com/en/article/solvay-solar-farm. Accessed September 25, 2019.
