Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) has joined the 27-firm Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), which works on finding advanced solutions to limit the misuse of plastic wastes.
SABIC has also developed a project that aims to recycle low-quality mixed plastic waste to turn it into feedstock for the company’s steam crackers in Europe.
SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO Yousef al-Bunyan said that the use of plastic facilitates modern life. Yet, the most beneficial products might become harmful if misused or not eliminated properly.
Consumers, firms, and governments are trying to find ways to confront this challenge, he said.
“Through this alliance we wanted to clarify that global companies, which produce and use plastics, can be part of the solution," Bunyan added.
Solving the environmental problem stemming from plastic waste requires the society’s joint efforts and a strict commitment by consumers, manufacturers and those developing new techniques, Bunyan stressed.
AEPW is a not-for-profit organization that includes companies that make, use, sell, process, collect and recycle plastics. This includes chemical and plastic manufacturers, consumer goods companies, retailers, converters, and waste management companies, also known as the plastics value chain.
AEPW says it will make additional investments and drive progress in four key areas: infrastructure development to collect and manage waste and increase recycling; innovation to advance and scale new technologies that make recycling and recovering plastics easier and create value from all post-use plastics; education and engagement of governments, businesses, and communities to mobilize action.
