Chemical companies must take lead in reducing plastics pollution
By Lethbridge Herald on May 4, 2024.
Editor:
Regarding plastic makers – what they make and what they recycle:
The whole waste plastic issue comes down to the plastics industry (raw pellet (virgin) producers and product manufactures) mind set, that it is a consumer’s problem – be it industry or the man/women on the street. You buy it, you handle the waste problem!
The whole issue could be solved tomorrow by the raw material suppliers, Chemical companies such as Dow Chemical, LyondellBasell, BASF, Sinopec, Sabic, Exxon Mobil, Chevron Phillips, Mitsubishi, Air liquide – just to name a few of the big players – meeting and agreeing to insure that every pellet of virgin plastic they spew out is recycled. They would have to spend billions of dollars (that they have) to underwrite property, buildings and equipment to receive and make ready for reuse every pound they sell.
These chemical companies must take the lead and all the end product manufacturers would fall in line and be part of the process – after all, everyone is in the industry to make money. The collection and sorting problem would come together if there was a place to send the waste plastic and the governments of the world would not have to come up with plans and regulation to force the issue.
NOVA Chemicals, a small player in this industry, and its CEO, Roger Kearns has contacts and could start the process in Canada and show that it can be done and why not start in North America? Canada, Uruguay, France and South Korea would never have spearheaded a Global Treaty to end plastic waste if the plastic industry had addressed the problem years ago.
Grant R Harrington
Lethbridge
9-8
oil is great, plastic is oil, therefore plastic is great…right? seeing as plastic is good at keeping food fresh, it can do great at keeping all living organisms, ostensibly each are food, nice and fresh. hence, all lasts longer, and tastes better. geez, one would think that removing plastic grocery bags and plastic straws would have been enough already. what a world – ever always about dollars, and ever lacking sense.