For Covestro (Thailand), plastic waste is a serious challenge globally. That is why it joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste as a co-founder.
“If you think about the nature of plastic waste, it might be generated on land but it ends up in rivers and oceans. That means even if it started in one country it could end up in another,” said Juergen Meyn, Managing Director of Covestro (Thailand).
The size of the problem also demands a global-scale effort. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, researchers estimate that more than 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been produced since the early 1950s. About 60% of that plastic has ended up either in a landfill or the natural environment.
“This is something that nobody can do alone,” Meyn said. “We need to collaborate. We need to work together.”
Since Covestro is one of the world’s leading hi-tech polymer producers, Meyn believes the company is suited to support the plastic waste clean-up campaign as well as the United Nations’ sustainability goals in general.
“When we talk about plastics, very often we think about single-use plastics — bags or cups. But Covestro produces different kinds of plastics. We focus on areas where we need high durability and long-lasting application. We are highly innovative. Out of 18,000 staff, almost 11,000 people work in research and development,” he said.
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste was founded in January this year. It is a non-profit organisation consisting of more than 35 global companies. Its mission is to eradicate plastic waste in the environment. And it plans to do so by spending 1.5 billion USD in the next five years to finance infrastructure, education and engagement, innovation, and clean-up efforts to keep plastic waste in the right place, according to its website.
Meyn said Covestro has been active in all four areas, especially education and engagement. The company runs several projects with communities around its plant in Rayong. It has produced a booklet titled Bright Minds for a Brighter World which it distributes to schools for teachers to show children how to properly handle plastic waste.
In another project initiated in August, Covestro collects used plastic bottles, shreds them and mixes the substance with polycarbonate to produce eyeglass frames which it donates to schools.
Juergen Meyn, Managing Director of Covestro (Thailand).
The company also has an education programme where it primarily addresses teachers about proper waste management. This allows the teachers to pass on the information to their students.
In actively working on this issue, Meyn noted the importance of innovation.
“Covestro is funding other initiatives globally. We are working with a company that has propriety knowledge on how to chemically recycle plastic waste to create new raw materials. This is what a real circular economy looks like and we believe that is one solution to end plastic waste.”
However, he insisted that without the right mindset, nothing will work.
“You can have the best technology but people don’t accept it and just say ‘I don’t care’. They still want plastic bags at the supermarket and stores. Then there will be no change at all. I think in the beginning we have to set the right mindset and this is what we are trying to achieve.”
Meyn said it is too early to evaluate the Alliance’s work but he definitely detects positive effects.
“In Thailand I see programmes from the government to reduce single-use plastics. I was in a restaurant the other day that didn’t give plastic straws anymore, only metal ones. Some grocery stores now ask if you want plastic bags before they pack your goods. These are things you didn’t see only a few months ago.”
He noted that there remains a long way to go to end plastic waste in the environment but emphasised that Alliance at least shows that Covestro is fully committed to promoting sustainability.
As for the end goal, zero plastic waste is the target.
“That is the ultimate goal. I think it is possible. If we look into all the possibilities out there we might not be able to get rid of everything today but we can keep pushing the boundaries. We don’t want to stop where people usually say ‘enough’. We will push further to see what else can we do. At the end of the day, a lot more things can still be implemented to end plastic waste.”
