We can solve the plastic waste crisis but we don’t have much time

JOHN RICHARDSON | May 27, 2021 | 218 views

IN 2015, a global agreement was reached that 8m tonnes a year of plastic waste entering the oceans was unacceptable, according to this September 2020 article in The Conversation. This was the amount of plastic that  was estimated to have ended up in the oceans in 2010.

“Several international platforms emerged to address the crisis, including Our Ocean, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the G7 Ocean Plastic Charter, among others,” continued the article.

But in 2020, an estimated 24m-34m tonnes of plastic waste was forecast to enter our lakes, rivers and oceans. This could reach as much as 90m tonnes in 2030 if the current trajectory continued, said The Conversation.

This is the type of information out there, free to view on the internet and accessible via a very quick Google search, representing a major challenges for our industry. I cannot of course verify the numbers. But they are out there.

Also out there is a May 2019 article by the World Economic Forum (WEF), which provided a good summary of research into what experts believed was the scale of the waste problem in the developing world.

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Roeslein & Associates

Roeslein & Associates was founded in 1990, specializing in engineering, procurement, modular fabrication and construction services. With annual revenues over $200 million, Roeslein has set the global standard in modularization, unitization, and preassembly of specialized plant facilities. We offer our clients full concept-to-completion project solutions and product offerings in a variety of industries including canmaking, industrial manufacturing, oil & gas, energy, and chemical processing.

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Spotlight

Roeslein & Associates

Roeslein & Associates was founded in 1990, specializing in engineering, procurement, modular fabrication and construction services. With annual revenues over $200 million, Roeslein has set the global standard in modularization, unitization, and preassembly of specialized plant facilities. We offer our clients full concept-to-completion project solutions and product offerings in a variety of industries including canmaking, industrial manufacturing, oil & gas, energy, and chemical processing.

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Azelis a leading innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, announces that it has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Sirius International (“Sirius”), a well-established distributor of specialty chemicals in the Benelux market. This acquisition complements Azelis’ lateral value chain in home care and industrial cleaning with an attractive portfolio and aligns perfectly with Azelis' ambition to become a world-leading innovation service provider. Pioneering in the formulation of sustainable cleaning products from biodegradable and/or recyclable chemical raw materials and with expertise in green chemicals, Sirius will reinforce Azelis' best-in-class sustainability program and enable it to offer innovative environmental solutions to its customers in the EMEA region and beyond. Founded in 2004 by current CEO Leo Verboeket, Sirius is a distributor of environmentally friendly chemicals for the detergent, personal care and water treatment markets in Europe. Based in Baarn, the Netherlands, this team of experienced professionals has an established market position and longstanding relationships with its principals, providing innovative products to European customers. Leo Verboeket, CEO Sirius, comments “We are excited to join Azelis’ family, a company that shares our values and commitment to sustainability. We look forward to developing more innovative solutions for our customers and expanding the reach of our current offerings to customers worldwide. This partnership will allow us to leverage Azelis' global network and expertise in sustainable chemistry, as we work together towards our shared goal of making a positive impact on the environment and society.” Evy Hellinckx, Managing Director Azelis Benelux, adds “By joining forces with Sirius, we are delighted to strengthen our presence in, among others, the home care and industrial cleaning markets in the Benelux and EMEA region. We are committed to promoting sustainable solutions across all sectors of the chemical industry, and we believe that this partnership will help us achieve our goals. We look forward to working with the talented team at Sirius to drive innovation and deliver value to our customers, while staying true to our shared values of sustainability and responsible business practices.” About Azelis Azelis is a leading global innovation service provider in the specialty chemical and food ingredients industry, present in 63 countries across the globe with over 3,800 employees. Our knowledgeable teams of industry, market and technical experts are each dedicated to a specific market within Life Sciences and Industrial Chemicals. We offer a lateral value chain of complementary products to more than 59,000 customers, supported by +2,700 principal relationships, creating a turnover of €4.1 billion (2022). Azelis Group NV is listed on Euronext Brussels under ticker AZE.

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