PETpla.net Insider 11 / 2016

MATERIAL / RECYCLING 14 PET planet Insider Vol. 17 No. 11/16 www.petpla.net BP PTAir launch: more sustainable solution to the polyester chain Tackling environmental challenges By Anthony Withers On the hottest September day in England for a century, the luxuriant setting of Kew Gardens was the exotic backdrop for the launch of BP’s PTAir, which the company claims will be a sustainable solution for all the major players in the polyester chain from users themselves to brand owners and retailers. It forms an integral part of the company’s Target Neutral strategy. Some seventy industry professionals, consultants and representatives from media outlets attended the launch. The main themes of the presenta- tion were outlined at the start of the presentation by senior BP executives notably Rita Griffin, COO Petrochemi- cals, Andrea Abrahams, Global Direc- tor of BP’s Target Neutral strategy and Luis Sierra, CEO BP Global Aromat- ics. These themes included: sustain- ability, climate change, reducing CO 2 emissions, recycling, more efficient use of resources and much else besides. Speakers focused on how producers, industry leaders and con- sumers can come together to meet the environmental challenges faced by the planet. Andrea Abrahams, Global Director BP Target Neutral Three guest speakers delivered their own take on the problems and challenges faced by all the principal actors in the polyester chain. First on the podium was Mark Kenber of Mongoose Energy, an expert on cli- mate change and international climate policy. In a wide-ranging speech, he delivered a comprehensive review of the current situation, from the disap- pointments of the 2009 Copenhagen Accord on climate change, which promised much but achieved little, to the 2016 Paris Agreement, which by general consent, represented a step change in securing international agreement on reducing carbon emis- sions. Mark Kenber, Mongoose Energy From this global perspective, the next speaker, Mike Barry, Director of Sustainable Business at Marks & Spencer, offered the sometimes con- flicting views of the typical M & S customer. Some, he said, were deeply committed to “saving the planet”, others couldn’t care less, and in between were what Barry called the “swing voters” whose views were mostly favourable but could be swayed by changes in their per- sonal economic circumstances. He emphasised how much the individual consumer is the driver behind M & S’s commitment to sustainability, suggest- ing that this is why the M & S brand is known for its high quality offer, and is an industry leader in delivering envi- ronmental initiatives. Mike Barry, Director of Sustainable Business Marks & Spencer The final speaker, Dr Pieterjan van Uytvanck, Consultant, PCI Wood Mackenzie, analysed the polyester lifecycle, stressing how important the material was in everybody’s everyday lives. Reducing the carbon footprint has now become a priority as the previous speakers had demonstrated and Dr van Uytvanck went through the various processes that could lead not only to a reduction in carbon emis- sions, but could save energy and boost cost-efficiency. Lightweight- ing and more efficient recycling were examined as well as innovative ideas that enable heat to be recovered and returned to the grid. Dr Pieterjan van Uytvanck, PCI Wood Mackenzie As Luis Sierra pointed out in his concluding remarks, there is still a long way to go, in particular balancing environmental sustainability with com- petitive forces in the market. Carbon Rita Griffin, COO BP Petrochemicals