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GPCA plastics summit highlights new 
set of challenges and opportunities

“Studies by the GPCA show that the image of plastics in the Gulf is much more favourable than in the West, so it is imperative that we act now to ensure that this remains the case before a nascent anti-plastics campaign in the region threatens industry prospects. The summit was just the first step,” said Dr Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, secretary-general of GPCA.

“The plastics converting industry in the GCC is a “booming” sector growing at nine per cent to 11 per cent annually, and regional plastic consumption per capita will grow to become the second largest global region in 2020, through substitution of non-plastic products and new applications,” said Khaled Al Mana, executive vice-president, Polymers SBU at Sabic.

“The emphasis remains on working jointly on innovations, products, and applications, while innovating in the supply chain and tackling the question of plastics after use,” added Sadoun.

Sustainability was also high on the agenda, with Novomer (Boston) CEO Jim Mahoney detailing his company’s novel technologies, which use carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide feedstock to produce high-performance plastics and coatings, and value-added chemicals.

“In Europe we are addressing an industry with sales of €300 billion ($370 million), employing 1.6 million people, and encompassing 50,000 companies involved in the plastics value chain, but there is a wrong perception about plastics,” Wilfried Haensel, executive director at Plastics Europe (Brussels) told delegates. “If all of the houses in Europe were insulated with plastics materials, we could save an additional 350 million metric tonnes per year of carbon dioxide.” 
He also stressed the other energy-saving aspects of plastics used in cars and packaging.

Hugo Verlomme, author of The Plastic Bag War, is an environmentalist and oceanographer passionately opposed to biodegradable plastic bags that at one stage were mandatory in French supermarkets. He told delegates that the use of corn as feedstock and of associated agro chemicals are not sustainable, but that “this world could not exist without plastics.” All leisure activities associated with the sea require plastics of varying sophistication, he said.

Recycling was also discussed in detail at the plastics summit and speakers called for more initiatives covering plastic waste collection and recycling in GCC countries since there is virtually no effort at present. However, “we truly believe that the recycling business in the region can be profitable,” said Laurence Jones, vice-president, corporate support at Borouge. — business@khaleejtimes.com