Borealis committed to helping to solve the problem of ocean plastic

Borealis has confirmed majority funding for Project STOP Ocean Plastics (STOP). Project STOP is a joint initiative with SYSTEMIQ and Sustainable Waste Indonesia. It works with city governments to eliminate leakage of plastics into the ocean, increase plastics recycling and support the wider system changes required for a plastics circular economy. The funding secures the start of Project STOP’s second phase.

Plastics can deliver a vast range of sustainability benefits, from increasing energy efficiency to preventing food waste. However, the leakage of plastic litter into the ocean is a significant issue worldwide. Borealis has jointly developed Project STOP with SYSTEMIQ, an advisory and investment firm that aims to tackle system failures, as one part of its approach to addressing this problem.

Phase one of Project STOP resulted in the successful completion of feasibility and baseline studies and other preparatory work. Phase two will see the establishment of the first city partnership, in Indonesia. In common with other South East Asian countries, Indonesia’s economic growth and plastics consumption has outpaced its ability to manage plastic waste. This has made Indonesia the world’s second largest source of marine plastic debris, after China. The first city-partnership project will take place in Muncar, a major fishing port in East Java suffering from plastic litter in its harbour, beaches and rivers.