As part of an effort to remove the several trillion pieces of plastic from the world’s oceans, AkzoNobel said it will provide advanced biocide-free coatings technology for all the devices and equipment used by The Ocean Cleanup over the next five years.
The cleaning is due to begin in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – between California and Hawaii – in the next 12 months.
“Ocean pollution is a serious global issue impacting our society and our planet’s future,” said AkzoNobel CEO Ton Büchner. “As a world leader in the marine coatings industry, we believe we can make a meaningful contribution to overcoming the problem by taking action and supporting the fantastic work being done by The Ocean Cleanup.”
The most high-profile use of the company’s coatings will be on the specially designed floating cleanup system, which will collect the waste plastic. The biocide-free Intersleek products already are being used to help make the shipping industry more sustainable by reducing fuel consumption, cutting emissions and lowering the costs of operation, according to AkzoNobel.
“It is wonderful to add another big name to our growing list of supporters,” said Boyan Slat, CEO and founder of The Ocean Cleanup. “Working together with a true global force in sustainable coatings technology will ensure that our systems remain protected, even under the most extreme conditions. Another benefit of the partnership is team AkzoNobel’s involvement in the Volvo Ocean Race, which will help increase global awareness of the urgent need to remove plastic from our aquatic ecosystems.”
As an official sustainability partner of the next Volvo Ocean Race, AkzoNobel said it will help organize a series of Ocean Summits focused on bringing science, politics, government and sports together to address the issue of marine litter.
Founded in 2013, The Ocean Cleanup aims to remove half the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in five years. It employs U-shaped screens to channel floating plastic to a central point. The concentrated plastic then can be extracted and shipped to shore for recycling into durable products.
