PAUL MORDEN – THE SARNIA OBSERVER
Published on: September 16, 2020 | Last Updated: September 16, 2020 3:38 PM EDT
Nova Chemicals is backing an effort to keep plastic out of the Great Lakes.
The company, which makes polyethylene plastic in Lambton County, joined representatives of the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup at the Andrew S. Brandt Marina at Sarnia Bay Wednesday to announce Nova will provide $200,000 for the initiative combining capture and clean-up technologies with public messages encouraging reducing, reusing and recycling.
“We believe plastics play a vital role in keeping us safe and healthy,” said Rob Thompson, Nova Chemicals’ vice-president of manufacturing, Ontario operations.
“(But) plastics, absolutely, do not belong in our lakes, in our rivers or in our environment. That’s what we believe at Nova and we’re committed to making that stop.”
As a recreational boater and resident of the area, seeing litter and plastic on the shoreline “saddens me deeply,” Thompson said.
It is important for Nova, as the largest producer of polyethylene plastic in Canada, “to be a catalyst for change,” he added.
The Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup was founded by the binational Council of the Great Lakes Region, Pollution Probe, Boating Ontario, the University of Toronto Trash Team and Ports Toronto. It’s using technology known as Seabins to aid research and remove plastics and other litter at marinas, including the marina on Sarnia Bay and nearby Bridgeview Marina.
Mark Fisher, president of the Council of the Great Lakes Region, said the two sites are part of the largest deployment of Seabins in the Great Lakes or any freshwater environment.
“They effectively serve as a floating trash can,” he said.
Water is drawn into the Seabin and floating debris is collected in the device. Marina staff will then check them daily and report what waste was captured using an app developed with the University of Toronto.
“It will give us a snapshot, right across the Great Lakes, about what kind of plastics we’re finding,” Fisher said. “Through the year, we’ll do some intensive research with Lambton College and other partners.”
There are currently 25 of the devices on the lakes.
Federal funding is now covering approximately 11 marinas along the Great Lakes. Thanks to the funding from Nova and other partners, a dozen more marinas will be added, Fisher said.
The initiative is also installing LittaTraps, devices that go into catch basins in parking lots to try to stop the flow of plastics before they enter drainage systems and reach waterways, Fisher said.
“We’re working with some other technologies too to try and stem the flow of plastics into the environment,” he said.
Currently, most plastic ends up in landfills or the water after being used, Fisher said.
“The big solution is moving to a more circular economy and stopping the ‘take, make, dispose’ model’” so valuable materials, such as plastics, are reused instead of being thrown out, he said.
Christopher Hilkene, CEO of Pollution Probe, said his group is pleased Nova is on board for the ambitious initiative.
“We need industry engaged to bring an end to plastic pollution and the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup will benefit enormously from the support of a company that has demonstrated leadership and has strong ties to Great Lakes communities,” he said.
Nova has three production sites in St. Clair Township and is currently spending $2 billion on an expansion that will create a fourth plant in the community.
Featured Image: Rob Thompson, a vice-president at Nova Chemicals, speaks Wednesday at Sarnia Bay. Nova is providing $200,000 to the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup Initiative. PAUL MORDEN / THE OBSERVER
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