On Nov. 26, Christian Bayle, president and chief executive officer of Inter Pipeline, made a $10-million commitment over 10 years with NAIT to research plastic waste reduction. Travis Dosser/News Staff

An innovative new program at NAIT is looking to reduce plastic waste in Canada and its backed by Albertas Industrial Heartland.

On Tuesday, Nov. 26,Inter Pipeline Ltd. and NAIT announced the joint-partnership to research opportunities to reuse and recycle plastic in Canada. Over the next decade, the industrial company plans to invest $10 million into thePlastics Research in Action (PRIA) agreement, which will use NAITs applied research expertise in the area of process engineering, process automation and environmental sustainability. The initiative will tap into the talents of student researchers.

The $10-million in funding will support a strong team of researchers who will work collaboratively with Inter Pipeline. Together, we will undertake projects that could lead to the evolution of a more circular economy for plastics, Christian Bayle, president and chief executive officer of Inter Pipeline said. We will strive to develop processes to reuse and recycle plastics in Canada and hopefully all over the globe.

NAITs president and chief executive officer was thrilled about the partnership.

(Inter Pipelines) investment will truly have a profound impact, explained Dr. Glenn Feltham, president and CEO of NAIT. NAITs vision is to be one of the worlds leading polytechnics and the most relevant and responsive post-secondary institution in Canada. Central to this vision is NAITss relationship with industry.

Inter Pipeline received federal investments from the Strategic Innovation Fund, which is designed to attract and support high-quality business investment in dynamic and innovative sectors. The companys CEOis confident researchers will be able to find new opportunities to keep plastics out of the environment with this new program.

Were still exploring ways to responsibly address plastics use, reuse and disposal, Bayle said. Groups from all over the world are gathering information and performing research to determine exactly how we can improve our interactions with plastics throughout their life cycle.

In Canada, nearly 80 per cent of all post-consumer plastics end up in landfills.

Ultimately, I believe the end game is preventing plastic waste and that is why I consider todays announcement to be necessary and a very positive step forward, Bayle said.

Currently under construction in Albertas Industrial Heartland in Strathcona County, Inter Pipelines Heartland Complex is the first of its kind in North America to integrate propane dehydrogenation (PDH) and polypropylene manufacturing into a single complex. Once operational in late 2021, it will offer 180 full-time jobs and produce 525,000 of polypropylene annually. Bayle added that the recyclable plastic pellets have a great many uses and will be used to createcar parts, carpet backing, and food packaging in Canada and the United States.

This is a signature project for us and the country. Were very proud to be spearheading this build in Alberta using thousands of skilled local labour. More to that, 70 per cent of the $3.5-billion were spending on the construction of Heartland will go directly into our province supporting our local economy, Bayle said to applause.

The Inter Pipeline president noted sustainability is a critical component of the companys long-term business success, as they are a member of the Chemical Industry Association of Canada, which has targets to reduce plastic waste. In addition, the company is also participating in the federal framework to achieve zero plastic waste.

Were all in this together. Plastics arent going away and nor should they because they form a vital part of our everyday lives. Well lead through initiatives like PRIA and possible solutions that will emerge and shape the way we can all make more environmentally conscious decisions.

tdosser@postmedia.com

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Inter Pipeline injects $10M into plastic waste reduction research - Sherwood Park News