Page 24 - Plastics News June 2019

COMPANY NEWS

Business giants launch plastics Milliken chemical on expansion

'credit' scheme to tackle pollution project

anone, Veolia, Nestlé and Tetra Pak have jointly illiken & Company had begun building the largest
Dlaunched a global initiative aimed at standardising Mchemical plant in the company’s history in the
and accelerating corporate action on plastics, in a bid to Upstate. The new plant will be in Blacksburg in
help businesses align plastic reductions with economic and Cherokee County, about 9 miles from Gaffney. The
social sustainability. Called the 3R Initiative and operated facility is due to begin operations in 2020 and will
through a partnership with non-profits Verra and BVRio – bring a number of jobs to the Upstate, from skilled
manufacturing positions to leading research chemists,
chemical engineers and business roles. The plant
will also be the largest capital expenditure in the
history of Milliken Chemical. It is expected to increase
production by 50 percent of a polypropylene additive
that increases the sustainability and aesthetic benefits
of plastic products, such as food storage containers.
The new chemicals facility will produce Milliken’s
proprietary speciality chemicals used in a wide range
of industries including food, cosmetics, office supplies
and storage products. The project scope includes a new
which set international environmental standards and assist process manufacturing plant, utilities, warehouse and
with the development of green markets respectively – the tank farm adjacent to Milliken’s existing operations.
scheme will support consumer goods firms, retailers and Fluor’s Greenville, South Carolina office is leading the
packaging producers. Under the scheme, such companies project with the team that performed the preparatory
will be given access to a digital tool which allows them engineering work along with Fluor’s global chemicals
to trade plastics credits issued by recycling and recovery experts. The project team will work closely with
providers worldwide. These credits can then be used to Milliken’s process engineers as the plant will leverage
prove compliance and to “offset” corporate plastic use, design and experience from previous expansions
with the money raised through this system set to fund and improvements while incorporating numerous
projects tackling plastic leakage “hotspots” and social advancements.
inequalities in developing nations.Projects

earmarked to be funded by the 3R Crediting Mechanism
include a scheme helping Brazil’s waste pickers to
generate additional income, and another in South East
Asia which will help to build new recycling infrastructure.
In total, the initiative is undertaking 12 initial pilots of
potential credit-issuing projects across Asia, Africa and
Latin America. The 3R initiative will also give participants
access to a new standard against which their efforts to
tackle plastic waste can be independently assessed. Called Fluor Corporation will leverage its integrated solutions
the 3R Corporate Standard, the aim of the framework is portfolio and local project execution capabilities
to help businesses “credibly” quantify and compare the to design and construct the facility which will have
impact of their actions through third-party assessment. significant positive impact . “We are delighted to be
Businesses will be supported by NGOs Conservation a partner with Milliken, a client with whom we have
International and South Pole throughout the 3R Initiative. a unique and long-term legacy beginning with Charlie
The founding companies of the 3R Initiative have all Daniel and Roger Milliken, to deliver this important
implemented their own schemes to tackle plastics waste project,” said Juan G. Hernandez, President of Fluor’s
in recent years. Life Sciences & Advanced Manufacturing business line.

Plastics News June 2019 24