Inter Pipeline will fund $10m for a 10-year agreement called the Plastics Research in Action (PRIA)
Image: Inter Pipeline, NAIT to research plastic waste reduction in Canada. Photo: courtesy of Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.
Canada-based oil and natural gas storage and transportation firm Inter Pipeline has partnered with The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) to research plastic waste reduction in Canada.
Under the partnership, both companies will explore new ways to reuse and recycle plastic to support the circular economy.
Inter Pipeline will fund $10m for a 10-year agreement called the Plastics Research in Action (PRIA).
NAIT said that PRIA will use its expertise in process engineering, automation and environmental sustainability. Student researchers will also be involved in the project.
NAIT president and CEO Glenn Feltham said: “Our partnership with industry is fundamental to who we are as a polytechnic. This agreement showcases how NAIT plays a vital role in helping industry to find solutions to the problems they are facing.”
A portion of the investment will be used to improve sustainable practices at Heartland Petrochemical Complex
NAIT said that the innovations are expected to help the residents of the country to reuse and remanufacture plastic materials, create new economic opportunities while benefiting the environment.
It also said that a part of the investment will be used to improve sustainable practices at Inter Pipeline’s Heartland Petrochemical Complex.
Inter Pipeline president and CEO Christian Bayle said: “I’m confident that the researchers at NAIT will find new opportunities to help keep plastics out of our environment and extend their useful life.
“Today in Canada, nearly 80 per cent of all post-consumer plastics end up in landfills. Inter Pipeline believes that innovative thinking is critical to addressing this complex societal issue and is very pleased to do its part through this long-term funding commitment.”
The polypropylene manufacturing facility, which is being built at Inter Pipeline’s complex, is expected to generate 65% less greenhouse gas (“GHG”) compared to the global average, and 35% less GHG than the North American average.
Inter Pipeline was a beneficiary of a federal investment made through the Strategic Innovation Fund, a programme that was designed to attract and support high-quality business investments in Canada’s most dynamic and innovative sectors.