For centuries, historians and archaeologists have named periods of human history by the technologies and materials that made the greatest impact on society – the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age. And our current age? Well, for me, that question can be answered with one word: plastics. More than any other material, plastic supports, shapes and enables the world around us – from the cars we drive to the computer or mobile device you are using to read this article on.
Now it’s time for a new age: an age where bio- and recycled-based plastics become increasingly common and sustainable, and where our continued quality of life does not need to harm our planet. With our world facing key challenges – including climate change, natural resource depletion and plastic waste pollution – customers and end consumers around the world instinctively understand that change is necessary and that tomorrow needs to be the cause of today.[1]
In view of these developments, I’m very proud that DSM is taking the next step in our sustainability journey in engineering plastics. We recently announced our ambitious plans to introduce bio- and recycled-based alternatives for our entire portfolio, which will be completed by 2030 at the latest. In this way, we are offering our customers the chance to choose a sustainable future – a future where they can improve their environmental impact without compromising their products or processes.
But – showing that we don’t just talk the walk, but also walk the walk – we will step up our efforts to reduce our own greenhouse gas emissions. In line with DSM’s wider sustainability targets, DSM Engineering Materials will reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2030 compared to 2016. Additionally, we will increase our proportion of purchased renewable energy from 63% to 75+%. And, of course, we will also continue driving our zero safety incidents culture – after all, our future is all about our people.
I hope that our new sustainability targets will help chart a path to a brighter future not only for ourselves, but for our industry as a whole. By working together with our partners across the value chain – whether that’s our suppliers, customers or even competitors – we can help implement positive change throughout our industry and maximize impact around the world by driving the transition to a bio-based and circular economy.
The sustainability need is there, the consumer demand is there, the technology is there. Now we just need to make it happen! So, come with us, and let’s welcome in the age of bio- and recycled-based plastics.
If you’d like to find out more about our introduction of a full range of bio- and recycled-based alternatives, please check out our press release here.
[1] For example, it is estimated that renewable- or recycled-based materials will account for an estimated +15% market share in engineering plastics by 2030.
President DSM Engineering Materials
29 October 2019
DSM provides technical support to use CAE to virtually verify the strength of a customer’s engineering plastic components. It allows us to gain insights into how the material flows into the mold, which areas on the molded part have strength and stiffness, and how strong and rigid the finished part will be.
Today, we have a linear economy. Things only go in one direction. We take, make and waste. The circular economy instead mimics nature, the circle of life. It is a way of designing products and services to reduce waste and pollution.
Plastic packaging waste feeds another critical environmental issue: the plastic garbage patches floating in our oceans. At DSM, we find this threat to our ecosystem unacceptable, and work closely with APK to find outlets for high-quality re-granulates from solvent based recycling of complex multi-layer packaging.
President DSM Engineering Materials
Shruti, a US national, joined DSM in July 2018 as Managing Director Global Powder, Can and Coil and CMO at DSM Resins and Functional Materials. In these roles he successfully turned around the global powder business and built a strong global strategic and marketing organization to position the business for sustainable and innovative growth in the future. Prior to joining DSM Shruti served as Senior Vice President and President EMEA of General Cable. Throughout his career, he has worked in North America and Europe, and held positions of increasing management and executive responsibility with multinational companies including Henkel, Cognis (now BASF), Rohm & Haas, The Dow Chemical Company, Ashland and Solenis. Shruti holds a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Drexel University, Philadelphia, and completed the Global Marketing Management Program at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
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