Focus on sustainability: “There is one big challenge facing the chemical industry, and that is establishing a united approach”

Following on from Trinseo’s latest sustainability report, PPCJ spoke to Francesca Reverberi, Senior Vice President, Engineered Materials and Chief Sustainability Officer, to discuss how the chemicals sector can take meaningful steps forward in terms of sustainability and circularity

Q. What are Trinseo’s main focus areas and priorities when it comes to sustainability, and how did the company decide on which areas to focus?

A. Our sustainability strategy is driven by stakeholder input, regulatory and governmental directives – both now and those we see coming – and our company’s business goals. In 2020, we developed our 2030 Sustainability Goals based on where we saw our industry heading and also the trajectory of the industries that our customers operate in. We have 17 sustainability goals aligned under five categories: Climate Change, Sustainable Product Portfolio, Supplier Responsibility, Responsible Operations and Sustainable Workforce.

We are prioritising our sustainability efforts around decarbonising our operations and supply and value chains, in addition to advancing our sustainably advantaged product portfolio. These two priorities align with several of our 2030 Sustainability Goals across four of the categories and are driving toward one outcome: cultivating a circular and net zero economy.

These two focus areas are where we hear the most feedback from our stakeholders about how we can make an impact. Our customers are seeking more drop-in solutions that are sustainably advantaged and maintain performance equivalency to their virgin counterparts, especially with the regulations such as the European Green Deal and forthcoming End-of-Life Vehicle Directive. We are also hearing from our customers, as well as our suppliers and value chains, about the importance of improving our Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions.

Q. Your sustainability report references Trinseo’s efforts towards renewable energy. Where do you plan to implement this and what type of renewable energy do you intend to use?

A. We are exploring renewable energy options through feasibility assessments at all of our facilities around the world. These studies will help us identify compatible renewable energy sources with our facilities, so that we can achieve the best results. Based on the outcomes of these studies in 2024, we will make decisions about next steps for pursuing renewable energy sources and power purchasing agreements, where appropriate.

Currently, we have three renewable energy sources at three facilities in Europe: solar panels at our Terneuzen, the Netherlands, and Hamina, Finland, facilities and wind turbines at our Tessenderlo, Belgium, location. Our most recent installation is at the Hamina facility, which was the first project that resulted from our ongoing feasibility studies. The solar panels just became operational in June 2024 and are anticipated to offset the facility’s operating emissions by 20% annually.

Q. How do you start to tackle Scope 3 emissions, which are technically out of your control?

A. In 2023, we implemented a cross-company working group that brings together our Sustainability, Supply Chain and Procurement teams to help strengthen our relationships with key strategic partners to collaborate on reducing Scope 3 greenhouse gases throughout the supply chain. Our Scope 3 Council hosts webinars and presentations with our internal and external stakeholders to ensure that everyone is aligned on best practices, and transparently communicates with our partners to effectively discuss plans and targets for addressing Scope 3 emissions. Additionally, we have implemented a Scope 3 management system and successfully calculated our Scope 3 baseline data, which we are in the process of verifying with a third party.

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Q. What, in your opinion, is the most challenging aspect of sustainability in the chemicals sector?

A. From my perspective, there is one big challenge facing the chemical industry, and that is establishing a united approach. We need to work together across value chains, governments, academics and organisations to make a true difference, and often we struggle to do this. An example of this is the fact that we lack the necessary infrastructure and clear regulations for collecting waste in a circular model. Many companies, organisations and governments are pushing for the development of a circular economy – especially for plastics – but we lack the foundational approach that is needed to move forward together. We need to be more unified in our long-term strategy for developing sustainably advantaged solutions.

Q. And conversely, where do you see the biggest opportunities for sustainability in the chemicals industry?

A. At Trinseo, we also see global collaboration as the biggest opportunity. It is why our management team and employees are part of, or sit on boards for, over 60 industry associations and organisations, both within our own industry and those of our customers. By having a seat at the table, we can help improve communication and innovation across our industry and those that we touch by sharing best practices and information.

Q. How do you stay on top of the changing environmental regulations around the world?

A. Our Sustainability & Business Services team has a dedicated branch focused on sustainability and industry regulations, such as the anticipated CSRD and SEC updates for reporting and the recently implemented Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation. Additionally, our team members are part of or sit of boards for industry organisations like Plastics Europe, Cefic and the American Chemistry Council in order to understand and influence regulations. Our customers expect us to anticipate regulation changes in their industries. By having dedicated team members who focus on this, we can research and develop material solutions that meet these needs.

Q. Do you notice a difference in geographic regions around the world, in terms of how highly sustainability is a top priority?

A. Yes, in some ways. Sustainability in general has been a priority in Europe for some time, as seen in the European Commission’s ambitions to drive a circular and net zero economy by 2050. However, we are starting to see Asia and North America increasingly prioritise it as well. This will naturally continue to evolve as governments and regulations shift over time, and consumer and industry demands exert their influence.

However, there are some topics – such as plastic pollution – that are exceptions, and we see global movements to address these issues. The approach might vary, but the demand exists.

Q. When Trinseo looks past 2030, what do you see as being the sustainability priority/ies in 10-20 years time?

A. While circular solutions are a primary focus today, I see this being a long-term priority over the next 10-20 years as we continue to advance recycling technologies and sustainably advantaged materials formulations. Through complementary recycling technologies, we can build new pathways and processes, such as with polycarbonate dissolution and polymethyl methacrylate depolymerisation. These are two areas that we have been focused on in 2023-24, as we opened pilot facilities for both recycling technologies. Even with these investments though, it will be some time until we see these types of technologies achieve industrial scale-up to support a circular infrastructure.

Building a circular economy and business models will take time, and we need everyone involved – manufacturers, end users, waste collectors, suppliers, regulators, governments and more – to create a fully circular value chain. Without collaboration, we cannot establish the necessary infrastructure or regulations to make these efforts successful.

Alongside this, we need to ensure that these changes are not having a negative environmental impact. Beyond removing ocean waste and keeping materials from landfills and incineration, we also need to make sure the processes and procedures we are building take the environment into consideration. We need to look closer at things like emissions generation, water usage and waste, and energy consumption when making alterations, so that we can hopefully leave the planet in a better place for the next generation.

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