This is a Reach (i.e. non-regulatory) announcement and the information contained is not considered to be material or to have a significant impact on management's expectations of the Company's performance.
Symphony Environmental Technologies Plc
("Symphony" or the "Company")
Royal Society Study Highlights Urgent Need for Plastics which biodegrade in the ocean - Symphony's d2w® Technology positioned as Critical Solution
Symphony Environmental Technologies Plc (AIM: SYM), a global leader in environmental protection technologies, welcomes the findings of a recent study published by the Royal Society (London) which says that "plastic pollution will persist at our ocean surfaces for over a century even if inputs cease. Even after 100 years 10% of the initial plastic mass still remains at the surface providing a continual source of microplastics. Our findings highlight the need for mitigation strategies beyond input reduction and ocean clean-up."
For the past thirty years governments, NGOs and the plastics industry have been promoting "reduce, re-use and recycle" but this is clearly not sufficient as the problem is getting worse.
This research from the Royal Society demonstrates the urgent need to make plastic so that it will safely biodegrade instead of floating around for many decades and creating microplastics. The solution is already here and just needs to be more widely adopted. Plastic made with Symphony's d2w® oxo-biodegradable technology, at little or no extra cost, will convert in the ocean into biodegradable materials that do not leave toxic residues or microplastics.
This has been proved by independent scientific studies, including the French government-sponsored OXOMAR project www.biodeg.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Final-report-OXOMAR-10032021.pdf which confirmed that plastics made with d2w® biodegrade in seawater with significantly higher efficiency than conventional plastics.
With over 750 million people living in countries where oxo-biodegradable plastic is mandatory, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Bahrain, Symphony's d2w® is already part of the global solution.
Michael Laurier, CEO of Symphony Environmental, commented:
"The Royal Society's findings confirm what we've known for years-conventional plastics create a serious problem if they get into the open environment. For this reason d2w® is not just a better plastic; it's an essential one. We urge governments, brands, and manufacturers to include a d2w® masterbatch without further delay into all flexible plastic applications to prevent further long-term environmental harm."
For further information, please contact:
Symphony Environmental Technologies Plc
Tel: +44 (0)20 8207 5900
Website: https://www.symphonyenvironmental.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
Symphony also supplies a range of plastic technologies under its d2p (designed to protect) brand www.d2p.net to provide protection against insects, viruses, bacteria, fungi, rodents, odours, and fire. It has also introduced a new product under its NbR brand https://www.symphonyenvironmental.com/natural-biodegradable-resin/ to reduce the amount of fossil-derived material in plastic products.
Symphony has a diverse and growing customer-base and has established itself as an international business with over 70 distributors around the world. Products made with Symphony's plastic technologies are now available in nearly 100 countries and in many different product applications. Symphony itself is certified according to ISO9001 and ISO14001.
Symphony participates in the Committee work of the British Standards Institute (BSI), the American Standards Organisation (ASTM), the European Standards Organisation (CEN), and the International Standards Organisation (ISO).
Further information on the Group can be found at www.symphonyenvironmental.com and twitter @SymphonyEnv
See also Symphony on Instagram and Linkedin.
ENQUIRIES:
| Symphony Environmental Technologies Plc |
| Michael Laurier, CEO |
| Ian Bristow, CFO |
|
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8207 5900 |
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