NET ZERO
The Chemical Industry is Ready for net-zero
Sustainability talks with chemical company CEO Tom Van Aken of Avantium about reaching net-zero
WRITTEN BY : HELEN ADAMS
Avantium , based in Amsterdam , is a trailblazer in renewable and sustainable chemistry .
As the dutch company evolves into a circular econo my , Avantium ’ s goal is to develop products to aid the world ’ s independence from fossil fuels and net-zero emissions through manufacturing sustainable options . Feedstocks in the chemical industry Avantium mixes sugar with feedstocks , such as agri-food ( corn ) or non-food biomass ( wood ), with chemicals to create 100 % plant-based plastic PEF .
Ray Technology™ catalytically converts industrial sugars to plant-based MEG ( mono ethylene glycol ) and DAWN and converts non-food biomass into industrial sugars and lignin , which transitions the chemicals and materials into non-fossil resources .
This is used to manufacture textiles and packaging . Once used , it degrades much faster than traditional PET plastic .
“ We want to be fully circular ”, says Tom van Aken , CEO at Avantium . “ We want to make sure we only use sustainable feedstocks . It is an extremely ambitious plan . If I look at the employees we have here ; it starts with ourselves before we tell everyone else how to do things .”
A fossil free world Tom van Aken has been the CEO at Avantium since 2002 , after graduating from Utrecht University . “ I am a chemist by trade , and Avantium has been a really interesting journey . We wanted high-value products and to make them in a way where they could be recycled . That got us where we are now . What happens if a PEF bottle ends up in a landfill ? It biodegrades .” sustainabilitymag . com 87