Sustainability requires more than picking the right plastic

Sustainability in plastics is about more than feedstocks, energy consumption and resource efficiency. True sustainability also includes the process used to produce these materials and avoiding sending pollutants into the atmosphere, says Anoosheh Oskouian.

"We do not have any geographic boundaries in our air," Oskouian, CEO of Ship & Shore Environmental Inc., said.

Ship & Shore Environmental launched 20 years ago in response to the variety of rules and regulations across the U.S. by federal and local agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, all aimed at reducing overall pollution and addressing pollution emanating from the industry and manufacturing sectors.

"The systems and equipment available at that time were very preliminary, very basic," Oskouian said. "Flaring was used to burn off excess gaseous material, sending pollutants into the atmosphere."

Stricter rules meant that this practice was curbed, leaving the industry to seek other solutions.

"We became very involved in designing different types of equipment suitable for different industrial sectors and all kinds of manufacturers. We saw that there was no one-fits-all solution, because different processes, different applications, different types of manufacturing have different needs," Oskouian said.

Ship & Shore Environmental saw an opportunity and began custom designing systems precisely tailored to each customer's requirements.

Pollution abatement is a fairly generic description, but the systems designed by this company specifically aims to combat volatile organic compounds.

"A brief description would be that in any facility where a considerable volume of chemicals are processed in a given environment, such as plastic manufacturers making the resins or printing facilities that print the films," Oskouian said. "All of the chemicals usually have what is referred to as ... VOCs. And these compounds generally just go up through the stack or the chimneys of the various pieces of equipment that are in place."

Ship & Shore assesses the situation, comes up with a design that collects all the compounds produced that are not only going through the stack but that are also in the work environment itself. These are then sent to a piece of equipment outside the plant.

"We get rid of all the organic compounds through the process of extremely efficient destruction," Oskouian said. "We often hear, 'Oh, you make filters,' but just filters cannot get rid of organic compounds."

Ship & Shore specializes in the regenerative thermal oxidation of VOCs. Oskouian, a chemical engineer who started her career at Fluor Daniel, a major EPC company, gained experience with projects and project management there prior to setting up her own company. She is now wholly focused on the environmental side of things, yet at the same time she makes use of her engineering background.

Today's systems are far more efficient than the incinerators that used to be the standard. Heat exchangers in modern systems keep the use of auxiliary fuel to a minimum. Regenerative thermal oxidizers, or RTOs, are the most commonly used systems today. They make an optimum usage of energy possible, offering a thermal energy recovery that can reach 95-97 percent and destruction rates for VOC of 96-99 percent.

Unlike traditional approaches to energy recovery, little, if any, fuel support is needed for most applications, saving on operating cost. The systems use direct contact ceramic heat exchangers that can tolerate the high temperatures that are needed to achieve ignition of the waste stream.

On July 22, the company introduced a new product aimed at pathogen disinfection. The Korozon System uses antimicrobial activated oxygen to help purify a building's air and surfaces that may be harboring bacteria, viruses and other organic health hazards. According to Ship & Shore, the system can be integrated into existing HVAC systems, and continuously monitors activated oxygen output and helps to circulate clean, disinfected air throughout a facility.

Currently a medium-sized company, Ship & Shore has ambitions and a definite strategy for growth. The increasingly stringent environmental legislation is indeed a growth driver, as is the growing awareness of consumers, especially regarding the products they buy, Oskouian said.

Questions such as: Where was the product made? Is the company sustainable? Does the company have rules and regulations in place about responsible production, sustainability and pollution prevention? Are all influencing the purchasing decisions of today's consumers.

"One of the largest sectors we work with is the flexible packaging industry. Food packaging is more attractive and convenient than ever, but what about all the inks produced to print all these films?" she asked.

"Many companies are starting to use labels and logos that identify their products as having been produced in an environmentally friendly facility or using a sustainable process. I think consumers are also driving the market and seeking out companies that have adopted sustainability programs. Obviously, not everyone will do so voluntarily, but knowing that they will have to do so eventually definitely can be a motivating factor."

Regarding sustainability issues such as the circular economy and plastic waste, Oskouian is adamant about the need for a better-informed public and improving information with government agencies.

"As much as we like to adhere to rules and regulations and do the right thing, I often find that [there] are areas and segments where agencies are not aware as to what is feasible and what is not feasible, for example, with rules that are more stringent than technology could ever address," she noted.

The public is also largely unaware, especially when it comes to plastics, and the true impact of different packaging materials on the environment. How many people know, for example, how the production and use of a plastic bag truly compares to a paper bag?

"We need to educate people on how to handle things, rather than banning things. ... People need to know that we are taking measures, that we are taking responsibility. This should be communicated to the world, to the public, to consumers, and it is something we must play an active role in," she said.