AkzoNobel partners with The Ocean Cleanup for largest clean

AkzoNobel Joins The Ocean Cleanup to Tackle Marine Plastic Pollution

AkzoNobel has teamed up with The Ocean Cleanup to support one of the most ambitious marine clean-up efforts ever undertaken, bringing the goal of removing plastic from the world's oceans closer to reality. Under the agreement, AkzoNobel will supply sophisticated, biocide-free coating technology for every device and piece of equipment The Ocean Cleanup deploys over the coming five years — a significant boost to the organization's flagship mission to clear plastic from our seas.

Floating plastic waste accumulating in the ocean — Plastic waste gathering in ocean waters

Clean-up operations are scheduled to get underway in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch within the next twelve months.

Leadership Voices on the Collaboration

AkzoNobel CEO Ton Büchner described ocean pollution as a pressing global concern that affects society and the future of the planet. He noted that, as a leading player in the marine coatings sector, the company believes it can make a real difference by acting and by backing the outstanding work The Ocean Cleanup is doing.

The highest-profile application of the company's coatings will be on the purpose-built floating clean-up system that gathers waste plastic. These biocide-free Intersleek products are already helping the shipping industry operate more sustainably by lowering fuel use, reducing emissions and cutting operating costs.

Boyan Slat, CEO and founder of The Ocean Cleanup, welcomed the addition of another major name to the organization's expanding roster of supporters. He explained that partnering with a genuine global force in sustainable coatings technology will keep their systems protected even in the harshest conditions. He also highlighted that team AkzoNobel's participation in the Volvo Ocean Race will help raise worldwide awareness of the urgent need to clear plastic from our aquatic ecosystems.

Sustainability Strategy and Ocean Summits

The collaboration aligns closely with AkzoNobel's Planet Possible sustainability strategy and follows the recent news that the company will serve as an official sustainability partner of the upcoming Volvo Ocean Race. That role includes hosting a series of Ocean Summits that bring together science, politics, government and sport to drive positive action on marine litter.

Established in 2013, The Ocean Cleanup aims to remove half of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch within just five years. Its approach uses U-shaped screens to funnel floating plastic toward a central collection point, where the concentrated material can be extracted and shipped ashore to be recycled into durable products.

Topics: AkzoNobel, biocide-free coating, Ocean Cleanup, Volvo

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