Michael Stephen, deputy chairman of Symphony Environmental Technologies plc (LON:SYM) has said he hopes that the UK will soon join other countries and make oxo-biodegradable plastic technology (OBP) compulsory.
In a statement, the company noted that Stephen made the comments in an interview with Sky News on Thursday, in response to the announcement that the UK Government is considering banning single-use plastic items such as plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds, having been asked if this initiative goes far enough.
READ: Symphony Environmental says 86% of UK adults would be happy to use oxo-biodegradable plastic
He replied that there has been concern for a long time that conventional plastic can lie or float for many decades, but plastic could now be upgraded with oxo-biodegradable technology which will make the plastic degrade and biodegrade if it escapes into the open environment as litter.
He added that such plastic will then be recycled back into nature by the micro-organisms which live on land and in the oceans.
“It can be made in plastic factories with their existing machinery and workforce at a little or no extra cost,” Stephen explained.
He also added that Symphony’s CEO Michael Laurier had attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference this week and explained the technology to delegates from all over the Commonwealth.
Symphony hopes that the UK will soon join other countries and makes this new technology compulsory and is currently explaining the technology to DEFRA and the Treasury.