NAIT partners with Inter Pipeline to reduce plastic waste

NAIT announced a new partnership with Inter Pipeline to research ways to reduce plastic waste. Inter Pipeline committed $10 million over 10 years as part of a new partnership called the Plastics Research in Action (“PRIA”). The PRIA is the largest applied research partnership in NAIT’s history.

“This is an exciting time for NAIT. This is our largest applied research partnership with a company and this is Inter Pipeline’s largest investment in a post-secondary institution to do this type of work,” said Debbie Pietrusik Research and Innovation Consultant at NAIT. 

A team at NAIT will look at ways for plastic to be reused or recycled. They will also focus on ways to improve sustainability at Inter Pipeline’s Heartland Petrochemical Complex east of Edmonton.

“It’s going to be looking at different areas of research that we can look at technologies that can be implemented in the field in order to convert the plastics to other projects. One area we’re reviewing right now is the transportation sector. How can we take plastic waste and actually use that as a product that can be combined to produce asphalt for roadways, how can we take plastic waste again put it into insulation or cement that can be used in the construction industry,” said Pietrusik.

NAIT engineering, automation and environmental researchers and students will contribute to the research project.

“Inter Pipeline made it very clear that they want to see students involved in the research projects that we go forward with,” said Pietrusik.

Inter Pipeline received an investment from the Federal Government’s  Strategic Innovation Fund that helps support investments in innovative sectors and helped Inter Pipeline fund the PRIA.

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