Results of YouGov survey

RNS Number : 2401L

Symphony Environmental Tech. PLC

18 April 2018

 

18 April 2018

SYMPHONY ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES PLC

("Symphony" or "the Company") 

Results of YouGov survey presented at a seminar in London opened by Chris Packham

Symphony Environmental Technologies Plc (AIM: SYM), a global specialist in products and technologies that "make plastic smarter", is delighted to announce the results of a YouGov Survey commissioned by the Company. The survey was designed to measure the public's awareness, knowledge and desire to take action against plastic pollution which is now a worldwide problem especially in the oceans as recently highlighted in the David Attenborough programme 'Blue Planet'.

YouGov surveyed a representative sample of 2,107 people across the United Kingdom. The results were as follows:

·      86% of UK adults would be happy to use oxo-biodegradable plastic instead of their usual plastic  

·      90% of UK adults would support treating everyday plastic items (e.g. shopping bags, plastic packaging etc.) with oxo-biodegradable technology.

·      88% would support the UK government legislating to make the use of oxo-biodegradable plastics a legal requirement, as other governments have done.

A full copy of the YouGov survey is available on the Company's website at: www.symphonyenvironmental.com

This YouGov report coincided with a seminar arranged by Symphony to raise awareness of oxo-biodegradable technology which, unlike ordinary plastic, will degrade and biodegrade if it gets into the open environment as litter, and also the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, London 2018, where the heads of businesses from Commonwealth countries are discussing issues facing their countries in 2018 and beyond including plastic litter which is a global problem.

Chris Packham, Presenter of BBC's Autumnwatch, and passionate environmentalist was guest speaker at the Symphony seminar, along with Michael Laurier, Michael Stephen, Professor Telmo Ojeda and Alston Koch.  Chris talked about the danger that plastic litter poses to wildlife and his belief that new technologies like Symphony's d₂w oxo-biodegradable plastic are a valuable asset in the fight against plastic litter in the open environment and should be supported by the UK government right now.   A fact that he reiterated to Michael Gove on The One Show on 16 April 2018, in response to the announcement that the UK Government had set-aside £61.4 million to fight plastic pollution.

In addition to the above, Michael Laurier, CEO of Symphony presented at a forum at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on 17 April 2017 discussing how smarter plastics can impact in the battle against plastic pollution.

Michael Laurier, CEO of Symphony, commented:

"The results of this survey show the public are overwhelming in favour of taking positive action to reduce the amount of plastic litter in the open environment, and believe that the Government needs to take decisive action and legislate for oxo-bio plastic technology. This will ensure that if plastic bags or packaging do escape collection and end up in the open environment as litter, they will degrade and biodegrade in the same ways as a leaf, only quicker, without leaving microplastics behind."

Enquiries:

Symphony Environmental Technologies Plc
Michael Laurier, CEO	Tel: [phone]
Ian Bristow, CFO www.symphonyenvironmental.com
Cantor Fitzgerald Europe
David Foreman, Richard Salmond (Corporate Finance)	Tel: [phone]
Alex Pollen (Sales)

Blytheweigh (PR)                                                                       Tel: [phone]

Tim Blythe

Nick Elwes

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About YouGov Survey Results

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.  Total sample size was 2107 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11-12 April 2018.  The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+). Respondents were given the following statement to read before answering the questions "Ordinary plastic (e.g. shopping bags, plastic packaging etc.) can be treated with oxo-biodegradable technology, at little or no extra cost. Oxo-biodegradable plastic looks and performs the same, and can be recycled - but if it gets into the open environment as litter, it will break down into natural minerals in the same way as a leaf, only quicker."

About Symphony Environmental Technologies plc

In addition to d2w, Symphony has developed a range of additives, concentrates and master-batches marketed under its d2p® brand, which can be incorporated in a wide variety of plastic and non-plastic products so as to give them protection against many different types of bacteria, fungi, algae, moulds, and insects, and against fire. d2p products also include odour, moisture and ethylene adsorbers as well as other types of food preserving technologies. The Company has also launched d2p anti-microbial household gloves and are developing a range of other d2p retail finished products.

Symphony has also developed the d₂Detector®, a portable device which analyses plastics and detects counterfeit products. This is useful to government officials tasked with enforcing legislation.  Symphony's d₂t tagging and tracer technology is also available for further security.

Symphony has a diverse and growing customer-base and has established itself as an international business with 74 distributors around the world. Products made with Symphony's plastic technologies are now available in nearly 100 countries and in many different product applications. Symphony itself is accredited to ISO9001 and ISO14001.

Symphony is a member of The Oxo-biodegradable Plastics Association (www.biodeg.org) (OPA), the Society for the Chemical Industry (UK), and the Pacific Basin Environmental Council. Symphony actively participates in the Committee work of the British Standards Institute (BSI), the American Standards Organisation (ASTM), the European Standards Organisation (CEN), and the International Standards Organisation (ISO).

Further information on the Symphony Group can be found at www.symphonyenvironmental.com and twitter @SymphonyEnv

 

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