As a result of the annual World Cleanup Day, plastic is being cleaned up in various places worldwide. Litter was also collected in various places in Antwerp on Saturday. In addition to the various clean-up actions, a striking place also took place in the Bonaparte dock next to the MAS. Some activists find themselves noticing by throwing loads into the dock and sailing between them themselves INEOS PROJECT ONE’ and ‘STOP PLATING POLLUTION’. The promotion was a stunt to draw attention to the upcoming construction of a new site of the company INEOS in the port of Antwerp. The activists neatly cleaned up the plastic after their stunt.

‘Of course we have been promoted to clean up plastic and other litter, so some of the activists this morning also help with the clean-up actions in various places in Antwerp,’ says Tom Serden, of Ineos Will Fall. ‘However, we do not think it is important yet that major solutions are being looked at,’ he continues about the new application that the chemical company INEOS has made to build an ethane cracker in the port of Antwerp. Such an ethane cracker raw materials for plastic, generally more than enough plastic is produced. Moreover, at least 40 percent of those basic materials will be used for disposable plastic, which is no longer of this time. If we want the climate crisis, these kinds of projects are definitely the worst idea imaginable. We therefore encourage everyone to via ineoswillfall.com our petty to sign against the construction of the new plastic factory, and your own notice of objection to submit.’

The campaigners still refer to the high CO2 emissions that would be associated with the project, about a million tons of CO2 emissions per year, and the subsidies that the Flemish government gives to the project. A EUR 16 million grant will be given to INEOS for this project, and the government will also provide another EUR 500 million guarantee for this project. That actually proves that even the company itself actually that this is a project that is no longer covered by this guarantee, does not want to get a loan from the bank anywhere, it is absurd that the Flemish government would want to stand for this, with our tax money. We can use that much better in sustainable projects, which will work just as well’, says Tom.

Several citizen protests and legal action from environmental protests in the past have already drawn attention to INEOS’ application for the construction of ‘Project One’. Due to the legal process, INEOS’ first permit application for deforestation and preparatory works on the project was filed.