When I joined Trinseo as Chief Technology Officer—pivoting from automotive design to the chemical industry—I wasn’t an expert in chemistry. But I knew people. I’ve learned over the years that innovation starts with understanding customers, their challenges and their goals.
At Trinseo, that means innovating to develop material solutions tailored to our customers’ sustainability and other performance goals. Sustainability continues to be deeply embedded in everything we do. It is one of Trinseo’s key characteristics that attracted me to join the company. Because of this, we are dedicated to three main objectives: becoming a strategic partner to our customers, maintaining a future-focused strategy and building a team that is empowered to drive innovation.
Becoming a Trusted Partner
Our transformation into a specialty materials solutions provider is pivotal to this strategy, and one way we are doing this is through the expansion of our sustainably advantaged product offerings.
Our solutions are used in a variety of end applications, from automotive interiors and consumer electronics to medical equipment. The industries that support many of these applications are also going through a transformation period, as our customers are preparing for regulations like the European Clean Industrial Deal and End-of-Life Vehicle Directive and increased consumer demand for more sustainably focused end-products. As a strategic partner to our customers, we are working with them to prepare—so they are ready when the time comes for implementation.
That’s why we aim to deliver sustainably advantaged solutions that perform equivalently to their virgin counterparts and are tailored to the industries we serve. This requires working closely with our customers to deliver solutions that meet their unique needs, and for many, this includes helping to advance toward their sustainability goals.
Maintaining a Future-focused Approach
Sustainability regulations continue to evolve, but circularity and recycled content-containing materials remain a priority for regulators and our industry. Aligned to this, we are developing sustainably advantaged solutions that can help our customers prepare for upcoming regulations and advance their sustainability goals. A key part of our offering is our recycling technologies, which leverage waste streams that historically could not be effectively recycled in order to provide high-quality, recycled feedstocks to our business units.
Take our polycarbonate dissolution technology for example. An exciting recycling process that uses solvents to extract materials from waste, this process produces virgin-quality material. It’s a breakthrough that turns landfill-bound waste into valuable resources.
Additionally, we offer polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) depolymerization, which expands the types of acrylic waste that can be recycled. Some acrylic materials, like sheets, cannot be mechanically recycled because they begin to degrade. Thanks to depolymerization, they can now be recycled into the acrylic monomer methyl methacrylate and re-introduced as a feedstock, instead of being landfilled or incinerated.
People-driven Innovation
Technology evolves fast, but it’s people who drive progress. I’m continually inspired by how we invest in talent at Trinseo. It’s no secret that the chemical industry faces workforce challenges. However, creating a talented team that thrives and is passionate about their work can help attract future talent. Trinseo’s R&D and Sustainability teams are making meaningful, and significant, changes at the company that has the potential to impact our industry. By creating synergies, these teams are helping to drive those future-focused solutions that meet our customers’ needs.
One of my favorite sayings is, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Achieving our ambitious sustainability goals requires teamwork, determination and heart.
Through every challenge, I am optimistic about the future of our company and the industry. I see it when we transform waste into high-quality recycled materials. I see it when customers choose our solutions to meet their sustainability goals.
Staying anchored in your vision matters. For Trinseo, that vision is to transform into a sustainable solutions company that can lead the industry into a brighter tomorrow. We are embracing change and using it to make us stronger.
This path isn’t optional. It’s the future; and we’re proud to be driving it forward.
Hear more about how sustainability and innovation go hand in hand in my recent interview with Dr. Ludmilla Derr on the Elite Experts Podcast.
