The Environmental Impact of the Ineos Petrochemical Plant in Antwerp

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The Flemish authorities gave permission for this plant in 2021. Ineos says the plant is going to be the most environmentally sustainable cracker in the world. They're trying to say that we are producing this but it's in being done in a sustainable friendly way. The comparison is quite interesting given that cracking factories have a notorious pollution rate into waterways and into the air. This is better than the worst if you like.

The environmental law charity ClientEarth and 13 other groups headed into a Flemish court this week in an effort to stop Ineos building a petrochemical plant that would be the biggest project of its kind in Europe for 30 years. Madeleine Finlay hears from correspondent Sandra Laville about how plastics are made, the environmental and health impacts of the process and what needs to be done to get a handle on plastic pollution. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod