Borealis cooperates with Vienna's ZOOM Children's Museum

Borealis, a leading provider of innovative solutions in the fields of polyolefins, base chemicals and fertilizers, has become one of three main sponsors of the ZOOM Children's Museum in Vienna. The aim of this new co-operation, to take effect immediately, is to make the complex subject of plastics more accessible to children and to raise awareness for more responsible exploitation of our resources. Thematic focus will lie on the diverse applications and benefits of plastics as well as sustainability and reduction of waste in general.

Plastics play a vital role in our everyday lives. They maintain and even extend the freshness of our food, supply us with electricity, drinking water and important medicines and help dispose of our sewage. Yet nowadays, few materials give rise to so many questions in regard to environmental compatibility and sustainability as do plastics.

Borealis' co-operation with ZOOM is a clear affirmation of a corporation's responsibility to society to participate in critical discussions and constructive debate on such issues. "It is very important to achieve a heightened awareness of the effects today's consumer society will have on all of us tomorrow. We want to encourage the younger generation to consider the ways in which we can use our precious resources more sustainably," explains Borealis Chief Executive Mark Garrett.

A playful approach

A series of events and installations will encourage ZOOM visitors to explore the world of plastics and to consider questions such as: How have plastics changed our everyday lives? How can we use plastics responsibly and sustainably? What happens with plastics once we throw them away? "Learning becomes creative and truly individual when one takes a playful approach," explains Elisabeth Menasse-Wiesbauer, Director of ZOOM Children's Museum. "Our aim is to help children obtain a critical awareness of how to use our scarce resources responsibly. It is especially significant that children are able to form their own opinions on complex issues when they receive understandable and objective information."

Researchers & scientists of tomorrow

This co-operation with the ZOOM Children's Museum is a Borealis Social Fund initiative. In addition to the JKU Open Lab, a hands-on laboratory at the Johannes Kepler University (JKU) Linz, Borealis is also collaborating with the Science Centre in Stenungsund, Sweden. "We are doing all we can to motivate children and teens to discover the fascination of science, because we will need this next generation to work with us in finding innovative and sustainable solutions to address the societal challenges of tomorrow," concludes Mark Garrett.

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