MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 25, 2024 / It's becoming much more challenging to argue against the case of global climate change. In fact, in many ways, those who were accused of being alarmists less than a decade ago are now revered as timely forecasters of an escalating climate crisis that needs tending sooner rather than later. And not just from the global civilian population; businesses worldwide must also do so.

That puts SMX (Security Matters) (NASDAQ:SMX) is an excellent spot-for the right reasons. NASDAQ-Listed SMX (Security Matters) (NASDAQ:SMX) offers a quantifiable cutting-edge solution that is altering the future of sustainable manufacturing and packaging for the better. And for the world and its investors, it could be one of those generational win-win propositions.

Why? Because SMX technology can facilitate overcoming significant industrial supply chain challenges by enabling sustainable manufacturing and packaging. As importantly, it provides the right response to a movement that began gaining traction six to seven years ago in response to increasing public awareness of global plastic pollution and the urgent need to combat climate change.

A Movement Demanding Change

The movement was marked early on by the development of bio-based plastics and Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) of packaging to increase recycling. However, the global financial crisis of 2007-2009 dealt a severe blow to these initiatives, as cost-cutting measures led to the increased use of multi-layer rigid plastics and high-barrier thin films-materials that, while economically advantageous, are notoriously difficult to recycle.

While progress slowed at that time, the initiative wasn't stopped. From 2018 to 2020, the industry witnessed unprecedented commitments to reduce or eliminate plastic usage, increase recycling rates, and curb reliance on single-use packaging. Many of these commitments were set with a 2025 target date. However, as John Blake and his team at Gartner predicted, despite the great intentions, the global reliance on plastics and the lack of sufficient recycling and reuse infrastructure would make it nearly impossible for most organizations to meet these ambitious goals.

Meeting Ambition With Real Progress

Thus, as the year approaches 2025, many organizations and manufacturers must reassess their commitment to sustainable packaging. The original goals-such as making 100% of packaging reusable, recyclable, or plastic-free-were often adopted without thorough vetting by R&D, supply chain, quality, procurement, and manufacturing teams. While popular with consumers and beneficial to brand perception, these pledges are proving technically and economically unfeasible in the short term.

In fact, the gap between the ambitious vision of sustainable packaging and the reality of its implementation has, in some cases, widened. That's not surprising. For packaging materials to be genuinely recyclable, they must be recycled at scale, which requires greater industry collaboration and government intervention. And due to the complex nature of packaging-where product safety, transport efficiency, and economics must all be considered-simply changing the packaging is not a viable solution. That's become obvious.

The European Commission recently announced an infringement procedure against all 27 EU Member States for failing to meet legally binding collection and recycling targets, underscoring the global scale of the problem. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, which expected Member States to recycle 55-80% of packaging waste by the end of 2008, has been widely missed. Even today, countries across Europe are laboring to meet these targets, with the vast majority still falling short of the Waste Framework Directive's goals set for 2020.

Not The Time To Blame

But pointing fingers at the failures isn't an answer. That's been a decades-long action that has produced little gain. Instead, the proper response to failure should be geared toward embracing innovative technology, like SMX's, that's specifically designed to overcome the waste crisis.

SMX technology does what others can't, or at least remains unproven- bring actual, quantifiable material efficiency by redefining what drives sustainability and supply chain singularity. In other words, it deals with the process of genuine and measurable linear production- not ambitious intent. Its innovative Plastics Cycle Token ensures that process.

And in stark contrast to the carbon credit system, the token could become the most important solution to sustainability matters. Here's why.

SMX Plastics Cycle Token

By design, carbon credits allow companies to offset emissions. While for years that program was seen as the silver bullet for offsetting emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, today, it's a program, albeit well-intentioned, struggling to meet its targets. That's not an unsupported assessment.

Research has revealed that the majority of carbon offset projects failed to deliver tangible environmental benefits. In an alarming twist, studies show that over 90% of rainforest carbon offsets certified by leading organizations have been deemed essentially worthless. That led to a significant decline in the carbon offset market, with its value plummeting from $1.9 billion in 2022 to $723 million in 2023.

But it's not all doom and gloom. As it typically does, new and better technology can rescue the desperate. The SMX Plastics Cycle Token does that by representing a quantifiable amount of recycled plastic, ensuring that companies make real and measurable contributions to sustainability. It's an innovative approach that simplifies the tracking and verification of recycled materials, fosters trust among investors, consumers, and regulators, and elevates corporate responsibility from good intentions to measurable impact.

Motivating A Circular Economy

SMX's Plastics Cycle Token further ensures that companies are directly contributing to the circular economy by addressing plastic waste at the source. Unlike a credit system that might generate results, the SMX-sponsored token guarantees an actual, quantifiable reduction in plastic waste and simplifies the process of monitoring and tracking recycled materials. Better still, it provides a transparent metric for sustainability efforts, empowering companies to meet their environmental goals in an ethical and accountable way.

All of that is great. However, the biggest driver of scaling and SMX's success is that the Plastics Cycle Token is inclusive. By tokenizing recycled plastics, SMX opens the door for companies of all sizes to participate in the circular economy, driving innovation in sustainable materials and manufacturing.

While SMX's Plastics Cycle Token can influence a generational industry shift in that space, it's not the only value driver. And the vast opportunities inherent to them aren't going unnoticed. Since the start of the month, SMX shares have risen 21% to their current $3.41.

Investors Are Recognizing The SMX Value Proposition

While impressive, that gain could be the precursor to better days ahead, accounting for the fact that beyond plastics, SMX is revolutionizing supply chain transparency in other industries, including automotive. Its success in invisibly marking and tracing natural rubber offers a glimpse into the future of sustainable manufacturing.

Unlike any other known technology, from the moment the rubber is harvested, SMX's innovative, invisible, and indestructible markers allow for real-time tracking through processing, manufacturing, and transport, ensuring the material's integrity and ethical sourcing at every stage.

SMX's technology also brings full traceability and accountability to gold, pharmaceuticals, luxury goods, and electronic waste, further demonstrating its versatility and impact. In the gold supply chain, SMX's technology enables companies to combat illegal mining and verify the ethical sourcing of materials. For pharmaceuticals and medical devices, SMX ensures product integrity and prevents counterfeiting, while in electronic waste management, the company's markers help track valuable materials, reduce illegal dumping, and improve recycling.

There is some competition of sorts. But don't get too excited about the value proposition they present. SMX competitors primarily offer blockchain-based traceability solutions. Like carbon credits, those have good intentions but are limited in scope. In contrast, SMX technology, which is far from a "program," is significantly more comprehensive and immediately valuable, distinguishing itself by providing a physical and indestructible marking of materials.

In other words, while competing blockchain-based systems focus solely on tracking associated data, SMX guarantees the traceability of the material itself. This physical approach enables full lifecycle tracking, making it possible to confirm a material's source, content, and recycling status in real-time.

Most importantly, SMX's combination of physical material marking and digital tracking provides more than the ability to track; its reliable, verifiable method for ensuring transparency and accountability throughout supply chains makes it a real-world solution offering more than just theoretical benefits-it delivers measurable, quantifiable results that could quickly transform this smallcap name into another NASDAQ-listed behemoth.

Right Technology at the Right Time

As businesses shift away from carbon credits and embrace more verifiable methods for reducing their environmental footprint, that's certainly a path of least resistance. Remember, SMX isn't an early-stage development company. They have the assets to exploit leadership in facilitating client companies to prove commitments to industrial supply chain efficiencies are met. Don't forget that entire industries are being mandated, not encouraged, to transition toward a more ethical and transparent future.

More directly, the issue is no longer one of good intentions; it's one of compliance. With proven applications across multiple industries and its pioneering approach to supply chain management, that reality could help accelerate SMX's maturation into one of the most important contributors to building the circular economy of tomorrow-one in which materials are responsibly managed, waste is minimized, and the future of our planet is secured.

And with the NASDAQ more committed than ever to highlighting its emerging superstars, that transformation may happen faster than many think.

Sources:

• https://environment.co/sustainable-restaurant-association/

• https://packagingeurope.com/news/all-27-member-states-miss-collection-and-recycling-targets-and-face-infringement-procedure/11677.article

• https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/18/revealed-forest-carbon-offsets-biggest-provider-worthless-verra-aoe

• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-plastics-lawsuit-exxon/

• https://www.gartner.com/en/supply-chain/insights/power-of-the-profession-blog/sustainable-packaging-its-complicated-will-executive-leaders-be-the-last-to-know

• https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/09/05/unrecyclable-plastic-pollution

• https://www.knowesg.com/regulators/mcdonalds-tests-plastic-reduction-amid-pressure-28032023

• https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/SMX/history/

• http://hq-wfc2.wiredforchange.com/o/8716/t/0/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=37242

• https://www.morningbrew.com/daily/stories/2024/09/24/ca-sues-exxon-over-alleged-recycle-lies

• https://packagingeurope.com/news/all-27-member-states-miss-collection-and-recycling-targets-and-face-infringement-procedure/11677.article

• https://www.barchart.com/story/news/28574041/after-successfully-completing-a-535-million-capital-raise-smx-will-more-quickly-serve-companies-need-for-accountability-in-sustainable-packaging

• https://www.barchart.com/story/news/28379048/smx-technology-can-serve-the-urgent-need-for-accountability-in-sustainable-packaging-smx

• https://www.barchart.com/story/news/28379048/smx-technology-can-serve-the-urgent-need-for-accountability-in-sustainable-packaging-smx

About SMX (Security Matters) Public Limited Company
As global businesses face new and complex challenges relating to carbon neutrality and meeting new governmental and regional regulations and standards, SMX is able to offer players along the value chain access to its marking, tracking, measuring and digital platform technology to transition more successfully to a low-carbon economy.

Forward-Looking Statements
The foregoing material may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each as amended. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts, including without limitation statements regarding the Company's product development and business prospects, and can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "expect," "project," "estimate," "anticipate," "plan," "believe," "potential," "should," "continue" or the negative versions of those words or other comparable words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future actions or performance. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company and its current plans or expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect current plans. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ significantly from those anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, or planned. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company cannot guarantee future results, performance, or achievements. Except as required by applicable law, including the security laws of the United States, the Company does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.

Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," "believe," "contemplate," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intends," "may," "will," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "would" and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this press release may include, for example: matters relating to the Company's fight against abusive and possibly illegal trading tactics against the Company's stock; successful launch and implementation of SMX's joint projects with manufacturers and other supply chain participants of steel, rubber and other materials; changes in SMX's strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs, prospects and plans; SMX's ability to develop and launch new products and services, including its planned Plastic Cycle Token; SMX's ability to successfully and efficiently integrate future expansion plans and opportunities; SMX's ability to grow its business in a cost-effective manner; SMX's product development timeline and estimated research and development costs; the implementation, market acceptance and success of SMX's business model; developments and projections relating to SMX's competitors and industry; and SMX's approach and goals with respect to technology. These forward-looking statements are based on information available as of the date of this press release, and current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing views as of any subsequent date, and no obligation is undertaken to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include: the ability to maintain the listing of the Company's shares on Nasdaq; changes in applicable laws or regulations; any lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on SMX's business; the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations, and identify and realize additional opportunities; the risk of downturns and the possibility of rapid change in the highly competitive industry in which SMX operates; the risk that SMX and its current and future collaborators are unable to successfully develop and commercialize SMX's products or services, or experience significant delays in doing so; the risk that the Company may never achieve or sustain profitability; the risk that the Company will need to raise additional capital to execute its business plan, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; the risk that the Company experiences difficulties in managing its growth and expanding operations; the risk that third-party suppliers and manufacturers are not able to fully and timely meet their obligations; the risk that SMX is unable to secure or protect its intellectual property; the possibility that SMX may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and other risks and uncertainties described in SMX's filings from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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SOURCE: SMX (Security Matters)