EQUATE Group Steps Up Sustainability Efforts with Plastic Waste Initiative

Company official signatory of environmental global program Operation Clean Sweep.

KUWAIT, May 17, 2021 — As part of its commitment to long-term sustainable development, the EQUATE Group, a global producer of petrochemicals and the second largest producer of Ethylene Glycol in the world, has pledged its allegiance to the international environmental program Operation Clean Sweep (OCS).

Stewarded by the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), OCS aims to achieve zero pellets, flake and powder loss into the environment. By signing the pledge, EQUATE must ensure that OCS sustainable best practice requirements are implemented across its facilities in a bid to eliminate accidental loss of pellets during production, handling, storage and transportation from the processing facility to the environment.  

The OCS pledge is a strong example of EQUATE’s continuous drive to shrink its carbon footprint. The company believes that by further strengthening its accidental loss processes, it will not only help protect the environment and save valuable resources, but will also deliver greater added value for a more competitive, resilient plastics industry.

Dr. Abeer Al-Omar, EQUATE Group Sustainability Committee Leader said: “We are dedicated to reducing our impact on the environment, and will continue to develop and implement stringent operational processes that contribute to reducing plastic accidental loss. It is promising to see how as an industry we are working together to make a positive and sustainable impact in everything that we do.”

Since its inception, sustainability measures have been firmly embedded in EQUATE’s organizational culture through EQUATE’s Sustainability Strategy 2025, consisting of 11 initiatives identified under environment, economy, society and health and safety. EQUATE’s sustainability strategy is mapped against the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and aligned with Kuwait’s National Development Plan and Canada’s Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

Abdul Wahab Al-Shatti, Senior Production Engineer said: “We have created a cross functional team to help ensure we are all working together to achieve zero pellets, flake and powder accidental loss. We are proud of the initiative and look forward to continually enhancing our engagements and efforts in the OCS program”.

The OCS program was first introduced by the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) and today it is practiced in over 60 countries and thousands of manufacturing and transportation facilities around the world. For further information about Operation Clean Sweep – please visit: https://www.gpca.org.ae/operation-clean-sweep/

About EQUATE Group

The EQUATE Group is a global producer of petrochemicals and the world’s second-largest producer of ethylene glycol (EG). The Group owns and operates industrial complexes in Kuwait, North America and Europe that annually produce over 6 million tons of ethylene, ethylene glycol (EG), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), styrene monomer (SM), paraxylene (PX), heavy aromatics (HA) and benzene (BZ). The EQUATE Group includes EQUATE Petrochemical Company (EQUATE), The Kuwait Olefins Company (TKOC), subsidiaries such as MEGlobal and Equipolymers. Their products are marketed throughout Asia, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The EQUATE Group’s shareholders are Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Boubyan Petrochemical Company (BPC) and Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC). Employing more than 1,500 people worldwide, the EQUATE Group is a leading enterprise that pursues sustainability wherever it operates through partnerships in fields that include the environment, economy and society.

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