Page 14 - Plastic News November 2023

AIPMA ENVIRONMENT DESK
AIPMA AT WORK

Operation Clean Sweep program
Plastic pollution is a critical threat to marine ecosystems. In recent years, researchers have reported that fish, seabirds,
and turtles are ingesting a wide variety of plastic items resulting in adverse health effects and fatalities. Much of this pol-
lution stems from the careless disposal of commonly used plastic consumer products, with resin pellets being a notable
contributor to the problem, infiltrating waste streams and oceans. The ingestion of these pellets and resins by aquatic
life can lead to severe consequences, impacting their overall well-being.
While consumers bear the responsibility of proper product disposal, the plastics industry must prioritize the secure con-
tainment of plastic pellets. Comprehensive education for all industry personnel, spanning resin producers, transporters,
bulk terminal operators, and plastic processors, is imperative to ensure zero pellet loss. Addressing this issue requires a
collective effort across the entire supply chain.
The Operation Clean Sweep program is a product stewardship program designed to protect the marine environment
from litter plastics. It was launched in 1991 by the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) with the help of the Plastics
division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) as a campaign to optimize plastic resin handling operations to achieve
zero pellet loss. Plastic pellet pollution generally occurs during production, transport, and conversion at supply chain
stages, wherever and whenever there is careless handling, poor training, and limited awareness of impact. This pellet
pollution can end through a coordinated effort by every manufacturer, transporter, or plastics processor.
The program encourages companies to take the pledge to prevent resin pellet loss and provides a customisable guid-
ance manual along with checklists to assist companies in implementing the OCS program. The company receives a
certificate affirming its commitment to be an Operation Clean Sweep Partner.
In conclusion, the pervasive issue of plastic pellet pollution demands collective action within the plastics industry to
eliminate pellet loss. Adhering to proper handling and disposal practices is crucial in preventing the infiltration of plastic
pellets into water sources that ultimately flow into the seas. The Operation Clean Sweep program stands as a pivotal
initiative, offering a structured approach to pollution prevention, environmental protection, water quality preservation,
and workplace safety. Through unified efforts and cooperation, significant strides can be made in safeguarding our en-
vironment.

New recycling method fights plastic waste

The recycling of mixed plastics is a complex issue because of the varied physical properties of different types of plastics.
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), USA has developed a technology that can convert a conventionally unre-
cyclable mixture of plastic waste into useful chemicals, presenting a new strategy to fight plastic waste. The technology
uses Organocatalysts which allow the destruction of plastics. This process offers a process to combat plastic waste such
as bottles, carpets packaging materials, etc. Chemical production from plastic waste requires less energy and releases
less greenhouse gases than conventional petroleum production. The process can recycle a wide array of mixed plastic
waste into monomers to produce chemicals and polymers. The developed technology enables a single-batch, mixed
waste plastic deconstruction and production of valuable chemicals from various unrecyclable plastics with exceptional
efficiency. Establishing a closed-loop recycling process, if used globally, could reduce annual energy consumption by
about 3.5 billion barrels of oil.

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