As industry unveils new Operation Clean Sweep rules, critics urge zero discharge standard

Washington — The plastics industry unveiled changes Dec. 13 to strengthen its voluntary Operation Clean Sweep program to reduce pellet pollution from its factories, but environmental groups monitoring the issue questioned industry self-regulation and called for a tough zero discharge standard.

The American Chemistry Council and the Plastics Industry Association, which jointly administer OCS, said they were strengthening the program by requiring companies to report "unrecovered releases" greater than 0.5 liters or 0.5 kilograms. That information will be aggregated and reported publicly annually.

"Companies that make plastics are deeply committed to continuous improvement in all aspects of their operations, and we're making it a priority to enhance the rigor and transparency of our pellet stewardship program," Steve Russell, vice president of ACC's plastics division, said. Read Full Article - Plastic News, December 16, 2019