CPIA partnership brings resin pellet handling program to Canada

A U.S.-based initiative to keep resins out of waterways and storm sewers is coming to Canada.

At a press conference at the Plast-Ex trade show in Toronto, the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) announced a licensing agreement with the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. (SPI) and the plastics division of the American Chemistry Council to bring the SPI’s Operation Clean Sweep resin handling program to Canadian resin pellet handling operations.

“We’re excited to bring this very successful international environmental stewardship program to Canada,” said Greg Wilkinson, the CPIA’s president and CEO. “We all agree that plastic pellets don’t belong in the environment and this program can help us practice better pellet stewardship across our industry. The CPIA urges every Canadian company that handles resin pellets to take the Operation Clean Sweep pledge.”

Developed by the SPI over 20 years ago, the Clean Sweep environmental steward program is designed to help resin pellet handling shops prevent spilled pellets from making their way through drains into local waterways, lakes and oceans, and also from posing a safety hazard to workers through spillage onto shop floors. The goal of the program is to help these shops implement systematic housekeeping and pellet contamination practices to work towards achieving zero pellet loss.

The program has been implemented at close to 150 companies in the U.S., said SPI president and CEO Bill Carteaux at the press conference, and was also recently launched in New Zealand and in the United Kingdom. The average implementation time is anywhere from between 30 to 90 days, he added.

According to Carteaux, companies that adopt the Clean Sweep program agree to audit their resin handling performance regularly, provide employee training to cut down resin pellet spillage, and adhere to all local regulations that cover pellet containment.

“We are delighted to share a program that has helped U.S. companies not only keep resin pellets out of waterways, but improved efficiency by turning more material into products rather than waste,” Carteaux said.  

For more information on Operation Clean Sweep, click on this link.