SAFRIPOL signs OCS Pledge to protect our environment

On Saturday 5 December 2020, at a clean-up arranged by Safripol, at the Umgeni River mouth and the Blue Lagoon Beach, with the Durban Green Corridor team and PlasticsSA, Safripol committed to becoming the second raw material supplier to the South African plastics industry, signing the Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) Pledge – an international stewardship programme designed to prevent resin pellet, flake and powder loss and help keep this material out of the marine environment. Plastics|SA is the OCS licensee for the South African plastics industry.

135 bags of litter were removed during the 2 hour clean-up!

Gert Claasen, Technology and Innovation Executive, Safripol and Douw Steyn, Director Sustainability PlasticsSA shook hands on the commitment to pledge Safripol’s support to implement the Program, but a formal signing will take place later this month.

More information on Operation Clean Sweep and toolkits specifically designed to assist operations with pellet loss are available on our website.

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More than 9 local companies, as well as PETCO, Polyco, the Southern African Vinyls Association and Polystyrene Association of SA have taken the OCS pledge agreeing to the following six commitments in order to establish and demonstrate environmentally responsible processes:

Improving worksite set-up to prevent and address spills
Creating and publishing internal procedures to achieve zero operations plastic material loss
Providing employee training and accountability for spill prevention, containment, clean-up and disposal
Auditing performance regularly
Complying with all applicable state and local regulations governing operations plastics waste containment and management
Encouraging value chain partners (contractors, transporters, distributors, etc.) to pursue the same goals

PlasticsSA appreciates the commitment shown by these companies to prevent resin pellet, flake, and powder loss and help keep this material out of the marine environment and welcomes Safripol as a signatory of OCS in South Africa.