BASF said March 27 all of its European production sites for engineering plastics, polystyrene, polyurethanes, polyamides and specialty polymers are now certified by independent third parties according to the Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) standard. 

OCS is an international program that aims to prevent the loss of plastic pellets, flakes and powders during their handling in production, processing, recycling and transportation, thus helping to prevent these materials from entering the environment. 

The OCS Europe certificate, introduced by Plastics Europe and European Plastics Converters in 2023, recognizes companies for their commitment to environmental protection and the responsible use of plastics. The certification enables companies to evaluate and quantify their implementation of the OCS obligations with the help of accredited certification bodies, said BASF.

BASF has been a partner of the OCS’s European efforts since 2014 and has been actively involved in the development of the global program since its inception in the 1990s, the company said in a press statement. According to BASF, it already has implemented many technical optimizations in its plastic production plants as part of OCS, trains employees and encourages stakeholders to join the initiative.

OCS, in conjunction with the American Chemistry Council and the Plastics Industry Association, expanded the program earlier this year with the launch of the OCS Logistics Verification, a facility-level inspection program designed for transportation firms within the supply chain.

What People Are Saying

Sophie Van Dyck, BASF vice president of operations polyamides and precursors, Antwerp: "With the successful certification of the polyamide production in Antwerp, the final milestone of this important project has been reached. We are delighted with this great achievement together with all teams involved in the proper handling of plastic pellets. In total, 16 production plants for plastic pellets were certified at six BASF production sites in Europe.

Marcel Brill, head of industry affairs and public relations for Styrenics Europe at BASF: 
"The OCS certification we received shows the success of our measures to prevent plastic pellet losses. Both consistent technical improvements and intensive employee training were of great importance for this.”