Port of Rotterdam along with several plastics companies, shake hands and agreed to set up a special collaborative alliance: the ‘Rotterdam Clean Sweep Taskforce’.
Namely, the Rotterdam Clean Sweep Taskforce aims to combat pollution from plastic granules, powders and flakes in the port of Rotterdam.
As explained, the alliance is the follow-up to a conference held on this subject last September. The Taskforce is affiliated with Operation Clean Sweep® (OCS), a covenant of plastic manufacturers set up to address the issue of granule loss.
This covenant is widely accepted within the industry and its signatories aim to achieve zero emissions of plastic pellets, powders and flakes. The platform is open to all organisations and companies in the plastics industry that are willing to sign the OCS pledge.
It is known that there are too many loose pellets (granules) on the quays, industrial sites and in the water of the Rotterdam port area. In fact, at Ducor organizations are already tackling this problem; however, it needs to be done on a much wider scale.
“I am therefore delighted that we have been able to bring together so many organisations from all parts of the supply chain. We can only solve this problem by working together.”
…as Ann Geens, Site Manager at plastics manufacturer Ducor and Chair of the Task Force, noted.
For the record, behind the alliance are the Port of Rotterdam Authority, Ducor Petrochemicals BV, PlasticsEurope Nederland, DCMR Environmental Protection Agency of Rijnmond and the Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management.
“The Rotterdam Taskforce wholeheartedly supports the OCS programme. Besides raising awareness, it also provides practical tools for tackling the problem. For example by improving the work location, tightening up procedures, raising awareness and training staff. More and more organisations are signing up to OCS, including only recently the Port of Rotterdam Authority which, as a neutral platform in the port of Rotterdam, has a vested interest in the programme”.
…Ann Geens concluded.
