The European trade association for plastics manufacturers PlasticsEurope (Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticseurope.org) has presented its “Operation Clean Sweep” (OCS) progress report 2019 and unveiled its action plan for the development of a European zero-pellet loss certification scheme by 2022 (see Plasteurope.com of 01.04.2019). Operation Clean Sweep is an international programme that aims to prevent plastic pellets from entering the environment.

Together with the plastics value chain, PlasticsEurope is looking to set common requirements, based on the OCS pledge, which will be audited regularly by accredited third parties. The association aims to have all member companies externally audited by 2025.

In 2019, close to 700 companies joined the programme, following 500 in 2018, and the new members include three major European ports that handle plastic pellets, Cartagena and Tarragona in Spain, and Felixstowe in the UK. Logistics (+103) and converters (+43) are the sectors with the highest of new signatories. Amongst the plastics raw material producers, OCS signatories include all the 52 PlasticsEurope member companies to which the pledge is applicable.

“I am proud that PlasticsEurope became the first trade association in the world that made OCS compulsory for its members. The global issue of pellet loss can only be solved by taking joint action, together with the full plastics value chain,” said Virginia Janssens, managing director of PlasticsEurope.

By signing the European OCS pledge, each pellet-handling company recognises the importance of preventing spillages into the environment and commits to the following six actions:

• Improve worksite set-up to prevent and address spills.
• Create and publish internal procedures to achieve zero industrial-plastic material-loss.
• Provide employee training and accountability for spill prevention, containment, clean-up and disposal.
• Audit performance regularly.
• Comply with all applicable state and local regulations governing industrial plastics' containment.
• Encourage partners (contractors, transporters, distributors etc.) to pursue the same goals.

Despite safety, environmental and quality-management controls throughout the plastics industry, unintentional loss of pellets, powders or flakes can occur at different stages of the value chain. The OCS programme guides companies through recommendations to achieve zero-pellet loss.

While the deterioration of larger plastic items into microplastics often contributes more to marine litter than pellet loss, there is now growing evidence that pellets are also found in large quantities in the marine and terrestrial environments. According to a 2018 study by Eunomia (Bristol / UK; www.eunomia.co.uk), plastic pellets are estimated to be the second-largest source of microplastics entering the aquatic environment in the EU, with an annual median emission of 41,000 t. Concerning losses along the plastics value chain, a background document on pre-production pellets compiled by the OSPAR Commission assessed that estimated total pellets' losses in Europe amount to between 16,888 t and 167,431 t per year. It is important to note, however, that estimates vary as to the exact magnitude of the problem, since there is currently no standardised methodology to measure pellet flow and losses at industrial sites, the OCS report said.