OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP

Operation Clean Sweep is an international initiative developed by the American Industry Associations, The Society of the Plastics Industry and The American Chemistry Council. Operation Clean Sweep aims to combat spillage by manufacturing companies of plastic granules into the environment, and to ensure that the industry takes responsibility. Several hundred plastic companies around the world are already Operation Clean Sweep partners.

When a company signs up for Operation Clean Sweep, it agrees to organise its business in a way that avoids spillage of granules. It also agrees to train staff to ensure that they maximise the prevention of any spillage and that they collect, clean and dispose of any spilled plastic in an environmentally responsible manner. Signing up for Operation Clean Sweep also requires the company to audit its own performance on a regular basis and encourages business partners to work towards the goal of zero wastage of plastic granules.

No plastic should end up in the environment

In practice, Operation Clean Sweep works through simple, but important concepts such as having a grate in the drain that ensures that plastic granules cannot get through and having vacuum cleaners/brooms everywhere in the production where waste may occur. An important cornerstone of the implementation is also the training of the staff and to promote a sense of responsibility among all employees, so that it is a common task in the company to ensure that no plastic from the production ends up in the environment.

Several hundred plastic companies around the world are already Operation Clean Sweep partners – including the Danish companies LOGSTOR, dantoy and the LEGO Group.