The American Chemistry Council (ACC) recognizes four member companies and one external organization with Sustainability Leadership Awards for their leadership in developing products and technologies to advance sustainability. ACC convened a judging panel of external sustainability leaders from the retail, nonprofit and consulting sectors. The panel chose winning initiatives based on factors including the level of innovation the initiative demonstrated, the scope and reach of its impacts and the extent to which it addresses priorities outlined in ACC’s Sustainability Principles and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. ACC received more than 40 applications from more than 30 member companies.
ACC presented Sustainability Leadership Awards to the following companies at its Annual Meeting:
The “Transparency & Collaboration” Award recipient is FMC Corporation for its Product Stewardship & Sustainability Assessment (PSSA) Tool. FMC developed the tool to help assess and determine the sustainability of its active ingredients and products, from initial concept through each stage of development.
In the “Environmental Protection & Circularity” category, ACC recognizes Braskem for its commitment to circular economy. In 2018, Braskem America launched a nine-year sustainability initiative with the Philadelphia Eagles to implement a closed-loop value chain for polypropylene material. The program collected more than 300,000 caps in year one, or more than 2,000 pounds of recycled polypropylene. ACC also honors SABIC for its certified circular polymers produced from plastic waste. SABIC is pioneering a process that uses upgraded pyrolysis oil, a feedstock made from low value, mixed plastic waste that would otherwise largely end up landfilled or incinerated, to produce high-quality polymers.
In the “Societal Contributions” category, ACC honors The Chemours Company for Opteon, the company’s portfolio of hydrofluoro olefin (HFO)-based, low global warming potential refrigerant solutions. Opteon YF refrigerant used in automotive air conditioning has a global warming potential that can be 99% lower than other refrigerants, according to ACC.
ACC recognizes The Nature Conservancy with its “External Collaborator” award. Based on the hypothesis that investing in nature will lead to conservation and business benefits, in January 2011, The Nature Conservancy began a model collaboration with Dow to integrate ecosystem services in the business decision-making process. In one of the first of its kind collaborations between a chemical company and environmental group, The Nature Conservancy committed its time, resources and reputation to work closely with Dow. The collaboration led to Dow’s valuing nature goal, part of the company’s 2025 sustainability goals. As a result of strong scientific, technical, and on-the-ground advisory assistance from The Nature Conservancy, Dow is on track to achieve its goal of $1 billion in business value by 2025 from projects that are good for business and nature, according to ACC.
For more information, visit: www.americanchemistry.com