AEPW Releases 2024 Progress Report: Evolving for Impact

👉🏼 Read the full Progress Report here.

As a founding member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), NOVA proudly supports the Alliance’s mission and is pleased to share its 2024 Progress Report, “Evolving for Impact.”

The Alliance's 2024 report emphasizes the important role of systems change in preventing plastic waste leakage and achieving full plastics circularity. Building on the foundation of several successful pilot programs, AEPW is transitioning from smaller-scale interventions to larger, systems-focused initiatives that align with national priorities and are designed to deliver impact quickly and at scale.

As for NOVA, we have proudly upheld the principles of Responsible Care® for 40 years, guiding how we produce, use, and manage plastics with the well-being of people and our planet in mind. I am pleased to share our successes from 2024 that have contributed to the Alliance's progress in advancing a circular economy of plastics:

1. We began operating our first North American mechanical recycling facility in Connersville, Indiana, USA, positioning us to deliver an estimated 110 million pounds of recycled polyethylene (rPE) annually by 2026. Notably, it is the first facility of its kind to receive a U.S. Food and Drug Administration Letter of Non-Objection confirming our processes for broad food-contact applications.
   
   
2. We established our Circular Solutions Business to accelerate the adoption of our SYNDIGO™ rPE resins. This business is dedicated to supporting our customers in prioritising recycled content and recyclability in food and non-food applications.
   
   
3. As with our other polyethylene sites, we implemented Operation Clean Sweep programmes at our new Rokeby polyethylene and Connersville mechanical recycling facilities to prevent resin releases to the environment and drive continuous improvement in resin management.
   
   
4. We launched our Centre of Excellence for Plastics Circularity—a hub for knowledge exchange and technology development—and kicked off a research challenge to engage researchers in overcoming common barriers to circularity.
   
   
5. We continued to provide our financial support and subject matter expertise for the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup, Closed Loop Circular Plastics Fund, and Canada Plastics Pact. These partnerships are important in global efforts to reducing plastic waste and scaling circular solutions.
   
   
6. We advanced the development of our resins to incorporate higher levels of rPE while enhancing performance and quality.
   
   
7. Through our membership in the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, we continue to support collective action.
   

I’m incredibly proud of the strides we made in 2024, advancing circularity while protecting people and the environment. I look forward to continuing this momentum as we work to make our vision of leading the circular economy a reality.

Roger Kearns is the President and CEO of NOVA Chemicals. He leads the company’s ambition to reshape plastics to be our customers’ first and best choice.