SABIC was recently honored by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) with a 2011 Most Valuable Pollution Prevention (MVP2) award in Washington, D.C. The company’s Ultem* resin manufacturing facility in Mt. Vernon, Ind. was recognized for its innovative manufacturing pollution prevention process that significantly reduces the greenhouse gases and use of water during its resin production. This prestigious award demonstrates SABIC’s ongoing investment in sustainable practices to benefit the environment, communities where it operates, as well as its customers.

“Being environmentally responsible has been our strategic focus at SABIC. We always look for creative ways to reduce, reuse, or recycle materials throughout the production process,” said Joe Castrale, general manager, SABIC Mt. Vernon facility. “This is an example of how our employees’ innovative thinking and passion for the environment allows us to be a more sustainable company, and we are honored to receive this award.”

SABIC’s project was one of six to be honored by the NPPR. Through an innovative purification process, SABIC is able to convert excess material from its resin production process into reusable material that is now sold commercially.

Combined, the NPPR winners cut greenhouse gas emissions by 800,000 tons, reduced air pollution by nearly 100,000 tons/year, conserved more than six billion kilowatts of energy, and reduced water consumption by over 45 million gallons a year, while cutting costs by over $10 million. “These organizations have clearly demonstrated that pollution prevention is beneficial to both the environment and the economy. They are being recognized for their leadership and commitment to promoting a sustainable future,” said Jeffrey Burke, executive director of NPPR.

The NPPR is the largest membership organization in the United States devoted solely to pollution prevention and provides a national forum for promoting the development, implementation, and evaluation of efforts to avoid, eliminate or reduce pollution at the source. The awards are designed to recognize outstanding and innovative pollution prevention projects/programs. As in years past, awards are judged on the following five broad criteria:  innovation, measurable results, transferability, commitment, and optimization of available project resources.

About Saudi Basic Industries Corporation

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) ranks among the world’s top petrochemical companies, and is a global market leader in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene, advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers. SABIC manufactures with a global footprint in Saudi Arabia, the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. The company operates in more than 40 countries across the world with 33,000 employees worldwide. It has significant research resources with 18 dedicated Technology & Innovation facilities in Saudi Arabia, the USA, the Netherlands, Spain, India and China. SABIC recorded a net income of SR 21.59 billion (US$ 5.73 billion) in 2010, and sales revenues totaled SR 152 billion (US$ 40.5 billion).

About Innovative Plastics

SABIC’s Innovative Plastics strategic business unit is a leading, global supplier of engineering thermoplastics with an 80-year history of breakthrough solutions that solve its customers’ most pressing challenges. Today, Innovative Plastics is a multi-billion-dollar company with operations in more than 35 countries and approximately 9,000 employees worldwide. The company continues to lead the plastics industry with customer collaboration and continued investments in new polymer technologies, global application development, process technologies, and environmentally responsible solutions that serve diverse markets such as automotive, electronics, building & construction, transportation, and healthcare. The company’s extensive product portfolio includes thermoplastic resins, coatings, specialty compounds, film, and sheet. Innovative Plastics (www.sabic-ip.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC).

For more information contact:

Innovative Plastics Media Contacts
Global
Jodi Kennedy
Pittsfield, Mass., U.S.A.
Tel:  +1 413 448 7383
E-Mail:  jodi.kennedy@sabic-ip.com