Borouge becomes a strategic partner of Project STOP
Establishing new solutions and models that can be rapidly scaled up across the whole plastics chain, from plastic usage to waste collection and recycling.
06 November 2019: Project STOP, co-founded by Borealis and SYSTEMIQ to prevent ocean plastic leakage, welcomes Borouge, a leading petrochemicals company that provides innovative and value creating plastics solutions, as a strategic partner, joining the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NOVA Chemicals, Nestle and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.
“Project STOP’s positive impact is proof that partnerships between industry and government can generate effective solutions for sustainable waste management and the prevention of marine litter,” said Alfred Stern, Borealis Chief Executive. “We are pleased that Borouge, our Joint Venture with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), has decided to increase their engagement and become a strategic partner in Project STOP. We also look forward to welcoming new partners and alliances on our journey to scale up this industry-leading initiative, which is an important step towards creating a circular economy for plastics.”
Since its inception, Project STOP has welcomed a number of strategic partners, the newest one being Borouge, which originally joined the project in 2017 as a supporting partner. Project STOP works hand in hand with local municipalities and environmental agencies in Southeast Asia to contribute to developing a low cost and circular waste management infrastructure through city partnership projects in Indonesia.
“Selling products that with some probability will leak into the environment is no longer a tenable proposition for the plastic industry. Instead the industry must take the lead in building close loop systems that ensure no plastic waste flows into the environment,” said Martin Stuchtey, Managing Partner at SYSTEMIQ. “Borouge’s partnership with Project STOP has contributed to our impact in Muncar. It will contribute to further expanding our impact across Indonesia and across the plastic industry as a whole.”
Project STOP partners with industry players, as well as governments and the local community, and has three key objectives: to achieve zero leakage of waste into the environment, increase resource efficiency and recycle more plastics, as well as create benefits for the local communities. Since the launch of Project STOP’s first city partnership in Muncar, in 2018, 1,800 tonnes of waste, of which 300 tonnes are plastic, have been collected. Furthermore, 60 local jobs have been created and waste management collection has been made accessible to more than 30,000 people, most of them for the first time.
“We are proud to be a strategic partner of Project STOP, working with partners and communities, to establish a plastics circular economy for waste management in Southeast Asia,” said Ahmed Omar Abdulla, CEO of Abu Dhabi Polymers Company (Borouge). “At Borouge, the difference we have been making as partners of Project STOP is enormous since joining the programme in 2017, and we are committed to giving a new life to post-consumed plastics, scale up our efforts and continue making impact,” he added.
“Being a strategic partner of Project STOP allows Borouge to come together with other partners to help build an all-encompassing waste management system in Southeast Asia, while investing in community education,” said Wim Roels, CEO of Borouge Pte Ltd. “Knowing that the project is making a difference in reducing local pollution reinforces its importance and encourages us to keep contributing towards a circular economy.”
Borouge is committed to being part of Project STOP’s future expansion, which has launched a new city partnership in Jembrana in Bali, Indonesia. A third city project is currently under preparation. With these three cities Project STOP will reach 450,000 people and prevent 80,000 tons of waste leaking into the ocean every year.
About Project STOP
Launched in 2017 by Borealis and SYSTEMIQ, Project STOP (Stop Ocean Plastics) works with cities to create effective waste management systems that eliminate plastics leakage into the ocean and creates circular systems in Southeast Asia. Supported by industry and government partners, Project STOP aims to achieve zero leakage of waste into the environment, recycle more plastics, and create benefits, including jobs, for the local community. To learn more, please visit www.stopoceanplastics.com or follow us on Twitter @endoceanplastic.
