Operation Clean Sweep
A program for plastic industry members to help them make zero pellet loss their business goal
Operation Clean Sweep
Developed by the international plastics industry, Operation Clean Sweep has been implemented across Melbourne over the last few years. Now with the support of Tangaroa Blue Foundation and Chemistry Australia, the program is being rolled out nationwide.
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Plastic resin pellets are the feedstock for the plastics industry. They are the basis of all plastic products, from plastic bags to bottles to containers. When spills aren’t cleaned up, they are lost into the environment during manufacturing and transport, entering the stormwater system and ending up in our oceans. Operation Clean Sweep aims to significantly reduce plastic pellet loss and its impact on the ocean.
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Plastic resin pellets, often mistaken for small fish eggs, pose a significant threat to marine life and seabirds. They can accumulate toxins from the seawater, creating a toxic pellet that can cause blockages and toxicity in the tissues of wildlife that ingest them.
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The Operation Clean Sweep program is not only effective but also accessible. It’s free for industry members to sign up, providing them with checklists, video resources, and a manual on how to implement the program. This practical approach empowers industry members to make a tangible difference in reducing plastic pellet loss.
ACHIEVING ZERO PELLET LOSS
It provides multiple benefits, including reducing the cost around the loss of product, improving workplace safety by reducing slips and falls, aligning with a social licence to operate processes, and achieving environmental and sustainability goals.
The message is simple: plastic resin pellet, flake, and powder should be contained, reclaimed, and/or disposed of properly, not lost into the environment.
The AMDI Database has shown there are international and localised pellet losses impacting the Great Barrier Reef, even across some of our most remote areas. We are looking forward to working with the Queensland plastics and logistics industries to reduce plastic pellet loss and its impact on the Great Barrier Reef.
Take a look at examples of Operation Clean Sweep in action:
MAKE YOUR PLEDGE
Are you an industry member wanting to reduce your environmental impact?
Join Operation Clean Sweep and make zero pellet loss your goal.
