Operation Clean Sweep庐, a globally recognized resin stewardship program jointly administered by the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) and the聽American Chemistry Council (ACC)’s Plastics Division, announced the recipients of the 2025 Difference Maker Awards at this year鈥檚 OCS CON in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The OCS Difference Maker Award recognizes individual and organizational champions who have gone above and beyond in their commitment to making zero resin loss a top priority. This year, five recipients were recognized for their outstanding commitment to the goals of OCS:
- OCS Blue Member Category: Chevron Phillips Chemical聽鈥撀燙ommended for robust internal efforts, including the Heel Recovery Project and a notable reduction of spills within facilities.
- OCS Logistics Member Category: Frontier Logistics聽鈥� Recognized for proactive and innovative strategies to address resin loss鈥攑articularly in railcar washing鈥攖hrough implementation of air-based cleaning technology.
- OCS Base Tier Member Category: GEON Performance Solutions聽–聽Honored for raising the bar on operational excellence and embedding resin loss prevention into day-to-day operations.
- Individual Corporate Category: Inge Duran (Director of Quality Assurance, Packwell)聽鈥揜ecognized for developing comprehensive procedures and management protocols at Packwell, and for establishing a cross-functional team dedicated to advancing resin loss prevention.
- Individual Facility Category: Mike Lever (Raw Material Manager, Plastipak)聽鈥� Honored for his dedication to resin loss prevention and his continued initiative to enhance OCS measures at Plastipak through creative, solutions-driven approaches.
“The recipients of this year鈥檚 OCS Difference Maker Awards represent the pinnacle of what our industry can achieve when resin loss prevention is embraced at every level,鈥� said Patrick Krieger, Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Policy at PLASTICS. 鈥淔rom innovative technologies to cross-functional teamwork and process improvements, these individuals and organizations are demonstrating significant leadership in environmental responsibility. Their efforts not only strengthen their own operations but also inspire broader change across the value chain and in the communities where they operate. We鈥檙e proud to honor their commitment to continuous improvement and leadership in driving us closer to our shared goal of zero resin loss.”
鈥淭his year鈥檚 recipients are shining examples that our industry is leading the way with practical and effective solutions,鈥� said Adam Peer, Senior Director of Plastics Sustainability at ACC. 鈥淩eal sustainability and environmental stewardship begins with innovative efforts that inspire us to drive toward our goals.鈥�
Hosted by Operation Clean Sweep, OCS CON brings the full plastic value chain together in efforts towards eliminating the loss of plastic resin to the environment.聽 This event incubates and amplifies solutions to resin loss, ranging from introductions to groundbreaking technology to comprehensive culture change strategies. In addition to diverse panels, expert dialogues, and tours, OCS CON unlocks opportunities to collaborate with industry partners and experts to keep plastic within the circular economy and out of the environment.