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
Alfred Stern, Borealis CEO, said, “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.”
“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,” he added.
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.
Martin Stuchtey, the managing partner at SYSTEMIQ, commented, “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.”
“Borouge’s partnership with Project STOP has contributed to our impact in Muncar. It will contribute to further expanding our impact across Indonesia and the plastic industry as a whole,” he added.
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.
Wim Roels, CEO of Borouge Pte Ltd, said, “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.”
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 tonnes of waste leaking into the ocean every year.
