Operation Clean Sweep®: Preventing pellet loss, protecting resources
- Craig Arnold
- Apr 17
- 3 min read
Plastic pellets are small, uniform granules—typically just a few millimeters across—that serve as the raw material for a wide variety of plastic products. Their size and shape make them easy to handle, store, and transport, but without the right measures in place, they can be lost at various points in the value chain.
Preventing this kind of loss is crucial. Pellets that escape into the environment contribute to the wider problem of plastics pollution—and, just as importantly, every lost pellet represents wasted material, energy, and expertise.
An avoidable issue—and a shared responsibility
The good news is that pellet losses are largely preventable with the right systems, infrastructure, and handling practices in place. That’s the aim of Operation Clean Sweep® (OCS), an international program dedicated to achieving zero pellet loss across the plastics value chain.
Established in the United States in 1991 and active in Europe since 2015, this voluntary industry initiative helps companies reduce pellet loss through practical steps and shared standards.
OCS is based on six core commitments:
Improve worksite set-up to prevent and address spills
Create and publish internal procedures to achieve zero plastic material loss
Provide employee training and accountability for spill prevention, containment, clean-up and disposal
Audit performance regularly
Comply with applicable state and local regulation governing industrial plastics containment
Encourage partners (contractors, transporters, distributors, etc.) to pursue the same goals
From voluntary pledge to certified standard
Zero pellet loss is part of Borealis’ commitment to doing business responsibly. We were among the first to sign the OCS pledge in Europe, and subsequently collaborated with Plastics Europe to develop the OCS Europe Certification Scheme.
Launched in 2023, the scheme builds on the original OCS principles and incorporates ISO 14001 environmental management standards. It introduces independent audits and provides a common framework for continuous improvement.
At Borealis, we integrated OCS into our management systems and implemented it across all production locations. Over the past six years, we’ve carried out a wide range of on-site measures to prevent and address pellet loss—from fitting retention equipment like sieves, pellet separators, and skimmer ponds, to installing an advanced water filtration system at the Borealis site in Schwechat, Austria.
In March 2025, Borealis became one of the first plastics producers to achieve certification at all of its polyolefin production sites.
From voluntary action to mandatory standards
Plastic pellets are too valuable to waste. They should be used, reused, and then recycled—not lost along the way. While OCS has already helped the industry make real progress, it remains a voluntary scheme. The next step is to make these high standards mandatory across the value chain.
As part of its broader strategy on microplastic pollution, the European Commission has introduced legislation to minimize pellet loss. A provisional agreement on the proposed measures was reached in April 2025 between the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. The potential contribution is significant: research cited by the Commission shows that reducing pellet losses could account for up to a quarter of the EU’s 2030 goal to reduce microplastic releases by 30%.¹
At Borealis, we welcome this development—yet even with legislation in place, reaching zero pellet loss will take coordinated effort across the entire value chain. Operation Clean Sweep® provides a solid foundation, but no single company, sector, or region can do it alone. Continued collaboration, in the spirit of EverMinds™, will be essential to fully stopping pellet loss and keeping valuable plastic materials in circulation.
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¹ Source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_23_4985 Accessed on 2 April 2025.
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