Westlake Chemical, an international manufacturer and supplier of petrochemicals, polymers and building products, has joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), an organization launched in January 2019 to improve solutions for eliminating plastic waste in the environment, particularly in the ocean.
Image: Westlake Chemical announced that it has joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW). Photo: Courtesy of Monica Volpin from Pixabay.
The products range of Westlake Chemical includes ethylene, polyethylene, styrene, propylene, chlor-alkali and derivative products, PVC suspension and specialty resins, PVC compounds, and PVC building products
AEPW is a not-for-profit organization, formed through the partnership between the finance community, government and civil society, including environmental and economic development NGOs.
AEPW comprises of approximately 30 companies that have committed more than $1bn, with the goal of investing $1.5bn over the next five years to help end plastic waste in the environment.
The organization expects to develop, deploy and bring to scale solutions to minimize and manage plastic waste and promote solutions for used plastics, including reuse, recovery, and recycling plastic to keep it out of the environment.
Westlake Chemical said that by blending its chemical capabilities with a strong, downstream building products business, it delivers life-enhancing products that benefit lives every day.
Like making vinyl pipe that is used to deliver clean drinking water and irrigate fields, out of polyethylene that is used daily in food packaging, and caustic soda that is used in pulp and paper manufacturing like carton boxes, our products make a difference in the world.
Westlake Chemical Corporation president and chief executive officer Albert Chao said: “Westlake is pleased to have joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste as part of our long-standing commitment to sustainability. With our core value of being a good corporate citizen, we are committed to being a leader in sustainable practices and a responsible environmental steward.”
In February 2018, the company has announced the expansion of the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) production capacities at three of its chemical facilities.
Westlake is planning to expand two of the plants located in Germany and one located in Geismar, Louisiana and are expected to be completed in 2020 and 2021.