NOVA Chemicals Announces Sustainability Strategy and Future Commitments

Calls for dialogue to develop solutions to create a world free of plastic waste; Publishes 2018 Sustainability Report


Calgary, Alberta, Canada, July 10, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

NOVA Chemicals Corporation, 1000 Seventh Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 5L5

www.novachemicals.com | 403.750.3600 tel | 403.269.7410 fax


Calgary, Alberta, Canada (July 10, 2019) – NOVA Chemicals Corporation (“NOVA Chemicals”) today announced its enhanced long-term sustainability commitments, furthering the company’s mission to be the leader in innovation that enables its customers to deliver plastic products that make everyday life healthier, easier and safer.

“We know that plastics add great value to society and have many environmental benefits, and we believe businesses like ours can be a positive catalyst for change to address post-use challenges and concerns,” said Todd Karran, president and CEO, NOVA Chemicals. “Sustainability has been a part of our heritage for many decades, and I’m proud and excited that we’re pushing ourselves even further to do our part in shaping a world that is even better tomorrow than it is today.”

NOVA Chemicals’ long-term vision for sustainability has six strategic commitments:

  • A Plastics Circular Economy: working with our industry and associations to ensure 100 percent of plastics packaging is recyclable or recoverable by 2030; and 100 percent of plastics packaging is re-used, recycled or recovered by 2040.
  • Climate Care: responsibly managing our environmental emissions, with a particular focus on greenhouse gases (GHG) through a portfolio of emissions reduction initiatives.
  • Sustainability Citizenship: collaborating and providing leadership to select challenges and opportunities that promote natural resource conservation and in particular ocean health. As a responsible global citizen, we commit to invest up to $15 million (USD) over the next five years through engagements with organizations focused on ocean health, while also continuing to make a difference in the quality of life in the communities where we have a presence.
  • Sustainability in Operations: enhancing sustainability in all facets of our operations, with a particular focus on water, land, air, and waste elimination.
  • Sustainability Collaborator: actively pursuing collaboration with partners to develop new and emerging sustainability technologies and innovations.
  • Sustainability Design and Integration: embedding sustainability throughout our entire company, including leadership, organizational design, decision making, actions, strategy, systems and processes.

NOVA Chemicals’ 2018 Sustainability Report offers expanded information on the company’s sustainability commitments, programs and activities.

“We are eager to work with industry, governments, communities and consumers to bring about meaningful, systemic and permanent solutions to promote a plastics circular economy while keeping plastics out of our oceans and the natural environment,” said John Thayer, senior vice president, Polyethylene, NOVA Chemicals. “We know this is a solvable problem and welcome the opportunity to be part of the science-based dialogue.”

A founding member of Responsible Care® in 1985, NOVA Chemicals has a long-standing commitment to sustainability. Over the past five years, the company has been the recipient of numerous industry awards for innovation with its customers to advance recyclability of all-polyethylene plastic packaging, as well as its expandable polystyrene recycling program. In addition, the company has received awards in Canada for its programs to reduce emissions. The company is a member of Operation Clean Sweep®, a voluntary stewardship program that helps facilities implement procedures to keep plastic materials out of our waterways and eliminate plastic pellet, flake and powder loss. 

Most recently, NOVA Chemicals joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste as one of its founding members. The growing group of more than 30 global companies is one of the most comprehensive business consortiums across the entire plastics and consumer goods value chains. The Alliance has pledged more than $1 billion (USD) with a goal of investing $1.5 billion (USD) over five years to help eliminate plastic waste in the environment and especially the oceans.

NOVA Chemicals has been a strategic partner to Project STOP since 2018, pledging nearly $2 million (USD) over three years to prevent plastic debris from reaching the ocean. Project STOP is a global initiative to design and implement solutions to reduce marine plastic pollution especially in Indonesia where economic development and plastics consumption have outpaced waste management systems.

Access the press kit for additional information and digital resources.

About NOVA Chemicals Corporation
NOVA Chemicals develops and manufactures chemicals and plastic resins that make everyday life healthier, easier and safer. Our employees work to ensure health, safety, security and environmental stewardship through our commitment to sustainability and Responsible Care®. NOVA Chemicals, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is wholly-owned ultimately by Mubadala Investment Company of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Visit NOVA Chemicals on the Internet at www.novachemicals.com.

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Media inquiries, please contact:
Jennifer Nanz
Director, Communications
E-mail: Jennifer.Nanz@novachem.com

NOVA Chemicals’ logo is a registered trademark of NOVA Brands Ltd.; authorized use.
Advanced SCLAIRTECH™ is a trademark of NOVA Chemicals.
Responsible Care® is a registered trademark of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada.
Operation Clean Sweep® is a registered trademark owned by SPI, The Plastics Industry Association