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Sustainability

Our long-term strategy to maintain stakeholder value is dependent on our ability to ensure that we operate our business in a safe, ethical, environmentally and socially responsible manner.

SUSTAINABILITY REPORT

Westlake is pleased to make available to investors, employees, suppliers and customers our 2019 Sustainability Report.  To view the report, click HERE.  To view Westlake's 2018 Sustainability Report, click HERE.  To view Westlake's 2017 Sustainability Report, click HERE.

IN THE NEWS

Alliance to End Plastic Waste Launches First Project, Renew Ganga

National Geographic published an article showcasing the Alliance to End Plastic Waste​ (AEPW) partnership with the non-profit organization Renew Oceans​ to stop marine plastic waste where it begins, in the rivers.  

This partnership's project, Renew Ganga, focuses on the Ganges River, a highly populated river in India, which flows for more than 1,500 miles. According to the article, around 1.2 billion pounds of plastic enters the Ganges River every year, part of which flows out to the sea.  Because of this amount of pollution, the Ganges is considered to be among ten rivers in Asia and Africa that transport 93 percent of the river-based plastics deposited into Earth's oceans.

Renew Ganga, sponsored by AEPW, is based in Varanasi, India and will use various methods to divert plastic waste from the Ganges, with the goal of diverting 100,000 pounds of plastic waste before the end of 2019 and one million pounds of plastic waste in 2020.

To view the video, produced by National Geographic, which provides details on how Renew Ganga plans to combat the causes of plastic waste in the community, click HERE.  

 

Westlake Joins Global Alliance to End Plastic Waste

In March 2019, Westlake announced that it joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), an organization launched in January 2019 to advance solutions to eliminate plastic waste in the environment, especially in the ocean.

“Westlake is pleased to have joined the Alliance to End Plastic Waste as part of our long-standing commitment to sustainability,” said Albert Chao, President and Chief Executive Officer, Westlake Chemical Corporation. “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.”

Blending its chemical capabilities with a strong, downstream building products business, Westlake delivers life-enhancing products that benefit lives every day. From polyethylene that is used daily in food packaging, to vinyl pipe that is used to deliver clean drinking water and irrigate fields, to caustic soda that is used in pulp and paper manufacturing like carton boxes, our products make a difference in the world.

 

Vinnolit Awarded Gold for Practiced Corporate Social Responsibility

Our commitment to sustainable principles was recognized through an independent assessment of our European subsidiary, Vinnolit. For the third time, the independent platform EcoVadis (www.ecovadis.com) evaluated Vinnolit’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) performance and again Vinnolit achieved an excellent rating (“Gold Recognition Level”).

During the assessment, Vinnolit’s activities in the areas of environmental protection, labor practices and human rights, fair business practices, and sustainable procurement were examined. The rating, encompassing 21 criteria, is based on international CSR standards such as the United Nations Global Compact, the Global Reporting Initiative, and ISO 26000. Scoring 64 out of 100 possible points in the assessment, Vinnolit ranks significantly above the industrial average of 42.5 points and is in the top 4 percent of all companies worldwide (over 40,000) that have been reviewed by EcoVadis.

To read more about this accomplishment, CLICK HERE.

Industry Associations

Westlake is a proud member of the following organizations which help to drive sustainable action.

Protecting the Environment

Acting responsibly

Westlake is committed to the guiding principle of responsible corporate action and sustainable development that combines financial success with social responsibility and responsibility for the environment.

A responsible and sustainable action is firmly anchored in the corporate culture of Westlake and operating in a safe, ethical, environmentally and socially responsible manner.

Lake Charles South Wetlands Planting

To read about the planting of 175 acres of wetlands in Bayou d'Inde, located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, click HERE.