In recognition of its innovative practices and leadership in the areas of environmental, health, safety and security, LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) today received the American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) highest distinction, the Responsible Care® Company of the Year Award.
“Responsible Care is a program based on leadership, safety and continual improvement in our facilities, operations and products. It’s a commitment that helps us to operate with health, safety, security and environmental protection as our top priorities,” said ACC President and CEO Chris Jahn. “Today, we recognize LyondellBasell for its outstanding leadership and dedication to the tenets of Responsible Care with ACC’s highest honor.”
ACC presented the award during its first virtual annual meeting, recognizing LyondellBasell’s application of Responsible Care requirements. This is LyondellBasell’s second time to be named ACC’s Responsible Care® Company of the Year, having previously received the award in 2014.
“Year after year our global team has delivered top decile performance in occupational safety and top quartile performance in process safety among our peer companies. In 2019, LyondellBasell experienced its best year ever for environmental performance,” said Bob Patel LyondellBasell CEO. “This honor is a direct reflection of the dedication of our entire LyondellBasell team, and their recognition that the health and safety of our people and the communities where we operate are our highest priorities.”
LyondellBasell’s Operational Excellence and Product Stewardship systems aim to continually improve health, safety, security and environmental performance. Since 2017, LyondellBasell has reduced its Total Recordable Injury Rate at its ACC member sites by 68 percent and reduced reportable environmental events by 26 percent.
In 2019, the company also implemented key sustainability initiatives. This includes expansion of a mechanical recycling project that transforms post-consumer plastic waste into high-quality polymers to make new products, and production of bio-based plastic made from renewable raw materials. LyondellBasell is seeking opportunities to grow its sustainable product portfolio in the U.S. and other parts of the world.
To be eligible for the Company of the Year Award, ACC members must demonstrate they have met and surpassed Responsible Care performance criteria in their U.S. operations, including: achieving a safety performance rating in the top 10 percent of companies in their size category, with no significant process events in the previous year; positive performance measures in the areas of transportation safety, process safety and emissions reduction; and demonstrated improvements in EHS&S performance, product stewardship, distribution safety and emergency preparedness.
Since 1988, Responsible Care companies have reduced hazardous releases to the air, land and water by 84 percent, improved energy efficiency overall, and have an employee safety record five times better than the U.S. manufacturing sector as a whole, and almost three times better than the business of chemistry overall.