Pedro De Filippo Vannucci Program Coordinator, Sustainability & Environment
At the second annual OCS CON, held in October 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana, more than 100 attendees from across the plastic industry gathered to collaborate on resin stewardship and award leaders advancing the goal of zero plastic resin loss.
In 2025, the OCS Difference Maker Award expanded to include three company-level awards and two individual awards recognizing resin leaders at both the corporate and facility levels.
The 2025 OCS Difference Maker Awardees are:
– OCS Blue Member: Chevron Phillips Chemical – recognized for notable improvements in OCS metrics within their facilities.
– OCS Logistics Member: Frontier Logistics – awarded for innovations in rail car washing.
– OCS Base Tier: Geon Performance Solutions – recognized for efforts to maintain exceptional resin stewardship in their operations.
– Corporate Leader: Inge Duran of Packwell – honored for her leadership and development of comprehensive resin loss procedures.
– Facility-Level Leader: Mike Lever of Plastipak – recognized for continued initiative to enhance OCS measures through creative solutions.
Collectively, these honorees exemplify how the plastics industry is advancing responsible resin handling as a central priority, encouraging others to embrace proactive strategies for preventing resin loss.
Company Awards
OCS Blue Member Chevron Phillips Chemical was recognized for its leadership in implementing OCS principles across its operations. As an early participant in the OCS Blue Verification Program, CPChem piloted one of its facilities in 2022 and has since contributed to strengthening the program’s rigor through ongoing engagement and continuous improvement. Building on this commitment, CPChem developed initiatives such as the Heel Recovery Project, which has helped inform excellent practices for railcar washing and further demonstrate the company’s leadership in preventing resin loss.
“At CPChem, we believe plastic should never end up in the environment, and that belief drives our commitment to preventing resin loss. Across our company, dedicated individuals and ‘best‑practice teams’ champion the OCS mission, constantly innovating and fostering a culture of care and accountability. We are especially proud of our manufacturing teams, who bring this commitment to life every day, and we appreciate our partners across the plastics value chain who help us continuously enhance our practices through the OCS program.”
OCS Logistics Member Frontier Logisticswas recognized for their leadership in preventing resin loss and their innovative use of air‑based railcar cleaning technology. Through weekly audits, continuous housekeeping, engineered containment controls, and rigorous documentation practices, Frontier has embedded OCS principles into everyday operations. Their work advancing air‑based railcar cleaning, shared in the OCS Railcar Washing Guide, reflects Frontier’s commitment to innovation.
“Being named an OCS Difference Maker for 2025 is a proud moment for the entire Frontier Logistics team. We prioritize Operation Clean Sweep because preventing resin loss protects the environment and strengthens the supply chain—it’s integral to who we are as a responsible logistics provider. Winning the 2025 OCS Difference Maker Award has only fueled our passion to think differently, challenge long-held assumptions and technologies, and identify solutions that advance this industry-wide endeavor toward zero resin loss.”
OCS Base Tier member Geon’s Performance Solutions was honored for their strong operational discipline and their commitment to incorporating resin loss prevention into everyday practices across their operations. An OCS Member since 2018, Geon has demonstrated a sustained focus on responsible resin handling by integrating OCS principles into routine workflows and reinforcing a culture of accountability at the facility level. This recognition reflects Geon’s continued efforts to strengthen environmental stewardship and make resin loss prevention a consistent operational priority.
“Being recognized as an Operation Clean Sweep Difference Maker reinforces Geon’s commitment to responsible manufacturing and preventing pellet loss at its source. The program has strengthened our sustainability practices and deepened our culture of accountability across all sites. OCS remains a priority because safeguarding our environment is fundamental to how we operate and how we help shape thriving communities.”
Individual Awards
While the company awards recognize broad organizational achievements, the individual awards celebrate the leaders whose personal commitment and day-to-day‑ initiative drive this work forward.
Inge Duran, Director of Quality Assurance at Packwell, was recognized for her exceptional leadership in advancing the implementation of the OCS program at Packwell. She strengthened and expanded Packwell’s internal framework for resin loss prevention, empowering a cross‑functional team to identify opportunities to improve processes and integrate OCS principles into everyday operations. Her leadership has brought greater alignment across teams and supported Packwell’s ongoing commitment to advancing resin loss prevention.
“Since joining OCS in 2012, Packwell has championed zero environmental resin loss—both locally and nationally. The Difference Maker Award celebrates our entire team’s commitment to turning vision into action with real momentum. We’re honored by this recognition and energized to keep pushing forward.
Mike Lever, Raw Material Manager at Plastipak, was honored for his dedication to resin loss prevention and his continued initiative to enhance OCS measures at Plastipak. Lever’s meticulous approach and direct involvement in daily operations enabled him to properly address potential risk areas for resin loss. His proactive initiatives embody OCS core values by developing targeted preventative solutions that have elevated responsible resin handling approaches beyond his own facility.
“We enthusiastically took the opportunity to participate in the Operation Clean Sweep initiative and contribute to its success from all points of view and for me personally, from the “Boots on the Ground” perspective. This award is meaningful, because it represents Plastipak’s long standing, and future position of stewardship with our environment, and our community. We look forward to Plastipak having the opportunity to become Best in Class regarding our contribution to Operation Clean Sweep and resin pellet containment across all of our sites.”
2026 OCS Difference Maker Awards
As we celebrate the achievements of the 2025 OCS Difference Makers, don’t forget that the 2026 OCS Difference Maker Award Submissions are open. This is an opportunity to recognize peers who go above and beyond, whether it’s an individual leading by example or an organization that’s doing exceptional work. Please reach out to info@opcleansweep.org for more information on how to submit nominations!
The OCS Difference Maker Awards will be presented at OCS CON 2026 in Houston, TX from October 14-16. Award recipients will be formally recognized as part of the conference program. OCS CON 2026 offers attendees the opportunity to see industry leadership in resin loss prevention recognized firsthand. Register now to join us in Houston, celebrate industry leaders, and advance the industry’s responsible resin handling goals.
Pedro De Filippo Vannucci Program Coordinator, Sustainability & Environment
Resin facilities are exposed to potential environmental risks in the event of natural disasters including hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, and tornadoes, which may significantly disrupt resin handling operations. As natural disasters approach, it is essential to integrate resin loss prevention measures into both storm preparedness and post-event cleanup protocols. In August, Operation Clean Sweep held a webinar dedicated to disaster preparedness for resin operations, highlighting practical case studies and sharing expert perspectives. The session, led by OCS Consultant Will Planter, featured Kevin Colomb, Polyolefins Manufacturing Advisor at ExxonMobil, and Dan Martino, Vice President Administration at Inteplast Group, who emphasized the necessity of adopting robust disaster preparedness plans within plastic resin handling operations.
Assigning Roles and Action Phases for Disaster Preparedness
Plastic resin facilities often have various responsibilities before, during, and after severe weather events. A critical part of effective disaster preparedness is the assignment of clear roles and the definition of action phases for staff. As Colomb highlighted during the webinar, having a structured plan that designates responsibilities to staff ahead of time, helps confirm that every aspect of resin containment is addressed. ExxonMobil’s strategy emphasizes cross-departmental communication, with administrative teams working alongside human resources to coordinate storm response and recovery. Colomb highlighted that Exxon’s facilities have benefited from establishing the following organization:
Pre-event Phase: Assign teams to inspect barriers, clean storm drains, and review containment systems.
Active Event Phase: Designate leaders for monitoring facility conditions, communicating with staff, and executing emergency shutdowns if necessary.
Post-event Phase: Allocate resources for rapid cleanup and assessment of resin containment integrity.
Multilayered Containment Strategies
The pre-event phase focuses on inspecting equipment like storm drains, silos, fence lines, and loading or unloading zones, which can be especially susceptible to flooding or high winds. Barriers and containment systems can become overwhelmed or compromised, potentially leading to plastic resin being released outside of the company’s facility boundary.
During the webinar, Martino explained that to minimize the company’s environmental and operational risks, they examine container seals and transport resin away from shallow areas, which will enable easier cleanup of plastic resin in case of a spill. Inteplast implements multiple layers of protection that are checked routinely to reduce the opportunities for resin releases:
“We have a massive filter protection program here on site to catch our pellets so that they are pulled out of the ditches immediately if anything does happen. Then, before it hits outfall ditches, our stormwater runoff, we’ve got a whole other series of screens to catch pellets if they make it there. Then finally, we have our outfall system, a double layer of protection, multiple screens again.”
For facilities looking to strengthen their containment systems with new equipment, the OCS Vendor Directory is a valuable resource. This member-only tool provides OCS Members with a comprehensive list of industry solutions for resin containment, cleanup, and prevention that can help facilities prepare for high-stress weather events.
Scenario Planning and Continuous Improvement
Just as containment technology plays an essential role in resin loss prevention, facilities may also benefit from strong communication and planning prior to a natural disaster event. By accessing resources offered through the OCS program ahead of natural disasters facilities can support staff preparedness efforts throughout each phase of response.
During the August webinar, Dan Martino described Inteplast’s proactive strategy that requires all staff to, “Explore all the what-ifs before the event materializes.” Scenario planning provides direct action items throughout the weather event that can be revised and improved continuously. Guest speaker Kevin Colomb underscored a vital aspect of this approach:
“The last step is the most important step in terms of this work organization which is that we learn from each storm what went well, what didn’t go well, and then we’re able to bring that back into our procedure updates to make sure it improves the next time.”
By leveraging resources, innovative technologies and a strong culture of resin loss prevention, facilities can refine their preparedness strategies and work to minimize environmental impact when natural disasters occur.
If your company is not yet an OCS member, click here to learn more about membership. OCS provides a variety of members-only resources, including webinars, educational materials, and unique opportunities to collaborate with resin loss prevention leaders from across the value chain!
At the inaugural OCS CON in 2024, more than one hundred attendees gathered to celebrate the first-ever OCS Difference Maker Award recipients — Brittany Darras, Senior Sustainability Manager at Braskem; Gina James, Environmental Specialist at Chevron Phillips Chemical; and Anna Ross, Sustainability Director – Packaging & Specialty Plastics at Dow Chemical. Presented during the event held last September in Houston, Texas, the OCS Difference Maker Award was created to honor individual OCS champions who have gone above and beyond in their efforts toward zero plastic resin loss.
From left to right – Allison Chertack, Anna Ross, Brittany Darras, Charlotte Dreizen (Not pictured: Gina James).
Brittany Darras was recognized for her work to implement OCS Blue at all Braskem America’s sites, while also exceeding program expectations. Brittany established an internal auditing process to quickly address and resolve any resin loss risks in operations. From spearheading an effort to properly secure and audit emptied plastic resin railcars to driving internal meetings to ensure continuous improvement, her commitment to resin loss prevention is profound.
“This recognition represents the collective, unwavering efforts of Braskem team members and other OCS members I’ve worked with to continually improve our practices to keep plastic off the ground and out of the environment,” said Brittany Darras. “Responsibly managing the products we make is part of our license to operate. I look forward to continuing to advance efforts to reduce resin losses through collaboration and partnership both within and outside of Braskem.”
Gina James was recognized for her dedication to preventing plastic resin loss through the implementation of a pellet management program at Chevron Phillip’s Orange facility and her ability to engage and impress upon others the importance of resin handling practices. James championed facility improvements that were instrumental to the facility’s OCS program.
“I am honored to receive this award, which recognizes the significant efforts of CP Chem’s plastics stewardship programs,” said Gina James. “We have deployed cross-functional teams across our facilities to lead initiatives that further enhance our OCS program and encourage others in our value chain to make this journey with us. By striving for zero pellet loss, we aim to keep valuable resources out of the environment, helping to meet society’s needs both now and in the future.”
Anna Ross was recognized for her unwavering passion for sustainability and resin loss prevention, exemplified by the creation of the OCS Steering Team and now-famous OCS Playbook. At Dow, Ross identified an opportunity to drive culture change and launched the “Every Pellet Counts” campaign which calls on employees to get involved and approach resin loss prevention with a renewed understanding.
“Operation Clean Sweep is an amazing opportunity for industry to collaborate, as true success only comes when we are all winning together,” said Anna Ross. “The OCS Difference Maker award was especially meaningful to me because it represents the impact of what the Dow Team has been able to accomplish internally, and the unlimited potential of what we can achieve together as an industry.”
From developing innovative solutions for mitigating resin loss to deploying culture change initiatives, the outstanding contributions demonstrated by the OCS Difference Maker Award recipients showcase significant industry-led leadership in protecting the environment and exhibiting operational excellence.
OCS looks forward to recognizing the next group of OCS Difference Maker Award recipients at OCS CON 2025, taking place in Indianapolis, Indiana, from October 15-17. OCS members may submit a nomination for the OCS Difference Maker Award through June 13, 2025. New this year, OCS will be recognizing OCS companies for their achievements in OCS, alongside the individual awards. Interested OCS member companies and staff can submit their nominees for consideration here.
If you are new to OCS and are looking to learn more about efforts towards zero resin loss in operations, please reach out to info@opcleansweep.org.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 30, 2025) — The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) have announced the launch of Operation Clean Sweep® (OCS) Logistics Verification, a facility-level inspection program designed exclusively for OCS Logistics members. Building upon the success of OCS Blue Verification, the program has been expanded with the goal of applying a rigorous model to prevent resin loss to the critical ‘middle’ of the supply chain—trucking companies, transloading companies, distributors, warehouses, and service providers. OCS Logistics Verification ensures that more than 25 required management practices to prevent resin loss have been successfully implemented at the facility level.
“The new OCS Logistics Verification program represents a significant increase in the strength and transparency of the plastics industry’s efforts to prevent resin loss,” said PLASTICS’ President and CEO Matt Seaholm. “By proactively verifying their operations, OCS Logistics members are demonstrating their leadership and continued commitment to protecting the environment and advancing sustainability throughout our industry.”
“America’s Plastic Makers, represented by ACC’s Plastics Division, have led the charge to be good stewards in resin management, taking significant steps to increase transparency and knowledge sharing that help create safer, cleaner communities in the U.S.,” said America’s Plastic Makers President Ross Eisenberg. “The OCS Logistics Verification Program strengthens our collective efforts to prevent plastic resin loss, ensuring these valuable materials stay in the supply chain and out of the environment. By embracing this verification process, industry leaders are demonstrating accountability and driving meaningful progress for businesses, consumers, and our planet.”
“Savage is proud to participate in the OCS Logistics Verification Program, which further strengthens our ability to prevent the loss of plastic pellets and resins across our operations,” said Troy Savage, Senior Vice President and Group Leader, Rail and Terminals at Savage. “We handle significant quantities of plastic pellets and resins at our transload terminals and other rail facilities, and we’ve made critical infrastructure investments in our loading areas to prevent product loss. By doing the right thing, finding a better way, and making a difference for our customers, team members, and communities, we’re committed to ensuring these materials are properly handled throughout the supply chain.”
“Preventing plastic resin loss across the logistics chain is vital to advancing environmental sustainability and reducing carbon footprints—key priorities of TALKE’s mission for Crafting Responsible Logistics,” said Richard Heath, President & CEO at TALKE. “The newly developed OCS Logistics Verification framework supports this mission by offering a structured process to evaluate resin loss performance, enhance containment efficiency, and achieve world-class OCS standards. This framework ensures measurable, long-term progress in sustainability efforts, benefiting both the industry and society.”
“Resin loss is a critical issue for our industry,” says John Labrie, CEO of Quantix. “As we increase reliance on plastic and in turn, the production of resin, we need to focus on securing that product at every stage of the supply chain. Product loss is about more than just the money. Our customers set aggressive sustainability goals. As a key partner of their supply chain, their goals become our goals, and you simply cannot provide high quality service like we do without deep consideration for your customer’s product.”
This program is exclusively available to OCS Logistics members to verify critical resin loss prevention practices have been successfully implemented at logistics facilities and during the transportation of plastic resin between sites. All OCS Logistics members are required to complete at least one verification inspection by December 31, 2025. Subsequent inspections are required at additional facilities in the first full verification cycle starting in 2026.
The program complements OCS Blue Verification, launched in September 2023, to address resin loss prevention practices at material suppliers and processors, ensuring accountability across the supply chain.
To provide additional information about the program, Operation Clean Sweep® will host a webinar in February 2025. PLASTICS and ACC encourage OCS Logistics members to register for the webinar and reach out to info@opcleansweep.org for additional information.
Operation Clean Sweep was founded by the Plastics Industry Association in 1991 and is managed in partnership with the American Chemistry Council’s Plastics Division. The industry-led program is dedicated to helping companies move toward zero plastic resin loss and is active in more than 60 countries worldwide. OCS members in the U.S. represent a diversity of the plastics value chain, ranging from companies making and distributing plastic, to transportation companies moving plastic, and processors manufacturing final products.
The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) is the only organization that supports the entire plastics supply chain, including Equipment Suppliers, Material Suppliers, Processors, and Recyclers, representing over one million workers in our $519 billion U.S. industry. PLASTICS advances the priorities of our members who are dedicated to investing in technologies that improve capabilities and advances in recycling and sustainability and providing essential products that allow for the protection and safety of our lives. Since 1937, PLASTICS has been working to make its members, and the eighth largest U.S. manufacturing industry, more globally competitive while supporting circularity through educational initiatives, industry-leading insights and events, convening opportunities and policy advocacy, including the largest plastics trade show in the Americas, NPE: The Plastics Show.
The American Chemistry Council’s Plastics Division represents America’s Plastic MakersSM plus the half million+ scientists, engineers, technicians, and other innovators who make plastics for many essential and lifesaving products that are vital to modern life. America’s Plastic Makers continue to embrace change. We’re linking innovation with sustainability, deploying next generation technologies to make plastics lighter, stronger, more efficient and more recyclable, so we can meet our goal for 100% of U.S. plastic packaging to be reused, recycled, or recovered by 2040. We’re making sustainable change to help build a cleaner, safer, more sustainable future for generations to come.
Charlotte Dreizen PLASTICS Director, Sustainability and Environment
Portraits of workers in factory. Shallow DOF. Developed from RAW; retouched with special care and attention; Small amount of grain added for best final impression. 16 bit Adobe RGB color profile.
Now, more than ever, it’s important for industry to set ambitious goals towards achieving zero plastic resin loss and simultaneously demonstrate that strong practices are in place to prevent loss of resin into the environment. That’s why in six short months, Operation Clean Sweep® (OCS) will launch a new facility-level verification program that brings an expanded level of rigor and transparency to OCS Blue, its most robust tier of membership.
Through OCS Blue Verification, companies will be able to show stakeholders, from customers to shareholders to regulators, that strategies to prevent and mitigate plastic resin loss have been successfully implemented across facilities. Read on to learn more about how the OCS Blue Verification program, applicable to any plastic resin-handling operation in the U.S., will work and can add value to your company.
How was the OCS Blue Verification program developed?
Starting in 2021, a diverse group of OCS Blue members and industry experts spanning the country developed the OCS Blue Verification program, including material suppliers, processors, service providers, and transportation companies. This process included multiple pilots at OCS Blue member companies to help understand how inspections worked in practice and incorporate feedback into the program’s development.
Who can participate in OCS Blue Verification?
OCS Blue Verification will be exclusively available to OCS Blue member companies in the United States.
Will OCS Blue Verification be required for all OCS Blue members?
Once OCS Blue Verification is launched in 2024, all OCS Blue members will be required to participate.
How will verification cycles work for OCS Blue Verification?
OCS Blue Verification’s first cycle will run for two years, from January 2024 through December 2025. Future verification cycles will be three years, starting with the 2026 through 2028 cycle, to align with the timing of international OCS inspection programs.
How many facilities will be required to achieve OCS Blue Verification?
In each verification cycle, OCS Blue members must verify a certain number of their facilities, based on the overall number of eligible facilities in their portfolio, divided into three tiers. A facility is eligible if it handles more than one ton of plastic resin per year.
For companies that do not have a total number of facilities evenly divisible by the percentage, the number of facilities will be rounded up. For example, if an OCS Blue member has five facilities, two will be required to achieve verification in each cycle. If a member has one facility, that facility will be required to secure verification in each cycle.
The facilities required to become verified in each cycle are considered a minimum and, if a member chooses, they may verify more than the required minimum or all of their facilities in a given cycle. However, this does not impact the number of facilities required to achieve verification in future verification cycles.
If my company joins OCS Blue, will we have to participate in OCS Blue Verification right away?
Depending on the point in the verification cycle at which your company joins OCS Blue, your company may be required to participate in OCS Blue Verification in the current verification cycle. For companies that join in the first half of a verification cycle, participating in OCS Blue Verification for the current cycle will be required. For companies joining past the half-way point in the verification cycle, participating in OCS Blue Verification may begin in the following verification cycle.
Does my company select which facilities will achieve OCS Blue Verification in each cycle?
OCS Blue members select which facilities will be inspected for OCS Blue Verification. The program recommends that members select a mix of facilities based on geography, size, and function.
How will an OCS Blue Verification inspection work?
An OCS Blue member will contract directly with an approved OCS Blue Verifier to conduct an OCS Blue Verification inspection. The OCS Blue Verification inspection can be conducted in a stand-alone manner, scheduled alongside a Responsible Care® or ISO inspection, or integrated into certain environmental management system audits including RCMS:2019, RC14001, RCMS:2023, RC14001:2023, or ISO14001:2015.
Once scheduled, a company will provide preliminary background information to the inspector, in advance, on management practices. During the on-site OCS Blue Verification inspection, implementation of 29 required management practices in five categories will be assessed. These management practices are outlined in the forthcoming OCS Blue Verification Framework.
If implementation of required management practices is successfully confirmed, the OCS Blue Verifier will notify the OCS program. For any gaps in implementation observed, the member must submit a Nonconformance Response to the OCS Blue Verifier within 60 days that successfully demonstrates resolution of the gap.
What happens after a facility achieves OCS Blue Verification?
For every facility that becomes OCS Blue Verified, a Certificate of Verification will be provided, and the facility will be added to a public registry of verified facilities. These achievements can be shared in your company’s annual sustainability report and ESG reporting, as well as with customers and stakeholders.
Which inspectors should our company use to do the on-site inspection?
Companies can hire approved OCS Blue Verifiers to conduct an OCS Blue Verification inspection. To become an approved OCS Blue Verifier, an inspector must complete the OCS Blue Verifier training and meet certain eligibility requirements. OCS Blue Verifier Training will be offered to inspectors starting in August 2023 on a monthly basis through the launch of OCS Blue Verification and on a periodic basis thereafter.
Please reach out to ocs@plasticsindustry.org if you would like to refer an inspector to the OCS Blue Verification Training program or for complete OCS Blue Verifier eligibility requirements.
I have additional questions. How can I get them answered?
If you would like to discuss OCS Blue Verification further or explore OCS Blue membership, please reach out to ocs@plasticsindustry.org. The OCS team will be happy to answer questions, share information on future OCS Blue Verification webinars for members to learn more, and let you know when the official OCS Blue Verification Framework and Guide to OCS Blue Verification become available.
