Sabic’s global corporate social responsibility program ‘waste-free environments’ launches in china

SABIC, a global leader in diversified chemicals, today announced that its brand new global corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, ‘Waste-free Environments,’ will soon launch in China. From July 20 to 27, SABIC will actively fulfill its CSR commitments and corporate purpose - Chemistry that MattersTM - via a series of events. These include an environmental protection-themed fair and parent-children waste sorting workshops, joining hands with government, media and volunteers, to put green and environmental concepts into the public consciousness.

‘Waste-free Environments’ aims to promote waste reduction and deepen awareness and support for a circular economy from the public. Shanghai on July 1 implemented new Municipal Waste Management Regulations, becoming the first city in China to apply compulsory regulations on garbage sorting. This is also in accord with Chinese President Xi Jinping recent highlighting of the notion that “garbage sorting is the new fashion.”

The launch of SABIC’s ‘Waste-free Environments’ in China not only promptly responds to the government's calls, but also underlines SABIC's unremitting efforts to fulfill its CSR commitments through enabling community sustainable development and prosperity.

“By consolidating strengths from different sectors, our new ‘Waste-free Environments’ program will soon land in China,” said Li Lei, Vice President and Regional Head, North Asia, SABIC. “Through this program, SABIC hopes to further bring our CSR efforts to China in a more comprehensive manner, and work together with all parties to more effectively and orderly promote the sorting of waste and to encourage public participation in urban public affairs. At the same time, we will also strive to advance our China commitment and local strategy, continuously empowering China's inclusive growth and sustainable development.”

Under the guidance from various Shanghai municipal government departments, the Shanghai Daily Public Welfare Community Engagement, with Environmental Protection Fair as its main off-line activities, was launched days ago. On July 20, SABIC ‘Waste-free Environments’ will firstly follow the Environmental Protection Fair through Jing’an Temple Street in Jing'an District. Then on July 27, the program will subsequently engage Jiuting Town in Songjiang District. SABIC, as a global industry leader, will share and demonstrate the company's innovative practices, which enable a circular economy and sustainable development, through various engagements including a booth display, plastic bottle recycling and a pinball machine-style online game.

On July 21, SABIC will further join hands with the Business Ecology Studio, a pioneering environmental protection organization, to organize a waste sorting parent-child workshop for the Kangqiao community, themed around “Where does the garbage go?” with the hope of illustrating the necessity and benefits of garbage sorting and encouraging public participation. Participating families will first take part in the community visit session and learn ‘where garbage comes from and goes’. In the subsequent classroom session, they will then learn more on the process of garbage generation, sorting, processing and recycling through interactive content such as storytelling and a Bingo game.

Founded in 1976 and entered China market in the 1980s, SABIC has been committed to enabling China to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth, and adhered to community development as its focus for fulfilling its CSR and corporate purpose of Chemistry that MattersTM. In addition to the upcoming ‘Waste-free Environments’, SABIC has carried out a series of global CSR programs including ‘Lights of Our Future’ and ‘Back to School’. This year in May, SABIC co-hosted the 2019 ‘Lights of Our Future’ Sustainable Development Design Competition with JA China for the third consecutive year. In addition, this year, SABIC’s ‘Back to School’ program also achieved a new milestone with its inaugural sponsorship of and participation in the Second Young Talents’ Chemical Innovation Challenge (Hackathon 2019) to encourage Chinese college students to promote the innovation of products, processes and models in the field of plastics.