Sustainability

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Environmentally Responsible Solutions

We believe environmentally responsible products make a difference in people’s lives all over the world.

We make products that contribute to cleaner air and purer drinking water. Our products serve as a replacement for harmful phosphates in consumer cleaning products and we make an ingredient that displaces environmentally harmful materials in fuel-efficient “green” tires. We do this to provide for a safer, cleaner world.

Meeting the Challenge of Social Responsibility

Today, we meet the challenge of social responsibility through our commitment to our Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Perfect Day process, effective implementation of our HSE Mission and Guiding Principles, Responsible Care®, and similar global industry processes. We continuously strive to be better stewards of our environment with each exciting new product innovation within our organization.

With all that we do at PQ, we are actively working to improve the health and safety of our workforce, vendors, customers, and neighboring communities, now and for the future.

Our Commitment to Environmental Stewardship

As our history shows, we have a long-standing commitment to creating products that are considered safer for the environment as well as people. We are dedicated to the efficient use of resources while striving to minimize the potential negative impacts of our operations.

PQ’s environmental stewards collaborate to reduce energy consumption and improve waste management practices, sharing best practices across the organization. Our HSE&S professionals worldwide are empowered to drive improvements in partnership with the wider organization through focused initiatives that meet the local needs of sites, communities, customers, and other stakeholders.

To read our iComply Assurance letter, click here.

Building a Plan around the UN SDGs

We are aligned behind the UN Global Compact’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through our:

Products
Manufacturing discipline
Dedication to health, safety, and the environment
Concern for business ethics and our communities

We continue to evaluate our business and establish goals against the UN SDGs which most align with our organization.

Municipal Water Treatment Solutions

As part of our alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we contribute to enhancing water supplies around the world. Our sodium silicates and zeolites help make municipal water safer by aiding in the removal of lead from potable drinking water and reducing the release of lead from lead-based pipelines.

We are driven to produce products that protect our water supplies for generations to come. In the end, it’s not just about what’s good for today, but about the future of our communities and the environment.

Cleaner Emissions

Our products are ultimately used in many diverse applications that contribute to cleaner air and safer roadways. For example, as you get in your car every day, you will find that our products help to reduce vehicle emissions.

We make products that are used in “green” tires and improve engine performance.

Together, this adds up to a more environmentally sound future for transportation.

Embracing Sustainable Practices

“Through our Business Transformation efforts, we are driving wastewater and in-process waste reduction, furnace efficiency, and footprint optimization, all of which have a major impact on our carbon footprint and sustainability goals.”

-Al Beninati, President, Performance Chemicals

“In 2019, our Refining business safely recycled 4.9 million barrels of spent sulfuric acid for refineries. We recovered over 100,000 MW of electricity and generated Sulfuric Acid products used to produce Alkylate, a high-octane gasoline component, as well as many other widely used basic materials. Our 2020 goal is to increase our recycling capabilities to over 5.1 million barrels.”

-Kurt Bitting, President, Refining Services

“Our Zeolite Catalysts product group produces innovative materials that reduce Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions from diesel engines by a minimum of 80% and reduce sulfur in fuels, helping drive sustainable clean air solutions. For over three decades, we have operated this group through our Zeolyst International Joint Venture.”

-Ray Kolberg, President, Catalysts

“Energy reduction, waste reduction, use of environmentally-conscious raw materials, yield improvement, and low emissions comprise some of the key targets that form PQ Corporation’s innovation and technical support projects portfolio. Our development programs on existing and new process technologies, as well as the industry solutions we provide through our product offerings, utilize such factors. About two-thirds of our innovation projects are linked to sustainability.”

-Ufuk Senturk, Vice President, R&D and Technology

Community Engagement

Giving back to the community is core to our businesses, both domestically and internationally. We support our local communities by providing our time and resources to improve the lives of our neighbors. Our goal is to have 100% of our sites engaged with communities in meaningful ways specific to their locations by 2022.

Here are some examples of our community outreach:

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In January 2020 we received a “White Flag, Green Star Award” from the Director of Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand as a result of our good governance and social responsibilities.

The Eco Services Baytown plant actively supports its local schools, the local police department and the local Community Advisory Panel, donating over 100 volunteer hours and over $8,000 in monetary equivalent donations, supplies and meals in 2019 alone.

We donate aluminum cans, glass, and plastic bottles to local schools in Thailand, which they resell to recyclers to support their schools.

The Baytown and Houston plants also have six employees who serve as volunteer firefighters and are often called to help the community. In March 2019, they used their skills to help extinguish a huge storage tank fire at the neighboring Intercontinental Terminals Company in three days, reducing the environmental impact of the blaze.

In Brownwood, Texas, United States, we support the Aldersgate Enrichment Center, which employs disabled individuals, by sending recyclable materials for them to sort and sell to other recycling facilities to support employee salaries.

Since 1996 our Refining Services Houston, Texas plant has recognized outstanding achievement by awarding a merit-based, four-year scholarship to a deserving student from a neighborhood near our facility.

In Baton Rouge, Louisiana our employees have helped to rebuild homes devastated by flooding in 2016.

In Toronto, Canada, the team provided funding to support a local Special Olympics swim team and prepared and delivered lunches for the homeless.

Our dedicated Performance Chemicals employees in Jacana and Rio Claro, Brazil, have lent support to local mural projects and have volunteered to upgrade nursing home and school facilities.

Brazil’s Incentive Law Project Community Art Program

Brazil Art Program 1 Brazil Community Art 4 Brazil Community Art 2