Environmental Stewardship and Social Impact
Responsible Growth in the Circular Economy
Plastic products play a vital role in our daily lives, and we share a collective responsibility to advance the circular economy of plastics through best practices for production, use and re-use.
As a proud founding member of Responsible Care® (RC), our commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable chemical manufacturing is deeply rooted in our operations and corporate philosophy.
For more detail on our corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance, click here.
Circular Solutions and Product Innovation
Driving innovation in the plastics circular economy
Through the launch of our NOVA Circular Solutions business, we are accelerating the adoption of recycled polyethylene (rPE), including our innovative SYNDIGO rPE resins. We continue to promote the increased use of rPE while developing essential building blocks for all-polyethylene (PE) packaging to promote circular opportunities.
Highlights of SYNDIGO1, our first mechanical recycling facility:
- Strategically located in Connersville, Indiana, USA
- One of the largest and most sophisticated of its kind, leveraging state-of-the-art design and world-class equipment
- Manufactures highly advanced rPE resins from post-consumer films
- Produces a range of recycled PE resins for various applications, including demanding food packaging products
- Estimated annual production of 110 million pounds of rPE by 2026
Our strong legacy of innovation and pioneering high-performance PE resins creates real solutions for our customers and helps set us apart from our competition. We operate the largest private research facilities in Western Canada through our cutting-edge Centre for Applied Research and Centre for Performance Applications in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Our Centre of Excellence for Plastics Circularity fosters collaboration, knowledge exchange, and technology development for the circular economy of plastics.
Climate and Environmental Performance
Being responsible stewards of our environment
Guided by Responsible Care principles, we have voluntarily reported on our environmental performance since 1994. We champion pellet loss prevention at our sites and throughout our supply chain, and we implement measures to prevent, manage, and reuse waste in our operations. Our polyethylene sites are assessed regularly to ensure alignment with Operation Clean Sweep’s mission of preventing pellet loss during manufacturing and transportation.
To learn more about our commitment to RC, click here.
We established the Joffre Community Nature Trail, a 220-acre area near our Joffre Site in Alberta, offering walking paths, scenic viewpoints, and picnic areas for public enjoyment.
Other achievements include:
- Eleven consecutive years of zero Non-Accident Releases – unintentional releases of hazardous materials during transportation, excluding derailments or collisions – during rail transport across our manufacturing regions. This achievement marks our longest streak in NOVA’s history as well as our longest running RC performance metric overall.
- The 2024 Silver medal from EcoVadis for excellence in Environment, Ethics, Labor & Human Rights, and Sustainable Procurement (ranking in the 94th percentile among over 130,000 companies).
Employee Safety and Wellbeing
Fostering a Responsible Care and safety culture
NOVA Chemicals is on a journey to top quartile safety performance, implementing Human & Organizational Performance (HOP) to eliminate workplace hazards and strengthen our strong safety culture.
Other key initiatives:
- Launch of our internal Inclusion at NOVA Day in 2023
- A new framework for Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to support employees and foster an inclusive and supportive environment
- Recognized as a Top Employer in Alberta by Canada’s Top 100 Employers for two consecutive years (2024, 2025).
Community Engagement and Responsibility
Building stronger communities through collaboration
We are committed to community engagement and strive to be a good neighbour through collaborating and investing in projects that address our communities’ unique needs and concerns. We focus on organizations and causes that:
- Inspire tomorrow’s innovators (STEM, education, trades)
- Create strong, thriving communities (basic needs, safety, health)
- Foster environmental stewardship
We have a long history of lending our hands to organizations that are dedicated to improving the quality of life of our neighbours, and we are dedicated to fostering long-lasting, positive relationships. Our employees contributed approximately 3,000 volunteer hours in 2024 and we stand firm in our “on-the-ground” commitment to being a good neighbour.
In 2024, we raised USD$1.6 million for United Way, our charity of choice and contributed nearly $2 million in total community giving.
Year of Service
In 2025, NOVA Chemicals celebrates 50 years in petrochemicals. To honour this milestone, we launched our Year of Service – targeting 5,000 employee volunteer hours in 2025.
We are proud to share that NOVA employees already logged half of these before Q3!
As a founding member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), we support global efforts to build sustainable waste management systems around the world. Since 2019, the AEPW has:
- Funded and approved over 50 major projects in eight global regions
- Reduced over 118,500 tonnes of unmanaged plastic waste
- Captured over 128,200 tonnes of value, primarily through recycling.
We are proud that our efforts have helped the AEPW achieve a combined total of $1.3 billion in Member Directed Contributions.
Accountability and Governance
Conducting our business with integrity and responsibility
As participants in the United Nations Global Compact, we uphold human rights and integrate these principles into our daily operations.
We enforce an anti-forced labour and anti-child labour due diligence program and maintain an Anti-Modern Slavery Policy. Read our 2023 Modern Slavery Report.
We collaborate with our suppliers, customers, agents, and distributors who align with our values in sustainable chemical manufacturing, environmental responsibility, human health and safe, and ethical business practices.
