What Star Plastics is Doing About the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals
Star Plastics supports the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and, as a company born as a recycler, it is part of our DNA. We’re currently addressing (or continuing to address) several of these SDGs to lead to a more sustainable business and world.
See what we’re doing on the following select goals.
3 – Good Health and Well-Being – Ensure Healthy Lives and Promote Well-Being for All at All Ages.
- Star Plastics supports safe and healthy communities through responsible environmental stewardship.
- Employees participate in several health challenges throughout the year including water intake, walking, and weight loss challenges.
- Star sponsors local school sports teams and has helped to fund and build playgrounds.
- Our employees participate in charity walks and community events to support good causes.
4 – Quality Education – Ensure Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promote Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All.
- Star has sponsored a scholarship for a local college-bound teen for the last five years.
- Star is a Partner in Education, including holding a seat on the board, of Henry J. Kaiser Elementary in Ravenswood, W.Va., Star’s hometown.
- Employees read to students, participate in mentoring activities, community days, and the funding and building of a new playground for the school in 2023.
- Star participates in job fairs for the high school and the community.
- Star funds a tuition reimbursement plan for our employees as well as encouraging professional growth opportunities for all employees.
5 – Gender Equality – Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls.
- We’re proud to employ and continue to promote women throughout the company.
- Paid parental leave policy in place for both parents.
- Instituting gender equality training for all employees in 2025.
- Employees attend the annual Women Breaking the Mold conference, one of the premier events for female professionals in the plastics industry.
9 – Industry Innovation and Infrastructure – Build Resilient Infrastructure, Promote Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialization and Foster Innovation.
- Internally, we have optimized our equipment and processes, including energy-efficient upgrades to motors and drives.
- Externally, Star customers use our products in infrastructure applications including retaining structures and outdoor electrical boxes.
- We are constantly working with our customers to provide material innovations and advancements to support their product innovations in markets such as building and construction, smart home, and electrification.
12 – Responsible Consumption and Production – Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns
- Implementation of water-saving measures and energy-efficient water treatment and pumping systems.
- Implementation of energy management systems and programs to reduce water, wastewater and electric usage while tracking through our sustainability dashboard.
- Star’s hazardous waste management directives promote responsible consumption and production in our plants.
- Material-wise, Star brings in recycled materials as feedstocks and reuses product packaging.
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- Star strives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by 2030 and reduce waste to landfill by 75%.
13 – Climate Action – Take Urgent Action to Combat Climate Change and its Impacts
- Star redirects materials that would otherwise be sent to landfills for alternative uses, such as recycling, reuse, or energy recovery with a goal of 75% redirection.
- Implementation of energy management systems and programs to reduce water, wastewater and electric usage while tracking through our sustainability dashboard.
- Star has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by 2030 and has outlined over a dozen steps we have taken to reach this goal in 2024.
- Material-wise, Star brings in recycled materials as feedstocks and reuses product packaging.
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- We re-utilize recycled or “scrap” materials to produce new recycled products that help our customers meet their sustainability goals and climate action promises to their customers and stakeholders.