2. Reducing energy use,
preserving health,
enhancing safety,
improving durability,
and conserving
natural resources.
Our Commitment to Sustainability
Trinseo is a preferred partner for sustainable solutions in plastics, latex binders, and synthetic
rubber. We listen to our customers’ sustainability needs to help them continuously improve
the sustainability performance of their products and the success of their value chain. We put
our entrepreneurial nature, laser focus, and flexibility to work to provide the marketplace with
tangible and sustainable next-generation solutions.
The people of Trinseo are committed to improving Trinseo’s economic, environmental, and social
performance through:
• Innovating and developing new and improved products and processes that enhance our customers’ sustainability
• Promoting the responsible use of our materials through product stewardship
• Operating responsibly with respect to the environment, health and safety, and efficient use of resources
• Adhering to the principles of Responsible Care®
• Being a good neighbor in the communities where we operate
• Monitoring, measuring, reporting, and improving Trinseo’s performance continuously
TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 1
3. Message from the CEO
Since the company’s formation in 2010, our vision has been to be a world leader in
delivering the innovative materials, technologies, and solutions that enable a more
sustainable world. We established our Sustainability/CSR program at the time, and have
continued to add new elements each year – including a Supplier Code of Conduct in 2015.
At Trinseo, our sustainability commitment is an integral part of our business strategy. Our
focus and dedication will propel us to that end. Collaboration with customers will lead to
innovations that address market trends and needs for sustainable solutions.
Trinseo’s plastics, latex binders, and synthetic rubber products enable our customers to create
more sustainable solutions by reducing energy use, preserving health, enhancing safety,
improving durability, and conserving natural resources. This report highlights a number of
examples where Trinseo products enable lighter weight cars, energy-saving green tires, LED
lighting, life-saving medical devices, and much more.
We are committed to sharing our sustainability efforts and results—from greenhouse gas emissions
to human rights policies—as openly and transparently as possible. Trinseo’s 2015 public reporting
received the Silver Medal level of achievement from EcoVadis, a leading sustainability assessor.
Trinseo’s disclosure score of 54 places the company in the top 30 percent of the 6000 companies
evaluated by EcoVadis in 2015.
Our report provides examples of how Trinseo materials solutions are evolving to meet market and
customer needs for sustainable solutions, and outlines our programs in product stewardship, quality,
ethics and compliance, volunteerism, and Responsible Care®.
We will continue our work to reduce Trinseo’s environmental footprint, while developing new innovative
solutions that benefit our world. None of this would be possible without the outstanding efforts of Trinseo
people across the globe who demonstrate their commitment to sustainability every day.
Chris Pappas
President and CEO, Trinseo
Our Commitment to Sustainability............................. 1
Message from the CEO................................................2
Sustainability Highlights 2015.................................... 4
Sustainable Products
Weighing In:
The Auto Industry Continues to Diet..................8
Charging into the Future....................................10
Demand for Green Tires
Drives Innovation in Rubber...............................11
Big Ideas Get Small............................................. 12
Lighting the Way to a Brighter Future.............. 13
Polystyrene Packaging Reduces Food Waste.14
Latex Coating Enhances Environmentally
Friendly Carpet.................................................... 15
Sustainable Performance
Financial Performance........................................18
Economic Performance......................................20
Human Resources Performance....................... 21
Environmental Performance.............................22
Key Environmental Performance Indicators....27
Social Performance.............................................34
Sustainable Operations
Quality................................................................. 40
Suppliers..............................................................43
Product Safety.....................................................43
Regulatory Compliance..................................... 46
Greening the Value Chain..................................50
Supplier Code of Conduct .................................. 51
Operational Efficiencies.....................................52
Our Commitments
Values.................................................................57
Environmental, Health, and Safety Policy......58
Responsible Care®........................................... 60
Ethics and Compliance......................................61
About Our Social Media Efforts.......................61
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 3
4. Reduction in energy
consumption by using an LED
bulb with Trinseo plastic lens,
compared to traditional
incandescent light
73%
fuel savings using green
tires with Trinseo SSBR
versus traditional tires
3%80
liters or
calories
intended
for consumption is
never actually eaten
Packaging made with
STYRONTM
Polystyrene
can reduce
food waste
Potential density reduction
with Trinseo PULSETM
XT7215
versus alternative solution
10%
3,444volunteered by
employees during
Volunteer Days -
a 72% increase
over 2014
HOURS
SUSTAINABILITY HIGHLIGHTS 2015
58%
27%
Reduction
in electricity
use (from 2011
baseline)
4
Reduction in VOC
emissions from 2011 baseline
50%
reduction in total chemical emissions
(from 2011 baseline)
Reduction
in total waste
(vs. prior year)
17%96%
Percent of Trinseo
employees who
completed ethics
and compliance
training
5. Sustainable Products
As a preferred partner for sustainable solutions in plastics, latex
binders, and synthetic rubber products, Trinseo listens to its customers’
sustainability needs and strives to deliver innovative products and
technologies that help Trinseo and its customers improve their economic,
environmental, and social performance.
6 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 7
6. Lighter Solutions Can Lighten Costs
Trinseo PULSE™ GX50 Resin is an optimized
mixture of polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene (ABS) specially developed
for automotive interior component applications.
The material offers a four percent decrease in
density*
enabling lighter final parts, increasing fuel
efficiency. The material’s easy flow characteristics
result in the production of less scrap which means
less waste and that’s good for the planet!
It was these properties that led auto supplier and
key partner Samvardhana Motherson Peguform
(SMP), to approach Trinseo when Audi wanted
to improve the appearance of their bumper grills
while reducing weight and, if possible, cost. When
Audi’s original plan to create two painted bumper
versions—a high gloss and a low gloss version—
proved too costly using another material, SMP
asked Trinseo for material options for painted
exterior parts.
Trinseo’s PULSE™ GX50 enabled SMP to create
aesthetically pleasing high quality bumpers for
Audi. This combined with the reduction in the cost
of parts, and a reduction in CO2 emissions due to
the lighter weight of the final part, were the basis
for Audi selecting PULSE™ GX50 for their bumper
applications.
It has been used for the front bumper grills on
the Audi A4, and the A5, which will launch mid-
2016. The bumper grills are Trinseo’s first exterior
application with PULSE™ GX50 globally.
* Compared to conventional PC/ABS materials
Weighing In
The Auto Industry
Continues to Diet
The automotive market continues
to demand lightweight solutions,
driven in a large part by
legislation such as CARS 2020
in Europe and CAFE in the
U.S., both of which aim to
reduce CO2 emissions.
Trinseo is meeting the
need with innovative
engineering and low
density materials.
A Skinny Alternative to Aluminum
When challenged to create a lightweight plastic solution that could replace a painted
aluminum exterior auto part, Trinseo’s PULSE™ XT 9215 was the answer.
PULSE™ XT 9215 is optimized for lightweighting exterior automotive applications. The material
enables improved dimensional stability (smaller gaps between parts) and a better fit and finish
for optimal quality. It also offers a significant density advantage —up to 10%—for lighter parts
and optimized costs. Auto manufacturer Opel chose Trinseo as its supplier of PULSE™ XT 9215
for the roof rails of its new Astra Sports Tourer.
Semi-Structural Applications
Solution offering: ENLITETM
LGF
Alloys and ENLITETM
LGF PP
Potential density reduction
with Trinseo PULSETM
XT7215
versus alternative solution
10%
8 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 9
7. Charging Into the Future
Government regulations and consumer demand, driven by a desire to reduce
carbon emissions, have pushed automakers to develop plug-in hybrid, and
electric vehicles. A new study by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF)
forecasts that sales of electric vehicles (EVs) will hit 41 million by 2040,
representing 35% of new light duty vehicle sales worldwide.1
To accommodate the energy needs of EVs, communities around the world will
need new infrastructure, such as charging stations that are convenient and
accessible. As a material supplier to the automotive and electrical industries,
Trinseo is providing the materials needed to build EV charging stations to
keep electric vehicles powered.
Resins for charging stations require transparency and opacity in a wide
range of colors, toughness to prevent tampering and resist impact, flame
retardancy to assure safety, and durability to withstand extreme weather and
temperatures as low as -60°C.
Residential charging stations, that is, those located in private garages
or carports, are designed for minimal exposure to harsh environmental
conditions. Public charging stations, on the other hand, need to
withstand much more aggressive conditions and require protection
against vandalism, high impact performance, and weather resistance.
Trinseo’s EMERGE™ PC and PC/ABS resins offer design freedom and
high-quality aesthetics together with the specific technical properties
to meet the varying requirements of both residential and commercial
charging stations.
As the movement towards more energy efficient transportation
continues, Trinseo will support this evolution by delivering solutions to
help spread the adoption of electric vehicles around the world.
1
Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), “Electric Vehicles to Be 35% of Global New Car
Sales by 2040,” February 2016
Demand for Green Tires
Drives Innovations in
Rubber
Consumers worldwide are shifting toward “green
tires” with lower rolling resistance, which results
in increased energy efficiency and decreased
fuel costs and carbon emissions. In response,
manufacturers are increasing production of green
tires that minimize rolling resistance without
sacrificing safety (wet grip) and wear.
To answer the demand for “green tires,” Trinseo
added new grades to its range of SPRINTAN™
Solution-Styrene Butadiene Rubber (S-SBR). These
grades of functionalized SSBR allow an optimum
balance of low rolling resistance and high abrasion
resistance, and, if desired, reduced stiffness at low
temperatures, which boosts snow grip potential in
winter tread applications.
In addition, Trinseo developed an oil-extended
S-SBR that enables tire manufacturers to move up
the boundary of the “magic triangle.” The magic
triangle consists of three key characteristics: rolling
resistance, wet traction and abrasion resistance.
Usually, optimizing one characteristic diminishes
another. However, Trinseo’s oil-based SSBR makes
it possible to improve the rolling resistance—wet
traction balance—without having a negative effect
on abrasion resistance and, therefore, the life of
the tires.
How does Trinseo’s S-SBR technology help reduce
fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions?
Lower rolling resistance in tires means that drivers
use less energy to travel the same distance.
Tires can account for 20 to 30 percent of total
automobile fuel consumption. By using lower
rolling resistance tires produced with functionalized
SSBR grades from Trinseo, a driver can reduce fuel
consumption up to three percent. Over a typical life
span of a set of tires – about 45,000 kilometers –
that could mean savings of up to 80 liters of fuel
compared to traditional tires.*
To meet increasingly strict and demanding market
requirements and standards, Trinseo is developing
its neodymium rubber (Nd-BR) capability. In adding
Nd-BR capability, Trinseo is helping its customers
respond to one of the most important trends in
the tire industry—the increasing need for more
sustainable products.
*
Trinseo calculation
fuel savings using green
tires with Trinseo SSBR
versus traditional tires
3%80
liters or
10 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 11
8. Big Ideas Get Small
A growing trend in many industries such as
consumer electronics is miniaturization. This is also
true in the medical industry, where there continues
to be an emphasis on less invasive procedures
that enable shorter recovery times and improved
patient outcomes.
Trinseo’s advanced plastic resins for medical
devices are enabling the trend toward minimally
invasive surgeries with smaller devices.
From a materials perspective, miniaturization
is challenging because it requires the ability to
produce lighter, smaller devices with the same
properties—for example, flexural strength and
stiffness, dimensional stability, and toughness—as
traditional materials, such as metal.
Trinseo’s glass filled CALIBRE™ Polycarbonate
Resins are playing a key role in this area. With
the ability to custom formulate our materials with
varying amounts of glass content, we are able to
help customers achieve the desired balance of
strength and stiffness to replace metal parts in
handheld medical instruments.
For home healthcare applications where
aesthetics—in addition to miniaturization—are a
priority, Trinseo’s EMERGE™ PC/ABS Advanced
Resins offer strength and durability along with
processability for appealing, “non-industrial
looking” design. Similarly, our EMERGE™ PC/PET
Advanced Resins were also designed to meet
a critical need. The PET component allows for
chemical resistance—withstanding 24 cleansers
and disinfectants used in the medical industry
today.
Whether at home, in a doctor’s office, or hospital
setting, Trinseo’s portfolio of medical grade resins
can help both the healthcare provider and the
patient achieve better outcomes.
Polycarbonate-based Materials Meet the
Demands of LED Lighting
LED lighting which offers long life, lower power
consumption, and produces no mercury waste has
revolutionized the lighting industry. By 2020, LED
lighting is expected to represent 36 percent of all
lighting sales on the general illumination market
and 74 percent by 2030.2
Trinseo develops polycarbonate-based materials
that enable its lighting customers to meet a
number of market challenges. We offer UL-rated
clear materials that are nearly as transparent
as acrylic and glass and can help our customers
achieve uniform light diffusion, while maintaining
maximum light output through lenses, covers and
optics. While the LED chip has longevity, it needs to
be protected from the environment, necessitating
high impact resistance. Trinseo grades feature
exceptional toughness which allows for down
gauging potential and less resin used. Because
these applications operate at temperatures as
high as 80-110
ₒ
C, ignition resistance is another
requirement.
Trinseo’s plastics offer superior processing which
allows it to be molded into complex shapes
and forms, giving LED lighting manufacturers a
flexibility in product design that is simply not
possible with traditional materials such as glass
and metal.
Approximately 19% of the world’s electricity
demand is used for lighting.3
Thus, widespread use
of LED lighting has the greatest potential impact on
energy savings globally. By 2027, widespread use
of LEDs could save about 348 terawatt hours—the
equivalent annual electrical output of 44 large
electric power plants in the U.S. At today’s prices,
that equates to a total savings of more than $30
billion.4
Because Trinseo resins have been qualified and
are used by several leading lighting manufacturers,
such as Philips Lighting, our materials can be found
in major retail chains across North America.
2
Energy Savings Potential of Solid-State Lighting in General
Illumination Applications, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
update of its report forecasting the energy savings potential of
LED white-light sources.
3
“LEDs will slash energy
use for lighting by 95%,”
RenewEconomy.com,
http://reneweconomy.
com.au/2014/leds-
will-slash-energy-
use-for-lighting-
by-95-12875
4
U.S. Department
of Energy, http://
energy.gov/
energysaver/led-
lighting
Lighting the Way to a Brighter Future
Reduction in energy
consumption by using an LED
bulb with Trinseo plastic lens,
compared to traditional
incandescent light
Philips LED light bulb (Model #:
9290011350) was made by Trinseo
EMERGETM
PC 8130 polycarbonate resins,
allowing efficient light transmission that
helps to reduce energy consumption.
12 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 13
9. About one-third of all food produced worldwide,
worth around US$1 trillion, is wasted in the food
chain. When this figure is converted to calories,
this means that about one in four calories intended
for consumption is never actually eaten.5
Plastic
packaging reduces food waste by protecting and
preserving food as it moves from farm to fork.
Producing food is resource-intensive whether it
is the water used to grow the crops or the energy
used to transport the products to the market. Using
a few grams of plastic to protect this valuable
product and extend its shelf life means protecting
the resources that have gone into its production,
which is environmentally smart. In the USA,
organic waste is the second largest component
of landfills; worldwide, food waste generates 3.3
billion tons of carbon dioxide, which accelerates
global climate change.6
STYRON™ Polystyrene is used in a range of food
packaging applications that protect food from
external factors such as damage during transport
and display or deterioration caused by air. And
plastic packaging meets consumers’ demand for
more convenient, time-saving, and portable food
– whether it’s a microwavable package or a single-
serve packet.
As the world continues to focus on creating a
more sustainable future, polystyrene will continue
to play an important role in protecting food and
saving resources.
5
World resources institute & UNEP. Working paper: “Reducing
Food Loss and Waste”
6
Food Tank, 10 Facts You Might Not Know About Food Waste:
http://foodtank.com/news/2015/06/world-environment-day-
10-facts-about-food-waste-from-bcfn
Polystyrene Packaging Reduces Food Waste
calories
intended
for consumption is
never actually eaten
Packaging made with
STYRONTM
Polystyrene
can reduce
food waste
Latex Coating Enhances
Environmentally Friendly
Carpet
Trinseo’s Starch Containing Emulsion (SCE) is a bio-
containing binder used in paper coating and textile
applications such as woven carpet.
Woven carpet is created on looms by simultaneously
interlacing face yarns and backing yarns into a
complete product, thereby eliminating the need for a
secondary backing. Latex-backed coating is applied to
provide dimensional stability, lay-flat properties and to
help keep the tufts in place. Trinseo’s SCE technology is
ideally suited as the backing because it can be tailored
to meet the necessary performance requirements of
the final carpet.
Carpet coated with this bio-based technology is made
from a renewable raw material and also reduces the
VOC content of the carpet which helps to ensure that
indoor air quality is not affected.
All these properties are considered increasingly
important for the leading manufacturers of woven
carpet products.
14 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 15
10. Sustainable Performance
Since Trinseo’s formation in 2010, the company has made great strides in each of the key areas of
sustainability: economic, environmental, and social performance. This is our sixth sustainability and
corporate responsibility report, and the fourth year Trinseo is publicly reporting its environmental
performance and emissions data.
16 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 17
11. Financial Performance
“Trinseo’s strong performance in our first full year as a publicly traded company demonstrated
our employees’ dedication to deliver business results while managing costs, our collaboration
with customers to meet their most complex material challenges and our technology and
product innovations to drive growth. I am very pleased with Trinseo’s journey so far, and I
am excited about our future.”
—Chris D. Pappas,
President and CEO, Trinseo
May
Trinseo completed debt refinancing with a more
efficient and diverse capital structure that includes
debt in both Euros and U.S. dollars.
June
Start-up of a new latex reactor for capacity
expansion at Trinseo’s Zhangjiagang, China
production facility in response to the growing
demand for binders in China’s paper, paperboard,
and carpet markets. Trinseo has been involved
in the startup of 80% of new coated paper and
board mills in China, helping customers determine
optimal product formulations for their paper
coating challenges.
June
Trinseo’s multi-functionalized S-SBR Rubber,
used in high-performance tires, received 2015
DKG Product Award for outstanding products
and developments in the field of elastomer and
upstream products by the German Rubber Society
(Deutsche Kautschuk-Gesellschaft - DKG).
October
Trinseo Automotive introduced its first exterior
application with PULSE™ GX50 globally to enhance
bumper grills with its PC/ABS engineering resins in
the new Audi A4 and A5.
November
Successful completion of the conversion of a
production unit for Nickel-BR to Neodymium-BR,
with swing capability, and developing formulations
which are expected to be ready to trial with
customers later this year.
Highlights
18 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 19
12. Economic Performance
Record Performance Follows IPO
Trinseo’s first full year results, after its 2014 initial public offering, represented a step change in profitability
for the company delivering value to its shareholders. The company delivered record Adjusted EBITDA
excluding inventory revaluation and record free cash flow. It had record sales volume in Synthetic Rubber
and record EBITDA in Performance Plastics. In addition, the company successfully refinanced its debt,
reducing its annual cash interest expense by $37 million at current rates, and ended the year with a net
leverage ratio of 1.6 times debt to equity.
($MM) 2014 2015
Sales $5,128 $3,972
Adjusted EBITDA $262 $492
Adjusted Net Income $8 $225
Adjusted EPS-Diluted ($) $0.18 $4.59
Table 1: Selected Financial Data*
* in millions of dollars
Highlights
• Launched global survey to evaluate learning
and development needs within Trinseo;
outcomes used to further inform learning
strategy and develop new programs
• Piloted leadership development program to
build leader competencies and capabilities
needed to succeed now and in the future; full
implementation planned for 2016
Human Resources Performance
“In the past six years, we have made great progress towards our vision of being a remarkable company to work for. In 2015
we continued to execute on our goal to create a high performance culture where employees and leaders can grow their
careers while improving Trinseo’s overall business performance.”
—Marilyn Horner,
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Total Employees by Region Percentage of
Workforce by Gender
Percentage of
Management by Gender
Employee Breakdown Total Employees by Business
• Introduced multi-year learning strategy
• Initiated talent assessments to enable
succession planning to drive organizational
success
Key Facts
Average Age: ...........................................44
Voluntary Turnover: ............................2.3%
EMEA
1434
NA
344
APAC
382
LATAM
117
Male
75%
Female
25%
Female
18%
Male
83%
Full Time
2115
Part Time
86
Temp - 76
Basic Plastics
& Feedstocks
646
Rubber
465
Corporate
Services
389
Latex
480
Performance
Plastics
297
20 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 21
13. Environmental Performance
Trinseo takes environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) performance very seriously. Since the first day of the company’s formation in 2010, leaders across Trinseo
have emphasized that EH&S performance is one of the company’s top priorities. Leadership is highly engaged in EH&S activities, setting the right tone, maintaining
high expectations, and recognizing positive EH&S results. For example, each biweekly meeting of the Trinseo Leadership Team begins with a report on EH&S
performance. Senior leadership is actively involved in the reporting and investigation of every reportable safety incident, as well as giving recognition awards for
those work groups with excellent EH&S records.
Trinseo executive leadership sets stretch targets each year for improving EH&S/Responsible Care® performance around three key metrics: safety incidents (injuries
and illnesses), incidents of loss of primary containment (spills and leaks), and process safety incidents (including fires and explosions).
Established each January, the annual EH&S targets, along with financial targets, are measured throughout the year and reported in quarterly updates to employees,
as well as on Trinseo’s Intranet.
For every incident, Trinseo conducts a thorough
root-cause analysis, takes corrective action
when needed, and shares learnings globally to
improve performance. It’s this approach, along
with a comprehensive set of company standards,
management systems, and an audit program, that
has enabled Trinseo to outperform the industry in
these areas.
As a global company, Trinseo is committed to
operating in a sustainable manner, including being
a good neighbor locally and globally, helping to find
solutions to issues around the world. As a plastics
producer, Trinseo is engaged via our partners,
Plastics Europe and American Chemistry Council
(ACC).
Trinseo is a member of the World Plastics Council
(WPC), a coalition of leading plastics producers
committed to accelerating cooperation and
alignment at an international level to deliver
improved outcomes for the common benefit of
society, consumers, and the plastics industry.
In addition, Trinseo is a supporter of the Marine
Litter Solutions Coalition, the plastic industry’s
initiative for the protection of seas and oceans,
as well as Operation Clean Sweep, an industry
initiative that strives for zero pellet loss.
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Recordable Injuries
Consistent with guidelines published by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),
Figure 2 summarizes the recordable injuries per 200,000 hours worked that have occurred at Trinseo
facilities, compared to other manufacturers. Unlike many others in the chemical industry, Trinseo includes
contract employees in its reporting of recordable injuries. Recordable injuries include all injuries to workers
(unless the injury is clearly not work-related) in which a worker requires medical treatment, is restricted
by a doctor from certain duties (i.e., lifting objects), or misses work under doctor’s orders. Figures 3 and 4
illustrate Trinseo’s global injury count and rate, respectively.
5
4
3
2
1
0
Figure 2: Injury Rate Comparison
(injuries per 200,000 hours worked)
ACC
M
em
bers
M
anufacturing
Chem
istry
Related
Trinseo
4.0
2.0
0.8 0.3
• Data for the first point is from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics for 2014 (U.S. only).
• Data for the second and third points are
for American Chemistry Council member
companies for 2014.
• The injury rate is defined by OSHA rules as
injuries per 200,000 hours worked, and is
about the same as percent of employees
injured in a year.
• Trinseo count is global and includes
contractors.
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
4
8 8
9
20
15
10
5
0
Figure 3: Injury Count Figure 4: Injury Rate
.14
.28 .28.32 .32
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
9
22 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 23
14. Loss of Primary Containment (LOPC)
LOPC refers to spills and leaks of chemicals.
Specifically, this performance metric includes the
following: spills of any material other than water
or a smaller spill that causes injury, affects the
community, or is reported in the news media.
Figure 5 summarizes Trinseo’s LOPC incidents.
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
8 7
40
30
20
10
0
Figure 5: Loss of Primary Containment
5 5 5
• Internally defined metric
• Essentially spills of greater than 100 lbs
Process Safety Incidents (PSI)
An incident is considered to be a PSI if it consists
of one or more of the following: any explosion or
fire with over $25,000 in damage; any large acute
chemical release of a flammable or toxic chemical;
and any small chemical release causing serious
injury. Figure 6 summarizes Trinseo’s PSI incidents.
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Figure 6: Process Safety Incidents
5
4
3
2
1
0
1 1 0 01
• Criteria same as American Chemistry Council
(API-RP-754)
Key Environmental Performance Indicators
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Thousand Metric Tonnes)
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Scope 1:
Emissions from
sources that are owned or
controlled by the company.
Scope 2:
Emissions from the
generation of electricity
purchased by the company.
349
277 280 281286
684
757 747 748
769
Greenhouse Gas (GHG)
Intensity = Scope 1+2 per
tonne of product produced
800
600
400
200
0
Megawatt Hours (000) Electricity
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
550
412.5
275
137.5
0
Electricity Intensity = Electricity use
per tonne of product produced
551
531 520
508
530
0.19ElectricityIntensity
0.19ElectricityIntensity
0.20ElectricityIntensity
0.19ElectricityIntensity
0.20ElectricityIntensity
Feedstocks
33%
Plastics
20%
Latex
15%
Rubber
32%
Greenhouse Gas (CO2) Emissions
by Value Center
Reduction
in electricity
use (from 2011
baseline)
4
24 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 25
15. Total Chemical Emissions (kilograms)
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
160
120
80
40
0
All Other Chemical Emissions
VOC Emissions
151
81
70
156, 153
121 119
103
103
83 84
52 50 39 35
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
1,200
900
600
300
0
Water Consumption
1,216 1,193
1,122
1,137
1,034
0.41Water
ConsumptionIntensity
0.42Water
ConsumptionIntensity
0.43Water
ConsumptionIntensity
0.44Water
ConsumptionIntensity
0.39Water
ConsumptionIntensity
Water Consumed (Thousand cubic meters)
Key Environmental Performance Indicators
Reduction in VOC
emissions from 2011 baseline
50%
reduction in total chemical emissions
(from 2011 baseline)
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
11,894
5,241
9,679
3,520
1,964
4,299
3,670
1,523
1,878
1,632
1,615
1,863
1,453
2,070
2,149
2,300
2,515
2,141
1,911
2,080
Wastewater Landfill Energy Recovery Combustion
20,108 Total
13,289 Total 14,796 Total
9,380 Total 7,825 Total
Waste (000) kilograms)
Reduction
in total waste
(vs. prior year)
17%
26 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 27
16. Electricity by Fuel Source 2015
Coal
40%
Natural Gas
51%
Nuclear - 5%
Renewable - 4%
Americas
17%
Europe
78%
Natural Gas
Asia Pacific - 5% Americas - 4%
Coal
Asia
Pacific
17%
Europe
79%
Nuclear
Asia
Pacific
47% Europe
41%
Americas
12%
Renewable
Europe
47%
Americas
52%
Asia Pacific - 1%
28 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 29
17. Zeroing in on EH&S
Recognizing Excellence in EH&S
Performance
Zero recordable injuries. Zero spills. And zero
process safety incidents.
Trinseo leadership believes in the “vision of zero”
with the ultimate goal of zero on-the-job injuries in
each of our facilities. Each year, that’s the goal for
all Trinseo facilities globally. With safety being the
company’s number one priority, Trinseo created an
internal award called the Triple Zero Award (000)
to both recognize and reward sites that achieve the
goal of zero.
In 2015, 22 Trinseo plants and two global R&D and
TS&D groups around the world qualified for the
Triple Zero Award—the first time in the company’s
history that 24 teams earned this achievement.
To celebrate, the winning teams each received a
banner and held local celebrations. In addition,
each team member received a personalized gift
item with the Triple Zero Award logo.
While zero recordable injuries, spills, and process
safety incidents is an ambitious goal, these teams
have demonstrated that with the right education
and plenty of hard work, our “vision of zero” is
achievable.
Trinseo Manufacturing
Sites Receive Safety
Award
Three Manufacturing Sites Meet ACC Top-
tier Safety Performance Requirements
Trinseo’s safety performance is built on a culture
whose focus on safety extends from senior
leadership to shift workers. In 2015, three Trinseo
manufacturing sites – all latex plants in the U.S.,
which includes Dalton, GA, Allyn’s Point, CT, and
Midland, MI – received the Responsible Care®
Facility Safety Award from the ACC for having
met top-tier safety performance. The award
is presented to member companies based on
achievements in employee health and safety
performance. Trinseo received the “Certificate
of Excellence,” which is the highest safety
award offered by the ACC and requires company
manufacturing facilities to achieve zero
days away from work,
and zero restricted
work cases for
both company
employees and
contractors.
73%
Sustaining 000
Four Plants Recognized for Sustained EH&S Performance Excellence
Four Trinseo plants—Dalton Georgia, USA; Norkopping Sweden; Ulsan Korea; and Schkopau,
Germany—won the Trinseo President’s Award for EH&S Excellence, in recognition of their sustained
EH&S performance. Each of the winning plants achieved triple zero performance each year since the
company’s formation in 2010 through year-end 2014.
As part of the award, each location received an investment to improve the employees’ work
environment/common area, and each employee received a personalized gift that ties to safety. A
member of Trinseo’s Executive Leadership Team visited each of the winning locations to present a
plaque and participate in the local celebration.
30 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 31
18. Social Performance
As a preferred partner for sustainable solutions,
Trinseo is contributing to the well-being and quality
of life of its employees, and to improvement of the
communities where it operates. As a part of this
focus, Trinseo encourages its employees to make
meaningful differences through volunteering and
being active in their local communities. Whether
they are assisting the elderly, cleaning up local
parks and beaches, or collecting, and donating
food, Trinseo and its employees are making a
positive difference.
Trinseo’s Volunteer Days initiative, launched in
2014, is a community outreach program that
encourages employees, and their families, to
volunteer in support of the local communities in
which they live and work. This global, company-
wide initiative was a natural outgrowth of Trinseo’s
belief in supporting and giving back to the local
communities in which it operates.
The 2015 Volunteer Days event spanned the month
leading up to Trinseo’s fifth anniversary. During that
time period, 781 employees, family members, and
friends at 23 locations in 11 countries volunteered
a total of 3,444 hours—equal to 431 working days.
This surpassed all expectations and exceeded
2014’s results by 72 percent.
Trinseo’s employees used the opportunity to
donate their time, and in many cases money,
where they were most needed. Locally formed
volunteer committees used their creativity to come
up with activities that were beneficial and fun,
and often challenging. Activities covered a broad
spectrum from donating blood, to cleaning up a
local park. Other groups assisted the elderly in
need, and taught lessons, cleaned, made repairs,
and painted at local schools.
Again in 2015, the largest event was held in
Schwalbach, Germany where Trinseo volunteers,
including two hairdressers, hosted an event for
250 homeless people. The free event included
haircuts, a luncheon with food provided by a local
supermarket, and a clothing drive.
Lending a Hand
Global Volunteer Days Program Highlights Commitment to Giving Back
3,444volunteered by
employees during
Volunteer Days -
a 72% increase
over 2014
HOURS
32 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 33
20. With their no-nonsense industrial architecture,
chemical plants are easily recognizable anywhere
in the world. Set on more than 400 acres of
property dedicated to wildlife conservation and
research, Trinseo’s site in Dalton, GA challenges
that expectation.
Since 1991, the Dalton site has been certified as
a Wildlife Habitat by the Wildlife Habitat Council.
It was recertified in 2014. Over the last 18 years,
nearly 30 percent of Dalton’s employees have
participated in the Wildlife Habitat Enhancement
Program executing various projects, the largest of
which has been the provision and maintenance of
nearly 40 bird boxes and four wood duck boxes,
which increase nesting areas for the native birds.
So it’s not surprising that when they heard that
monarch butterfly populations were at an all-
time low— decreased by 90 percent over the past
two decades1, employees at Dalton launched a
pollinator project to aid the survival of the iconic
black and orange butterflies, as well as other
pollinators including bees and other insects.
Monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed which
provides all the nourishment the monarch
needs to transform the caterpillar into the adult
butterfly. But these plants are rapidly disappearing,
due to the loss of habitat stemming from land
development and the widespread spraying of
weed killer on the fields where they live.
Understanding the crucial role pollinators play in
flowering plant reproduction and the production
of most fruits and vegetables, the employees at
Dalton, with guidance from a wildlife biologist,
built a 1,000 square foot pollinator garden. Half the
garden was planted with 200 milkweed plants to
provide food and a place for the Monarchs to lay
their eggs; the remaining half was planted with
a mix of wildflowers to attract bees and other
butterflies.
The team’s long-term dedication to assisting local
wildlife is an example of how Trinseo employees
live and breathe sustainability and remain
committed to supporting the local communities
where they live and work.
Sustainability Spreads its Wings
36 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 37
21. Sustainable Operations
Trinseo continually develops new ways to improve our operations, products, and
sustainability by analyzing and enhancing our quality processes. We also have rigorous
product safety programs, supporting regulatory compliance measures and leading the
way in product stewardship with our customers.
38 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 39
22. Quality
Total Quality Policy
Quality performance is a
commitment to excellence by each
Trinseo employee. It is achieved
by teamwork and a process of
continuous improvement. Trinseo
is dedicated to being the leader
in providing quality products and
services that meet or exceed the
expectations of our customers.
Our quality philosophy focuses on delivering
superior quality by:
• managing the manufacturing process to
produce products to specific targets; this, in
turn, assures that product specifications are
met or exceeded. To accomplish this, Trinseo
utilizes a modified Total Quality Management
approach to assure and improve the quality
of the company’s products and services,
thereby increasing customer satisfaction
• requiring our raw material suppliers and
service partners, to comply with our Trinseo’s
Purchasing Ethics Policy, and Trinseo’s
Supplier Code of Conduct. We also encourage
our suppliers to be Responsible Care® or
similarly certified
The Trinseo quality approach is based on the
idea that every person in the company has
responsibility for – and contributes to – the
quality of Trinseo’s products and services. In
fact, the strategies and performance metrics for
Trinseo businesses include quality goals. Cross-
functional teams involving employees with many
different responsibilities (including business,
research and development, purchasing, supply
chain, manufacturing, etc.) are responsible for
accomplishing these goals.
By establishing a quality management system,
Trinseo leverages the engagement of executive
leadership, line management, and many functions
within the workforce, as well as suppliers and
customers, in order to meet and exceed customer
expectations.
Quality in Action
To consistently meet established specifications and contractual obligations, as well as comply
with regulations, Trinseo uses business performance standards in implementing its quality
strategy.
These standards emphasize a strategy to:
• Deliver products to customers within the agreed time (On Time)
• Deliver to customers the appropriate equipment, in clean and serviceable conditions,
and accompanied by all expected, accurate paperwork (In Full)
• Deliver the right product and meet all agreed product quality and performance
requirements (In Quality)
• Perform a proper analysis on all customer feedback to define corrective and preventive
measures to minimize recurrence
• Measure performance against defined criteria and goals
The Trinseo management system integrates the
key elements of several external standards into its
best practices, including ISO 9001 (standard quality
management system), ISO 14001 (environmental health
and safety), and cGMP (current Good Manufacturing
Practices) for direct and indirect food-contact and
medical products. Furthermore, Trinseo incorporates ISO/
TS 16949 automotive quality management standards,
which include best practices for design, development,
production, installation, and servicing automotive
products. All six Trinseo plants that produce dedicated
products for the automotive industry are ISO/TS 16949
qualified.
Trinseo’s overall goal is to maintain a laser-like focus
on meeting its customers’ needs every day and reliably
providing quality products and services in order to earn
and maintain their business.
In 2015, Trinseo’s Total Quality Strategy resulted in a 20%
reduction in customer claims versus the prior year.
40 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 41
23. ISO 50001
With completion of an external audit by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance in May 2013 five
locations in Germany—the Böhlen, Schkopau, Schwalbach, Stade, and Rheinmünster sites—
Trinseo achieved a combined ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 recertification. (Initial ISO 50001
certification was achieved in June 2012.) During this successful recertification audit, the
effectiveness of the Environmental and Energy Management System (EnMS) was assessed.
At the Schkopau and Böhlen sites alone, the use of the Environmental and Energy Management
System is expected to enable Trinseo to reduce power consumption by about three gigawatt-
hours in each year starting in 2015. That is enough energy to power a village with a population
of approximately 2,000 people for a year.
We are leveraging our experience with ISO 50001 with other Trinseo locations around the world
to capitalize on additional savings from energy efficiency.
58%
27%
ISO 14001
ISO 14001 is a generic, voluntary framework designed by the International Organization for
Standardization to assist in developing individualized environmental management systems. It is
based on the idea of continual improvement.
Trinseo has developed and implemented an ISO 14001 compliant environmental management
system. Trinseo’s environmental management system is consistent with the Responsible Care
management system, as well as ISO 14001.
As of the end of 2015, 58 percent of Trinseo plants and facilities were ISO 14001 certified.
Ac
t
Pla
nD
o
Che
ck
Product Safety
Trinseo is committed to understanding the impact of our products throughout their life cycles and
providing straightforward communication about our products and their safe use. We work closely with
industry trade associations to ensure that our products and their raw materials are appropriately classified
for their hazards. Trinseo also supports ongoing toxicological testing to expand our understanding of
chemical hazards.
To further enhance understanding of the impact of our products throughout their life cycles, Trinseo
contributes to developing eco-profiles, also known as Life Cycle Analyses (LCAs).
Eco-profiles and Life Cycle Analyses
In order to determine the potential environmental impact associated with various plastics materials, it
is important to collect and analyze data from multiple sources so that an accurate eco-profile of each
material can be created. Trinseo contributed to the creation of eco-profiles for plastic products in both
Europe and North America to help the downstream industries make well-informed product decisions.
Beginning in 1990, the Association of
Plastics Manufacturers in Europe (now
PlasticsEurope) pioneered the first eco-
profiles for virtually all types of plastics
materials. The Trinseo businesses
played a key role in collecting and
contributing cradle-to-gate data for its
polystyrene and polycarbonate resins.
Energy and raw materials used, water
consumption, emissions, and waste are
just some of the variables analyzed to
create each eco-profile.
Suppliers
As a Responsible Care® company, Trinseo
recognizes the importance of selecting suppliers
based upon their commitment to sustainability,
Quality, Responsible Care, codes of conduct and
regulatory compliance.
Trinseo continually updates its vendor selection
criteria for raw materials and logistics suppliers to
include these components. Trinseo is committed
to purchasing from Responsible Care® companies
whenever possible, and we require suppliers to
comply with our comprehensive Supplier Code of
Conduct, (p 51) which was introduced in 2015.
Trinseo uses a Purchasing Scorecard that evaluates
raw materials suppliers on a wide range of
criteria including quality, cost, and sustainability.
Metrics in the sustainability category include
hazard awareness training, ongoing tracking of
EH&S performance, and the use of third-party
environmental management programs such as ISO
or Responsible Care.
Trinseo has issued a statement on Conflict Minerals
and a commitment to the California Transparency
in Supply Chains Act, which addresses human
trafficking and labor rights.
Packaging
Distribution
Monomer
Processing
Manufacture
Plastic Resin
End
Product
Reuse
Landfill
Energy
Recovery
Raw Materials
Acquisition
c
Production
Fabrication
UseEndofL
ife
Extraction
R
ecycle
42 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 43
24. Product Organization Year
Polycarbonate PlasticsEurope 2010
Bisphenol A PlasticsEurope 2010
ABS PlasticsEurope 2005
SAN PlasticsEurope 2005
Polystyrene (GPPS) PlasticsEurope 2012
Polystyrene (HIPS) PlasticsEurope 2012
SB Latex EPDLA 2012
SA Latex EPDLA 2012
Styrene PlasticsEurope 2005
Polybutadiene PlasticsEurope 2005
In 1999, Trinseo’s Latex business supported the creation of eco-profiles
in the production of latex polymer dispersions in association with the
European Polymer Dispersion and Latex Association (a sector group
of the European Chemical Industry Council, or Cefic). An updated eco-
profile was released in 2012.
More recently, Trinseo was instrumental in the establishment of cradle-
to-gate life cycle inventories for The Plastics Division of the American
Chemistry Council.
Eco-profile/Life Cycle Analysis Chart
Product Safety Process and Program
Safety Data Sheets can be found on the Trinseo website, or by calling the
Trinseo Customer Information Group at +1-855-TRINSEO. Additional global
phone numbers are available online.
Through its comprehensive approach, Trinseo evaluates the safety of its
products and strives to manage them in a safe and sustainable manner
so that any potential adverse impacts on society or our environment are
minimized.
The foundation of our product safety activities is identifying and
understanding the potential hazards, exposures, and risks that may be
associated with the products Trinseo purchases, manufactures, and brings
to market.
This understanding is based on the following process steps:
The elements of the Trinseo product safety program
include:
• Community outreach and awareness
• Distribution and logistics
• EH&S training
• Emergency preparedness and response
• Employee health and safety
• Engineering and design for environment, health, and safety
• Industrial hygiene
• Occupational safety
• Operating design and management
• Product stewardship
• Security
• Third-party services
The Trinseo product safety program is designed to make sure that
its products are made, stored, transported, used, disposed of, and
recycled sustainably and in a way that demonstrates world-class
practices of safety, environmental stewardship, and regard for people.
This commitment is embodied in the Trinseo EH&S Policy.
Trinseo encourages its suppliers and customers to join its efforts
to collaborate, innovate, and elevate industrial practices and
expectations so that chemical products are managed safely
throughout their life cycles.
Figure 21: Product Safety Process
Once this foundation is established, Trinseo integrates the information
and product safety practices into a wide range of activities as
elements of Trinseo’s product safety program.
Gather existing
scientific information
about the potential
hazards of our
products.
Determine likely levels
of exposure by
considering factors such
as product composition,
manufacturing practices,
applications, etc.
Evaluate risks (Risk =
Hazard x Exposure)
to human health and
the environment.
Revisit the product safety process
periodically to review best
practices and to identify any
information gaps that may exist.
Develop new information should
gaps be identified.
Take steps to manage
and/or reduces ricks
accordingly.
Document conclusions.
44 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 45
25. Regulatory Compliance
Consistent with the Trinseo EH&S Policy, Trinseo supports the development of laws,
regulations, procedures, and operating practices that are science-based and safeguard
workers, plant communities, customers, and the environment.
To facilitate this commitment, Trinseo has implemented a comprehensive approach
for monitoring and complying with relevant industry standards and government
regulations globally.
This approach includes the use of internal expertise, third-party
consultants, regulatory databases, and industry associations to:
• Develop and adhere to internal standards that ensure Trinseo’s products can be
produced and sold globally while also complying with local requirements
• Monitor and document compliance to existing regulations and industry
standards
• Implement compliance approaches for newly enacted regulations
• Identify emerging regulations and industry trends
As stated in Trinseo’s EH&S Policy, “Health, safety, and protection of the environment
are Core Values which are a part of everything we do.” Our focus on these Core
Values, which include regulatory compliance, provides assurance that our products can
be used safely in intended applications across the world, including sensitive end uses
such as food contact and medical applications.
EU REACH
Trinseo remains vigilant in its efforts to comply with global chemical laws, such
as REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals). REACH is
the single regulatory system for chemicals management in the European Union
(EU). REACH requires that EU manufacturers and importers of substances to the
EU (starting with quantities of one metric ton per year) disclose information
on the properties of their substances, including the risk to humans and the
environment associated with use. Information on appropriate risk reduction
measures must also be provided.
• Trinseo recognizes and fulfills the EU REACH registration requirements
for the relevant substances it manufactures in (or imports into) Europe.
In addition, Trinseo remains engaged in addressing the registration
requirements for purchased substances by engaging in direct discussions
with SIEFs, consortia, and direct suppliers.
• Trinseo conducts “downstream use assessments” and utilizes the
exposure scenarios associated with substance registrations to ensure
our operational activities are REACH compliant. Trinseo fully supports
the objectives of REACH and the responsibility the legislation places on
all members of the value chain to manage the safe use of chemicals.
We believe it represents a significant opportunity for chemical
manufacturers, their suppliers, and customers to work together to protect
the environment and preserve the future of the chemicals industry
in Europe. As other nations consider similar regulations devoted to
chemicals management, Trinseo will support these efforts and implement
appropriate compliance solutions.
Trinseo is duly fulfilling its obligations resulting from the publication of the ECHA
Candidate List for Authorization. Information on Trinseo products containing
substances on the Candidate List (SVHCs) above reportable limits can be found
in the Safety Data Sheets. Trinseo proactively sends these updated data sheets
to all customers currently purchasing concerned products.
Next Steps
For further information about REACH, visit the REACH section on the
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) website: http://echa.europa.eu/web/
guest/regulations/reach
46 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 47
26. Trinseo Maintains Responsible Care®
Certification
Having passed its Responsible Care® Management
System audit in August 2013, Trinseo can use the
designation of “a Responsible Care® company” on
a global basis.
To maintain the voluntary certification – which
is above and beyond what is legally required in
most countries – an audit is administered every
three years by a third-party auditor approved by
the American Chemistry Council. The audit focuses
heavily on operating discipline management
systems, policies, and chain of authority.
Comparing us to other companies, the
audit recognized Trinseo for strengths
including:
• Outstanding plant housekeeping especially
for a top-tier chemical company
• Detailed and practical site emergency plans
• Comprehensive and best-in-class product
stewardship programs
Trinseo’s next Responsible Care® Management
System audit will be in August 2016.
Responsible Care® is a registered service mark of the American
Chemistry Council in the United States.
EH&S Audits
As part of its commitment to sustainability, Trinseo
conducts audits of its manufacturing and research
and development facilities every three to five
years. The purpose of these audits is to verify
the status of Trinseo facilities with respect to
meeting external authority and internal company
environmental, health, and safety criteria. To assist
with these audits, Trinseo retained ENHESA, a
global environmental, health, and safety (EH&S)
consultancy, who provide regulatory compliance
assurance support to industry worldwide, to
perform these audits.
Audit teams are composed of experts in various
disciplines such as environmental, personal safety,
process equipment safety, transportation, security,
and management systems.
Keeping Pace with Global Regulations
In the past eight years, regulatory growth has
nearly doubled around the world. This created a
tremendous challenge to stay up to date on all
the laws and regulations affecting operations in
the 20 countries where Trinseo manufactures, and
more than 40 countries where we ship product to
customers.
To meet this challenge, in 2015, Trinseo
manufacturing sites around the world implemented
a new compliance management tool that tracks
current and new laws and regulations at the
country, regional, province/county, city and local
level, and sends a notification of new laws that
affect the company. It provides comprehensive
and timely information about regulations and laws
related to air emissions, water management, waste
management, chemicals management, hazardous
materials management, safety, emergency
response and preparedness and occupational
health.
The tool allows each site to assess if Trinseo is in
compliance, and if not, identify what actions are
needed to get into compliance.
Five Certified as EH&S Auditors
In 2015, five employees received EH&S Auditor
certification following their completion of the
Trinseo EH&S Auditor training program. With
their certification, these employees, from the
Netherlands, Finland, China, Belgium, and Germany,
join a group of more 60 auditors from every
country that contains Trinseo manufacturing sites.
The Trinseo EH&S audit program is staffed
100% by volunteers—individuals within EH&S,
Manufacturing, Research and Development, and
Quality organizations with recognized EH&S skills,
the desire to share and learn more about Trinseo
technologies, and personal dedication to making
sure the company is in compliance and delivering
strong EH&S performance.
Trinseo teams conducted 11 EH&S audits during
2015, at locations in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan,
Germany, Sweden, Italy, Indonesia, and the United
States.
48 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 49
27. Silver Linings
Corporate Social Responsibility Achievement Earns Trinseo Silver Award
Trinseo received a Silver Medal for its Corporate Social Responsibility disclosures from EcoVadis. A
leading sustainability assessor, EcoVadis evaluates 6,000 companies globally each year, assessing
performance in four categories: environment, labor practices, fair business practices and sustainable
procurement.
Trinseo’s score of 54 places it in the top 30 percent of the 6,000 companies EcoVadis evaluated in
2015. Trinseo created its Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility program in 2010 when the
company was established. The Company has continued to add new elements every year, including a
Supplier Code of Conduct (p. 51) in 2015, and reports on its efforts each year in its Sustainability and
CSR Report.
Achievements in sustainability assessments, such as those by EcoVadis, require that companies
continuously improve, because the bar is constantly being raised in terms of societal expectations.
Look for Trinseo to continue strengthening its sustainability programs in 2016 and beyond.
Greening the Value Chain
Since our formation in 2010, we constantly look at ways to green the value chain by advancing energy efficiency,
conserving natural resources, reusing material rather than sending it to landfills, and reducing waste and emissions.
We also require our suppliers to act similarly on health, environment, safety, resource consumption, and social factors.
Trinseo SA (Group)
EcoVadis Average
Environment
ALL
Sustainment
Procurement
Labor
Practices
Fair Business
Practices
20
40
60
80
100
Supplier Code of Conduct
“Trinseo’s commitment to global citizenship and sustainability extends
through our supply chain, and we expect Trinseo suppliers to conduct
their operations in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.”
—Catherine Maxey,
Vice President of Public Affairs, Sustainability and EH&S
In 2015, Trinseo introduced a Supplier Code of Conduct, which outlines the minimum standards
that Trinseo expects all its suppliers to comply with when doing business with the company.
Trinseo introduced the code in response to industry trends and customers who increasingly hold
companies publicly accountable for not only their own actions, but also those of their supply
chains.
The Trinseo Supplier Code of Conduct is founded on three basic principles:
• The company expects its suppliers to comply with all applicable laws and regulations.
• Trinseo encourages its suppliers to adhere to the highest principles of environmental
responsibility, sustainability, ethical behavior, corporate social responsibility (CSR), fair labor
practice and a safe healthy workplace.
• The company expects all its suppliers to operate responsibly and in a manner that is
consistent with Trinseo’s Code of Conduct and related Ethics and Compliance Policies.
The code, which is available in multiple languages, includes sections on: management systems,
human and worker rights, environment, health and safety, business ethics, material sourcing, and
compliance and reporting.
The specific expectations outlined for suppliers in the code are consistent with Trinseo’s own
practices and policies.
Trinseo Netherlands Receives Responsible
Care Award
Plant Captures Steam to Increase Energy
Efficiency
Trinseo Netherlands won the 2015 Responsible
Care Award from the Dutch Chemical Industry
Association, VNCI, for the site’s energy
improvement project.
Creative process and production engineers at
the Trinseo styrene monomer plant in Terneuzen
developed and implemented an innovative
technology to upgrade excess low pressure / low
value steam. Steam that was previously blown
off in the atmosphere is now used to make higher
pressure steam, which can be used to drive process
equipment, such as distillation columns, and
process heaters. This project significantly increased
the energy efficiency of the integrated Terneuzen
site, reducing both energy costs and CO2 emissions.
In addition, the technology can be leveraged
and used at other plants to recover waste heat
economically and efficiently.
50 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 51
28. Operational Efficiencies
It’s Electric
Hong Kong Plant Switches to Electric
Vehicles
Electric vehicles are predicted to account for 35
percent of new light duty vehicle sales worldwide
by 2040.7
Ahead of the trend, Trinseo’s plant in Tsing Yi,
Hong Kong exchanged all eight of its gas-powered
forklifts for electric-powered forklifts. Not only
will this switch reduce the plant’s carbon footprint,
through decreased emissions, it is also estimated
the switch will reduce the plant’s annual fuel costs
by 50 percent.
7
Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), “Electric Vehicles to Be
35% of Global New Car Sales by 2040,” February 2016
U.S. Plant Recovers Methane, Reduces Waste
Trinseo’s latex plant in Dalton, Georgia (USA) runs almost entirely on alternative energy and
significantly reduces CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions, thanks to LOMAX™ Technology.
Named for its focus on delivering materials with LOwer environmental impact with MAXimum
performance, LOMAX Technology uses methane gas collected from a nearby landfill as the primary
energy source to power the facility that manufactures Trinseo’s latex binders for carpet.
In 2015, approximately 110 billion BTUs of methane gas flowed from a nearby Landfill Gas Energy
Recovery facility to the Dalton plant, where the energy is used to power most of the plant’s steam
boiler’s energy demand. In 2015, 68 percent of the total energy used to make latex binders in Dalton
came from landfill gas.
And, because the methane is being harnessed
for energy instead of being released into the
atmosphere, making latex manufactured with
LOMAX Technology has reduced greenhouse gas
emissions by more than 125 million pounds of CO2
equivalents per year. This is equivalent to taking
11,945 passenger vehicles off the road.
Landfill Plant
Pipeline
Thinking Big Saves
Innovation doesn’t always start with a big idea.
Sometimes innovation comes from looking at an
old problem in a new way. A cross-functional team
at our Hsinchu, Taiwan site was looking at ways to
decrease potential for injury from moving materials
that were packaged in 25 kg bags for shipping. The
solution, though counter-intuitive at first, was to
replace the 25 kg bags with larger 1000 kg super-
bags. These super-bags would be moved using a
mechanical hoist rather than manual labor, thus
reducing the risk of physical injury.
In addition, switching to super-bags, which are
recyclable, had the additional benefit of reducing
waste. The change reduced solid waste at the site
by 70,000 kg per year, a 40 percent reduction.
Germany Plant Improves Energy Efficiency
Trinseo’s Solution Elastomers Rubber plant in Schkopau, Germany is particularly energy intensive due to
the large amount of steam required to purify the recycled solvent used in the polymerization process.
A multidisciplinary team, including employees from operations, maintenance, TICA, process control, and
quality control, implemented a project to improve energy efficiency by reducing steam consumption.
The team re-engineered processes to minimize unnecessary purified solvent re-circulations, resized and
replaced control valves, tuned process controllers, and eliminated production of unnecessary steam.
As a result of the team’s efforts, the plant was able to reduce the steam consumption of the solvent
purification unit by 15 percent in 2015.
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29. Our Commitments
Trinseo’s commitment to our customers, suppliers, communities, and employees is
exhibited through exceptional quality, industry-lead safety, and the highest integrity.
Our Core Values, Environmental Health & Safety Policy, support of Responsible Care®,
and Ethics and Compliance Policy guide our endeavors to ensure exceptional and
sustainable performance.
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30. Values
• Commitment to Customers—By collaborating
with our customers, we deliver value
through our technology, innovation, and
solutions.
• Innovation—We believe that innovation
through our technology and the creativity
of our people powers our success and the
success of our customers.
• Respect and Integrity—We treat each other,
our customers, and our stakeholders with
respect and dignity. We conduct all business
activities with the highest ethical standards
and are fully committed to comply with the
law everywhere we operate.
• Responsible Care—As a Responsible
Care® company, the health and safety of
our employees and the protection of our
communities are our highest priority. We
strive for meeting or exceeding the highest
standards of environmental and safety
performance.
• Accountability and Value Creation—We
believe that speed and agility combine with
good decision-making to create value. We
feel ownership and take accountability for
our company’s success.
Responsible Care® is a registered service mark of the American
Chemistry Council in the United States.
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31. At Trinseo, we conduct our business of providing
innovative solutions and superior materials with
integrity and care for our colleagues, communities,
customers, and the environment. Health, safety,
and protection of the environment are Core Values,
which are a part of everything we do.
We are committed to the continuous and
measurable improvement of our environmental,
health, and safety performance. We are committed
to minimizing any potentially harmful impacts of
our products throughout all stages of their life
cycles by promoting the responsible use of our
materials throughout the value chain.
Our goals include eliminating workplace injuries
and illnesses, preventing adverse environmental
impacts, reducing and preventing waste and
emissions, and promoting resource conservation at
every stage of the life cycle of our products.
We are fully committed to compliance with
environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) laws and
regulations and with internal EH&S policies and
standards that support our Core Values.
Trinseo will devote adequate resources, training,
standards, and procedures to satisfy this policy.
Every employee and contractor is responsible
for compliance with these principles and this
policy. We will audit and continually improve our
performance, and the executive leadership team
and the EH&S committee of the board of directors
will monitor our commitments and progress.
*Adopted by Trinseo January 2011
Environmental, Health, and Safety Policy*
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32. Responsible Care®
Trinseo is proud to participate in the chemical
industry’s Responsible Care® initiative. In
November 2010, Trinseo officially endorsed
Responsible Care® and pledged to operate the
company according to its guiding principles
globally.
Responsible Care® is a voluntary initiative of the
global chemical industry to safely handle our
products from inception in the research laboratory,
through manufacture and distribution, to ultimate
reuse, recycle, and disposal, and to involve the
public in our decision-making processes. Developed
in Canada in 1987, Responsible Care® quickly
spread to 53 countries. While Responsible Care®
goes above and beyond what is legally required
in most countries, we hold ourselves accountable
by making Responsible Care® a “condition of
membership” in industry associations.
Trinseo uses the Responsible Care® management
system framework and reported the results of
the first formal review of its efforts to implement
Responsible Care® in August 2013.
Trinseo has implemented the following
Responsible Care® principles:
• To lead our companies in ethical ways that
increasingly benefit society, the economy,
and the environment
• To design and develop products that can
be manufactured, transported, used, and
disposed of or recycled safely
• To work with customers, carriers, suppliers,
distributors, and contractors to foster the
safe and secure use, transport, and disposal
of chemicals, and provide hazard and risk
information that can be accessed and applied
in their operations and products
• To design and operate our facilities in a safe,
secure, and environmentally sound manner
• To instill a culture throughout all levels of our
organization to continually identify, reduce,
and manage process safety risks
• To promote pollution prevention,
minimization of waste, and conservation of
energy and other critical resources at every
stage of the life cycle of our products
• To cooperate with governments at all levels
and organizations in the development
of effective and efficient safety, health,
environmental and security laws, regulations,
and standards
• To support education and research on the
health, safety, environmental effects, and
security of our products and processes
• To communicate product, service, and
process risks to our stakeholders and listen to
and consider their perspectives
• To make continual progress toward our
goal of no accidents, injuries, or harm to
human health and the environment from
our products and operations and openly
report our health, safety, environmental, and
security performance
• To seek continual improvement in our
integrated Responsible Care® management
system to address environmental, health,
safety, and security performance
• To promote Responsible Care® by
encouraging and assisting others to adhere
to these guiding principles
Responsible Care® is a registered service mark of the American
Chemistry Council in the United States.
About Our Social Media
Efforts
Trinseo’s social media efforts include Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. Building closer
relationships with employees, media, suppliers,
distributors, and those living in the communities in
which we live and operate is important. Updates
on trade shows and conferences, new products,
awards, company happenings, and participation
at community events are examples of information
found on our various social media efforts.
Ethics and Compliance
All Trinseo employees, officers, and directors must share Trinseo’s commitment to ethical business
conduct. The Trinseo Ethics and Compliance program and standards apply to all employees in all
regions.
Trinseo’s activities related to ethics and compliance are overseen by the chief compliance officer, who
also chairs Trinseo’s ethics and compliance committee. The chief compliance officer is responsible for
the oversight and management of the Ethics and Compliance program, which is comprised of nine
senior Trinseo executives representing diverse functions and geographies.
The Ethics and Compliance Committee reviews, modifies, and updates the Code of Business Conduct
and its supporting policies on an ongoing basis. The Committee also oversees the responses to
any ethics or compliance reports or questions, conducts or monitors any investigatory activity, and
assists in communicating the ethics
and compliance program to Trinseo’s
employees and the public.
Trinseo has a rigorous reporting program
for ethics and compliance issues that
includes an expectation that employees
speak up and report any issues. We have
contracted with a third party to provide
an ethics and compliance hotline, which
allows anonymous reporting of ethics and
compliance concerns or allegations where
legally possible.
Trinseo’s web-based ethics and
compliance training module is available in
10 languages, and more than 96 percent
of employees have completed the training
as of December 2015.
96%
Percent of Trinseo
employees who
completed ethics
and compliance
training
60 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS OUR COMMITMENT 61
