Dec. 17, 2009 -- Borealis, a leading provider of chemical and innovative plastics solutions, has joined forces with the Water Institute of Finland and the Finnish Water & Waste Water Works Association to launch "Water School," a free, educational website aimed at increasing school children's understanding of one of the world's most precious resource, water.
"Water School" focuses on drinking and wastewater. Individual site sections targeted at children aged 10-11 and 13-14 use fun activities to bring to life the subjects of global water use, the water cycle, water in their homes and the importance of water efficiency. The website demonstrates, for example, how water reaches our taps, what happens to the water that goes down the drain, and how children can affect and protect water systems by considering their own actions.
Available in Finnish and Swedish versions, "Water School" was created in close cooperation with teachers and school authorities. It was widely tested in Finnish schools during the pilot phase, and is being promoted in schools and regional water departments throughout Finland.
The "Water School" initiative is part of Borealis' pioneering "Water for the World program," which aims to provide sustainable solutions for the availability of safe drinking water and sanitation by fostering local knowledge and partnerships. Borealis has strong ties with Scandinavia, having manufacturing sites and innovation centers in Porvoo, Finland and Stenungsund, Sweden.
"One aspect of the World for the World program is to promote and educate on the subject of water efficiency in local communities," comments
Dorothea Wiplinger, Borealis Communications Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility. "The Finnish Water School initiative is a great example of how working at a grass-roots level with local authorities can bring creative ideas to fruition and provide a valuable educational tool that will help children to learn more about the importance of water conservation."
For more information visit www.waterfortheworld.net; www.vattenskolan.fi/
Borealis is a leading provider of chemical and innovative plastics solutions that create value for society. With sales of EUR 6.6 billion in 2008, customers in over 120 countries, and 5,400 employees worldwide, Borealis is owned 64% by the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of Abu Dhabi and 36% by OMV, the leading energy group in the European growth belt. Borealis is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, and has production locations, innovation centers and customer service centers across Europe and the Americas. Through Borouge, a joint venture between Borealis and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), one of the world's major oil companies, the company's footprint reaches out to the Middle East, Asia Pacific, the Indian sub-continent and Africa. Established in 1998, Borouge employs approximately 1,400 people, has customers in more than 50 countries and its headquarters are in Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Singapore. Borealis: www.borealisgroup.com
Building on the unique Borstar® technology and their experience in polyolefins for more than 50 years, Borealis and Borouge provide innovative, value creating plastics solutions for the infrastructure (pipe systems and power and communication cables), automotive and advanced packaging markets. In addition, Borealis offers a wide range of base chemicals from melamine and plant nutrients to phenol and acetone.
Today Borealis and Borouge manufacture 4.4 million tons of polyolefins (polyethylene and polypropylene) per year. Borouge is currently tripling its polyolefins manufacturing capacity to 2 million tons per year (t/y) by mid-2010 and an additional 2.5 million t/y is scheduled for 2013. The companies continue to invest to ensure that their customers throughout the value chain, across the globe, can always rely on product quality, consistency and security of supply. Borouge: www.borouge.com
Borouge and Borealis are committed to the principles of Responsible Care® and proactively contribute to addressing the world's water and sanitation challenges through their Water for the World™ initiative. Water for the World: www.waterfortheworld.net
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