Sustainability

…and we, as a chemical industry, have a responsibility to make a concrete contribution to safeguarding the environment and human health. This is why we constantly strive to create products that aim for low environmental impact and are safe for the operator and end user.

So what is sustainability? It means the ability of a company to combine business with environmental and social concerns. The ability to create shared value by collaborating on development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

In 1998, Paul Anastas and John Warner outlined the 12 principles of Green Chemistry. We identify with them and here are the ones that most closely relate to us:

• Waste prevention - It is better to prevent waste than to treat it or clean it up after it has been created.

• Safer chemical development- Chemicals should be developed to perform the desired function while minimising their toxicity.

• Safer solvents and auxiliaries - The use of auxiliary substances (e.g. solvents, separating agents, etc.) should be made unnecessary where possible and harmless when used. Planning for energy efficiency - The energy requirements of chemical processes should be recognised for their environmental and economic impacts and should be minimised. If possible, synthesis methods should be conducted at ambient temperature and pressure.

• Use of renewable raw materials - Whenever technically and economically feasible, raw materials should be renewable rather than exhaustible.

• Degradation planning - Chemicals should be developed in such a way that at the end of their function they decompose into harmless degradation products and do not persist in the environment.

• Inherently safer chemistry for accident prevention - The substances and form of a substance used in a chemical process should be chosen to minimise the risk of chemical accidents, including releases, explosions and fires.

For us, contributing to environmental and human protection means acting on two levels: the company and the user.

Each of our processes is conducted cold and we use PEFC-certified wooden pallets in most of our tertiary packaging (i.e. the packaging used to transport products during logistical processes).

The PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification scheme) guarantees that forest products (wood and wood products) come from legally and sustainably managed forests, i.e. not from illegal logging or irresponsible intervention, which can lead to the impoverishment or destruction of entire habitats.

The Earth's system has now reached its tolerance limits and we are very close to a point of no return: once passed, the House that has hosted us so far will be doomed to irreversible damage. In the face of the broad spectrum of environmental problems, it is not possible to stand idly by. Actions aimed at eliminating, or at least limiting, the environmental impact of human activities are gaining momentum and everyone must play their part.

The attitude of modern chemistry follows this path: it studies and proposes new solutions for environmental protection, based on the radical modification of processes and products. The choices that a chemist has to make are therefore dependent on his or her own expertise, as well as on a proper analysis of the technical-scientific, economic and social aspects and the implications concerning the use and management of non-renewable resources.

The resolution of environmental problems cannot be separated from:

• a rational and efficient study of new or existing products, processes and technologies;

• a careful assessment of all impacts they may generate on the ecosystem;

• a scientific approach;

• expertise and professionalism.

As we have already said, we are a chemical company and we have a duty to be constantly committed to the study and implementation of innovative systems that look to the future of our Planet and the new generations that will live on it.