Sustainability has many dimensions for chemical manufacturers. Reflecting this, a number of major companies, including AkzoNobel, Eastman and Dow, have broad-based initiatives, while other firms are focusing particularly on using renewable resources and sustainable processes.
AkzoNobel, Amsterdam, relies on a program called Operational Eco-efficiency to disseminate sustainability experiences from different plants company-wide.
"While each site has its own team dedicated to improving eco-efficiency, Operational Eco-efficiency involves an outside team coming in with experience from other sites. Details about best practices also are available on the company intranet, and regular webinars are also used to pass on important information on subjects such as sustainable solutions in packaging and using waste as a byproduct," explains Johan Widheden, Gothenburg, Sweden-based senior sustainability specialist.