Creating sustainability beyond our own operations
Sustainability is at the heart of all our operations. But we’re only one link in a large value chain – true sustainability can only occur when all parts of the value chain work together towards the same goals. At DSM, we work hard to make this a reality.
Focus on sustainable suppliers
As a company whose core value is sustainability, we’re committed to continuously improving the eco-footprint of our own operations. We do this by minimizing our manufacturing plants’ water and energy usage, waste volumes and emissions, and by getting the most out of our resources in general.
But we’re also committed to improving the eco-footprint of the entire value chains in which we operate by requiring our suppliers to meet our sustainability standards and to minimize their eco-footprint. We also focus on providing solutions that enable our customers, and their customers – and ultimately consumers – to improve their eco-footprint as well.
ECO+: more value, less environmental impact
We’re set on finding ECO+ solutions – products with more value and less environmental impact. These DSM products and services offer clear ecological benefits compared to the mainstream solutions they compete with. Two examples of ECO+ products are Arnitel® XG, an unfilled halogen free flame retardant thermoplastic copolyester polymer, and EcoPaXX™ UF, an unfilled 70% bio-based polyamide 4.10 polymer.
ECO+ benefits can be created at any stage of the product life cycle, from raw materials through manufacturing and use to potential re-use and end-of-life disposal. Life cycle assessments are therefore an important way to validate the ECO+ scores of our products. Approximately 89% of the innovations that we launched in 2010 had an ECO+ score.
Opportunities for innovation
DSM’s focus on innovation adds eco-value. For instance, in the automotive value chain we reviewed the eco-footprint associated with one kilometer traveled by car. Our analysis revealed the factors that contributed the most to a car’s footprint, making them potential targets for our ECO+ innovation efforts.
