Brighter Living Solutions

Better for people and planet

Creating multiple benefits

At DSM we want to create brighter lives for all. Hence our Brighter Living Solutions: products and services that deliver high performance while providing additional benefits to our society and environments – through the entire life cycle through everything from raw materials to manufacturing to transport, end-use and disposal. Today, these Brighter Living Solutions make up 63% of our entire portfolio at DSM (with the goal of >65% by 2021).

Methodology: The measure of success

We apply a product life cycle approach to our Brighter Living Solutions, evaluating their environmental effect across the value chain in everything from raw material extraction, production, manufacturing and transport to their ultimate use, end-of-life and recycling.

We then compare the positive environmental and social impacts we find at each stage of the lifecycle to the main competing solution on the market - applying Comparative Eco and People-based Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs); plus opinion and insight from relevant experts. And if we can’t identify a single mainstream reference solution we will select multiple comparable equivalents.

The thinking behind it

We’ve identified nine societal drivers that guide us in developing Brighter Living Solutions:

Resources

Efficient use of waste streams and recycled resources and avoiding scarce materials.

Land use

Higher yield from the same land, plus use of waste streams.

Water

More efficient use of water with less waste, plus fresh water protection.

Energy

Greater energy efficiency and application of renewable energy.

Emissions

Reduced or avoided greenhouse gas emissions, reducing small air particles.

Health condition

Improve end users' health, reduce risk of diseases, promote regenerative health.

Comfort & wellbeing

Improved (perceived) comfort & wellbeing - in taste, odor, touch, vision and sound.

Working conditions

Improved working conditions, health & safety, fair wages and equal opportunities.

Build Communities

Job creation, improved infrastructure and access to education.

Examples

From coatings for solar glass to surgical gowns to food supplements and ingredients, we’re creating Brighter Living Solutions that have a measurably better impact on people and our planet…

Boosting solar efficiency

Our Anti-Reflective (AR) coating for solar glass is playing a growing role in helping affordable, renewable energy become a reality for all. The unique anti-reflective properties of our material help the industry squeeze an extra 3% power gain from solar modules compared to uncoated glass; while the smooth closed structure of the surface provides excellent durability, even in the most extreme weather and conditions.  

Comfort and protection in medical gowns

Our Arnitel® VT is a breathable thermoplastic used in hospital gowns that not only provides great comfort for medical staff, but also keeps them safe by delivering a 100% barrier against fluids, bacteria and even viruses. What’s more it’s 100% recyclable, with no perfluorinated chemicals – a far superior alternative to traditional materials.

Cutting cholesterol with oats

When it comes to fighting cholesterol, the soluble dietary fibers found in oats – known as oat beta-glucan – offer valuable (and scientifically proven) health benefits. Which is why at DSM our bright minds created OatWell®. Made using the finest Scandinavian oats, OatWell is added as a nutritional ingredient to breakfast cereals, biscuits and other grain-based products by manufacturers. Aside from reducing cholesterol levels, it has clinically proven health benefits in blood glucose control and general gastrointestinal health.

Great taste, less salt

Replacing salt in our diets without reducing the taste is a defining challenge for the food industry - which is why we invented Maxarome® a 100% natural yeast savory taste enhancer. In a scientific study conducted in partnership with Unliever we successfully replaced 25% of the salt content in soup with the highly concentrated Maxarome (which represents just 1% of the total recipe). The result: food that tastes good while benefitting health.

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