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ADVANTAGES FOR INDUSTRY

In the longer term, taking a sustainable approach holds a range of benefits for the company, the industry at large and the global environment.

The potential for build-up and harmful effects of anthropogenic chemicals in ecosystems and the atmosphere is a serious concern. Internationally, regulators and scientific non-governmental organisations (e.g. the European Chemicals Bureau, OECD, US EPA, OSPAR) have established programmes of prioritisation and assessment to evaluate the scale of the problem. While true ‘zero emissions’ may never be practically achievable, efforts must be made to substitute hazardous substances for benign alternatives, and tightly control, monitor and review substances in use. This is the only way for chemicals industries to have true long-term sustainability in the future, since the limits of what is acceptable in terms of potential release of hazardous substances can only become tighter.

In modern times, the chemical industry at large has come to represent a monster in the eyes of many consumers and environmental groups. Detection of certain hazardous substances in the environment and in human tissue reinforces a negative message. In this context, positive action by the industry to identify, substitute and phase-out offending substances makes a strong and emphatic statement to their customers and the public. Taking the long-term view gives a positive message to the consumer, and environmentally-friendly products and eco-labelled goods have strong marketability on this basis.

Photography courtesy of Keran McKenzie