Larger corporations are moving with the times and responding to the evolving desires of clients and consumers. There has been a rise in concerns about the impact that humans have on the earth, so corporations are actively working to help the environment. Chemical companies are one of the many workforces rising to the challenge by implicating greener initiatives for their products, their policies and their plans for the future.

Listening to Canadians

Canadians have increasingly voiced their concerns about environmental issues like pollution, energy consumption and waste reduction. The country has recently proven its determination to better the environment and combat climate change by joining other nations in The Paris Agreement. A poll released by the University of Waterloo stated that over 80% of Canadian citizens are willing to make compromises regarding their lifestyle in order to help the environment. Whether politically or personally, Canadians are advocating for greener initiatives and chemical companies are hearing them loud and clear.

Making Big Changes

In response to the need of sustainable products and solutions, chemical companies are including environmental improvements within their mission statements. Many companies have promised to reduce waste with production and contribute sustainable products in order to limit their environmental impact. Some companies are doing more than making promises — if you go to the website CCC-chemicals.com you can see that the company is recording every single eco-friendly and sustainable product they have associated with since 2015. The report is doing more than tracking their progress — it also holds the company accountable to their own mission and makes sure they achieve their goals.

Embracing Green Chemistry

Green chemistry focuses on the design of products that minimize the use and creation of materials that are hazardous to the environment. Green chemistry creates sustainable solutions that replace harmful products and unnecessary waste, like renewable vegetable-based materials and biodegradable products.

An excellent example of green chemistry is the product BIOLOGIC SR2, which is a sustainable solution for dealing with odours at municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities. Waste streams have anaerobic sulphur-reducing bacteria that give off a strong odour that is difficult to eliminate. Instead of using a harmful chemical to combat the odour and disturbing the environment, a client could acquire BIOLOGIC SR2. The product uses micronutrient solutions, including plant-sourced amino acids, vitamins and trace materials. SR2 does not require clean up or management, because it is completely biodegradable. Other strategies for odour control are energy-intensive, which means that replacing those strategies with sustainable solutions can reduce energy-use and shrink a carbon footprint.

Committing To A Better Future

Chemical companies are establishing greener initiatives in order to limit their impacts on the earth and build a better future. By adapting their mission statements to include sustainability and waste reduction, they are actively working to make improvements for the environment. By turning to green chemistry, they have encouraged sustainable solutions in place of harmful products and strategies. Canadian chemical companies have noted their country’s commitment to a better future and they are applying all their efforts to help.