Product Stewardship

Throughout the Value Chain

We understand that our important role and contribution to society and sustainability go beyond mere regulatory compliance and span all regions of our operations. We are committed to managing our products responsibly throughout the entire supply chain – from raw materials to product disposal – while consistently reducing our impact on human health and the environment.

We create business value by offering safer alternatives and more sustainable solutions through our product stewardship programs. This aligns with our goal to develop and deliver Eco-Premium Solutions to our customers.

Our comprehensive product stewardship process consists of eight key elements and is diligently monitored at each stage. Our manufacturing sites are consistently evaluated through the Nouryon Assessment Tool.

Product Stewardship - Ensuring Safety for Our Customers and Their Products

For us, this entails:

  • Supplying our customers with ample safety information about our products through safety data sheets (SDS).
  • Implementing processes that ensure HSE aspects are integral to our new product development and design.
  • A proactive program to manage priority substances ahead of legislation, including a global approach to reviewing and safely managing hazardous substances in our products and processes. This could result in phasing out and/or substituting substances in cases where safe use and handling cannot be guaranteed.

We utilize a global monitoring system to stay informed of product-related regulatory developments, allowing us to advocate for and implement activities promptly. We support initiatives such as the Clean Industrial Deal to facilitate the aims of the European Green Deal, European Deforestation Regulation, the European Union (EU) Chemical Strategy for Sustainability, and the US Toxic Substances Control Act legislation, among others. We contribute to the development of chemical management legislation worldwide through our
membership in industry associations.

Ensuring Safety for Our Customers and Their Products

Our commitment to safety extends beyond our products to include our customers and all stakeholders. In our QHSE&S Policy, we commit to advising our customers on the safe use and handling of our products. We provide comprehensive training on how to safely use and handle our products.

A standout feature of our Deventer Innovation Center is our premier Safety Testing Laboratory. Here, we rigorously test our products and processes for safety, not only in their use but also during transportation and handling. This state-of-the-art facility, combined with our expert-led training, ensures that our employees and customers are well-equipped to handle our products safely.

Expert Capability Center Deventer

Hazard Assessment and Communication

We manage many distinct substances19, including raw materials used in our production and samples for researchand development, and more than 2,900 unique products are distributed and utilized globally. In 2024, 81% of Nouryon’s net revenue came from products containing substances that are classified as Globally Harmonized System (GHS) Categories 1 and 2 Health and Environmental Hazards.

Our expertise lies in handling intricate and hazardous chemical reactions and managing highly reactive chemicals. We ensure the safe use of all substances at our production sites and by our customers through meticulous management. Our company-wide protocol ensures that every substance manufactured by or for Nouryon has undergone a hazard assessment. This assessment is based on data related to physical chemistry, toxicity, ecotoxicity, and environmental fate.

All information needed to create labels and SDSs is stored in a centralized global database. We continually update this database with new regulatory information. The system generates labels and SDSs in accordance with each shipment's requirements, including the language and format specific to the destination country.

We are committed to avoiding vertebrate animal testing unless it is a legal requirement. We support the development of alternative testing methods that do not involve vertebrate animals and have implemented a policy to this effect. When vertebrate animal testing is mandated, we adhere to the "3Rs" principle: Replace, Reduce, and Refine animal testing.

Market Segment Polymer Crosslinking E-learning

Adherence to EU REACH Regulations

Nouryon is dedicated to ensuring the safe use of our products in compliance with EU REACH (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006). This regulation aims to enhance the protection of human health and the environment from potential risks associated with chemicals. REACH, which stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals, outlines procedures for gathering and assessing information on the properties and hazards of substances.

As part of our compliance with REACH, we conduct chemical hazard, exposure, and risk assessments, and communicate safe usage through extended safety data sheets (e-SDS). We require new suppliers within the European Economic Area to provide e-SDS documentation (along with other necessary data). Our site and procurement teams collaborate in this process, with our PSRA teams providing advice on REACH aspects and conducting regulatory checks.

Nouryon is a member of the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) REACH Action Plan for Review/Improvement of Registration Dossiers. We are also actively engaged in new chemical REACH-like regulations and are conducting registrations in Taiwan, South Korea (K-REACH), Turkey (KKDIK), and Great Britain (UK-REACH).

REACH @Nouryon

Responsibly Managing Substances of Concern

At Nouryon, we have established a Priority Substance program to proactively identify and manage substances that require special attention. This global program includes a risk assessment like the methodology used in EU-REACH to determine safe usage of these substances. Management measures may involve substitution, restriction to certain uses, or providing specific and mandatory handling instructions.

To further ensure product safety, we provide 24/7 year-round service to offer immediate advice in local languages in the unlikely event of an emergency. We also offer interactive online customer training in 12 languages, covering the latest safety practices for handling some of our products, including the thermoset, cross-linking, organic peroxides, metal alkyls, and Expancel® expandable microsphere products. This training covers hazardous properties, proper storage techniques, and safe use. More information about Nouryon’s Safety Services can be found on our website.

Position statements

Female scientist with safety glasses looking at chemical substance

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Nouryon does not produce Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Our products do not rely on GMOs for their functionality, nor do we use GMOs in our manufacturing processes to introduce variability. Certain raw materials we utilize, such as soybean oil and cotton linter cellulose, may originate from GMO crops before we incorporate them into our production.

Position statements

Innovating Sustainable Alternatives

Nouryon has a proven history of developing alternatives to substance of concern to meet the evolving needs of our customers and regulatory requirements. In recent years, we have introduced safer substitutes for previous products, for example Elfan® AT84, Redicote® E-47 NPF, and a safer alternative to Di-Cyclo HexylPhthalate (DCHP).

In the cleaning market, we have introduced innovative products such as the chelating agent, Dissolvine® GL, and wetting agent AG 6206. Berol® 260 is part of Nouryon’s low dioxane portfolio, which also includes degreasers and cleaners from the Berol® and Ethylan® surfactant product lines. These products are manufactured using a unique process that minimizes the amount of 1,4-dioxane produced as a by-product.

 

Examples of Product Substitution

Not only does our innovative process lower environmental impact, but it also makes the formulation process more cost-effective for our customers. It offers the potential for optimizing raw material purchases, reducing inventories, and simplifying production. All products within our low dioxane portfolio are listed in the CleanGredients database, thereby meeting the US Environmental Protection Agency Safer Choice standard. These include:

Triameen® Y12D enables efficient disinfection in the US cleaning market

In 2024, Nouryon further introduced Triameen® Y12D, launched in 2023, an antimicrobial active for advanced disinfection for the US cleaning market. In 2024, Nouryon's Boxing site has successfully completed the first production of Triameen® YT, an alkyl triamine product. Triameen® YT is widely used as chain lubricants in the cleaning industry and in epoxy coatings in the paints and coatings industry. This successful production ensures the persistent supply of this high-quality product to valued customers globally and secures growth opportunities for the paints and coatings business in North America.

Read more about Triameen® Y12D

A man using Triameen to disinfect the kitchen

Berol® 611 surfactant

We offer a new dispersing agent and emulsifier for industrial cleaning, hard-surface cleaning and adhesives. This ethoxylated fatty acid alcohol is a low foaming nonylphenol ethoxylate-free surfactant that has excellent wetting and dissolving properties at room temperature. It demonstrates outstanding detergency and solubility properties when formulated into multipurpose hard surface cleaners, heavy-duty degreasers, and textile treatment cleaning. The versatility of its application extends to all other cleaning applications that require alternatives to replace NP9/NP10 surfactants.

Read more about Berol® 611

Floor care machine cleaning institutional building.

Related content

EU REACH compliance logo

REACH @Nouryon

We actively maintain our REACH registrations and continuously implement other REACH developments to ensure continued compliance
Two employees laughing at each other at the office

Position statements

Find out more about our position on a number of key topics for us as a trusted, industry-leading specialty chemicals provider such as ethical animal testing, nanomaterials, renewable energy, etc

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