Sustainable value chains
Planet → Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on email Share on print Building sustainable value chains Sustainability requires the economic benefits of a company’s activities to be balanced with high quality and good social conditions while minimising the ecological impacts. This can only be achieved by building close relationships up […]
Biodiversity
Planet → Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on email Share on print Biodiversity for the long-term viability of the sector. Our society benefits from what nature has to offer, but in some cases these gains have been achieved at the cost of diminishing biodiversity and degrading ecosystems. Protecting ecosystems is […]
Transport and logistics
Planet → Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on email Share on print Choosing sustainable modes of transport The transport of raw materials and end products has an important impact on a sector’s sustainability performance. The chemicals, plastics and life sciences industry opts mainly for environmentally-friendly modes of transport (pipelines, inland […]
Industrial packaging
Planet → Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on email Share on print Sector accounts only for 4% of all industrial packaging waste Packaging is an important source of waste, and thus is an environmental burden that needs to be avoided. The chemicals, plastics and life sciences industry is doing all […]
Industrial waste
Planet → Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on email Share on print Sector generates only 4% of Belgian industrial waste Waste management in the chemicals, plastics and life sciences industry is based on the following hierarchy: prevention, re-use and recycling, and finally incineration with energy recovery. Unavoidable waste must be […]
Nitrogen and phosphorus
Planet → Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on email Share on print Specific nitrogen and phosphorous releases are stabilising Enriching water ecosystems with nitrogen and phosphorus triggers unnaturally fast growth in plants (and sometimes a proliferation of algae). The resulting accumulation of organic matter degrades the water and habitat quality, […]
Water quality
Planet → Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on email Share on print Chemical oxygen demand releases are stabilising Organic pollutants in effluent require oxygen to be completely chemically oxidized. Hence the pollutant load of wastewater can be measured through the chemical oxygen demand (COD), expressed in tonnes of oxygen required. […]
Water use
Planet → Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on email Share on print Reducing pressure on quality water Water is essential for all forms of life on earth. Only one-millionth of all the world’s water is fit for human use in its natural state. Conservation of this precious natural resource, or […]
Organic emissions
Planet → Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on email Share on print Declining trend in organic emissions confirmed Volatile organic compounds (VOC) contribute to ozone peaks due to photochemical reactions in the lower atmosphere. VOCs are organic chemicals that evaporate easily. The main sources are transport emissions (fuel vapours) and […]
Acidifying emissions
Planet → Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on linkedin Share on email Share on print Best available techniques reduce acidifying emissions Pollutants such as sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and ammonia (NH3) can become acidifying components in the atmosphere. These so-called ‘acid rains’ have adverse effects on the climate, air quality, ecosystems, […]