LANXESS is the first manufacturer of synthetic iron oxide pigments to offer verified environmental product declarations (EPDs) for selected product groups. These EPDs allow LANXESS to deliver comprehensive information about the cradle-to-gate environmental impact of its pigments, according to SpecialChem.
The information provided is based on the international ISO 14025 standard as well as the European EN 15804 standard for construction products and services of all kinds.
“Publishing EPDs is a mark of our commitment to setting the highest sustainability standards in the pigments industry,” said Michael Ertl, head of the inorganic pigments business unit at LANXESS. “Our iron oxide pigments from the trusted Bayferrox brand are used to add color to concrete building materials as well as for paints and plastics employed in the construction industry worldwide,” he added.
An EPD describes construction materials, products, or components in terms of their environmental impact. These declarations are based on life-cycle assessments as well as the functional and technical properties of the item in question.
The environmental product declarations for Bayferrox pigments from LANXESS are tested in accordance with international standards by Institut fur Bauen und Umwelt e.V. (IBU), an association of building product manufacturers. The IBU program is aimed at creating reliable and comprehensive assessments of the environmental impact of construction products in line with international DIN standards and includes verification by independent experts.
Membership of the European ECO Platform, which involves numerous agreements concerning mutual recognition between participating program operators, underlines the global reputation of IBU.
Sustainable construction is a vital part of the journey toward an economical and environmentally friendly future. Consequently, environmental product declarations are increasingly being used in the construction industry and are among the key prerequisites for structures to be granted sustainability certification.
LANXESS has assigned the issue of sustainability directly to the portfolios of its board of management members. They cover climate protection and energy, occupational health and safety, environmental protection, products and circular value chains, the workforce, corporate culture, and transparent reporting on achievement of sustainability.
Through its Sustainability Committee, set up in 2021, the board of management members make joint decisions on key sustainability projects.
As MRC reported before, in October 2021, specialty chemicals company LANXESS and energy company bp are entering into a strategic partnership for the use of sustainable raw materials in high-tech plastics production. bp will supply sustainably produced cyclohexane to the LANXESS’ production site in Antwerp, Belgium, starting in the fourth quarter of 2021. The sustainable origin of the raw materials is certified according to ISCC Plus rules (“International Sustainability and Carbon Certification”). With this partnership, both companies, which already have a long-standing business relationship, want to significantly advance the production of sustainable plastics.
LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with about 19,200 employees in 25 countries. The company is currently represented at 74 production sites worldwide. The core business of Lanxess is the development, manufacturing and marketing of chemical intermediates, additives, specialty chemicals and plastics. Through Arlanxeo, the joint venture with Saudi Aramco, Lanxess is also a leading supplier of synthetic rubber.
MRC