Trust is a precious commodity at Akzo Nobel, one that we cherish and protect. Over the years, we have developed longstanding relationships with a circle of key customers. Relationships built on a shared sense of responsibility. Akzo Nobel has the infrastructure and programs in place to responsibly safeguard its products and services - throughout the product supply chain.

Akzo Nobel actively participates in the Responsible Care® program of the Chemical Industry. Product Stewardship is an important component of this program, designed to minimize the environmental impact of chemical products throughout their lifecycle, including the impact of end-use applications. Product Stewardship principles are fully integrated into our main business activities, such as development, manufacturing, transportation, and handling. We also closely liaise with our customers, evaluating the use of our products in their processes as well as handling their disposal.

In many cases, relatively small amounts of chelating agents can refine application processes in such a way that their impact on health and the environment is reduced. For instance, the bleaching of pulp with hydrogen peroxide is replacing chlorine-based technology. The introduction of a stable and strong high-affinity chelate minimizes the level of free destabilizing metal ions (such as manganese) in the pulp, thereby optimizing the amount of hydrogen peroxide used in the bleaching process. Akzo Nobel's expertise guides you to the right product choice, which makes applications more cost-efficient and ecologically compatible.

With our strong global presence, we are fully aware of intricacies of national environmental legislation. We are thus able to be proactive in ensuring that our products meet or exceed legal requirements. We play a major role in the High Production Volume (HPV) chemicals testing programs, which are designed to make comprehensive product data available to regulatory authorities as well as to the public. Together with other leading chemical producers, Akzo Nobel is actively involved in the Risk Assessment on EDTA and NTA initiated by the European Community under council regulation 793/93. 

Read more about our Product Risk Characterization Process.  

Akzo Nobel is not content with maintaining the status quo. For instance, we have carried out breakthrough research on the biodegradability of EDTA. Evidence from various studies supports the classification of EDTA as inherently biodegradable, in line with Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) criteria. Working closely with customers -who allowed us to test EDTA in their industrial wastewater treatment plants- we have developed a method that increase biodegredation under mild alkaline conditions. Akzo Nobel has patented this technology, which is now available to our customers.

Due to their efficiency, some Dissolvine products have been approved as food and feed additives. Their function is mainly to protect food from deterioration by metal catalyzed oxidation. The World Health Organization (WHO) is also considering using Dissolvine iron chelates as a weapon against iron deficiency, an important health problem in many parts of the world.