Product stewardship and advocacy

Albemarle products benefit society in many ways. For example, our flame retardants, used in consumer electronics, construction materials, furnishings and vehicle components, save lives and protect property; our pharmaceutical intermediates and active ingredients go into drugs to relieve simple aches and pains or treat serious ailments such as hepatitis B and C, and HIV /AIDS; and our catalysts help to make cleaner fuels and reduce emissions from refineries.

Highlighting the practical advantages of our products is natural. But consideration has to be given to their impact on people and the environment at every stage in their life cycles – from manufacture and distribution, through to their final application, and even their possible recycling or disposal. This concept of product stewardship is an essential element of Albemarle’s business and influences our activities from the new-product research stage onward.

You can learn more about Albemarle Product Stewardship for selected products by reading our Product Stewardship Summaries. These documents explain how certain Albemarle products are used and why they are important, as well as the care we take to protect the environment while ensuring that our products are applied properly and handled safely.

Albemarle’s product advocacy work is finely integrated with our product stewardship efforts. Being keenly aware of the benefits our products bring to society, as well as the footprint they leave, is vitally important to sustainability.

Below are some specific product stewardship programs in which Albemarle has received noteworthy recognition:

Aluminum Alkyl Product Stewardship – Aluminum Alkyls are the basis catalysts components that provide many of the plastics used today. They also have some very unique and hazardous properties. These properties have led Albemarle to develop special shipping containers and handling procedures. We have developed a special product stewardship program to ensure our customers handle these materials properly.

Read the "Albemarle: meeting the organometallics challenge" article published in the July/Aug/Sept 2005 issue of the Careline magazine.

VECAP and BFR’s – Albemarle, together with other producers has begun a unique product stewardship program for its brominated flame retardants. The program called VECAP for Voluntary Emissions Controls program was started in the UK by BSEF (Bromine Science and Environmental Forum). The program has been piloted on decabromodiphenylether and focused on measuring and reducing emissions during use. The program has generated genuine interest by customers and is to be extended throughout the EU and started in the United States.

ABZOL® – Albemarle developed a new, metal parts cleaning solvent in the 1990’s as a replacement of ozone depletion and hazardous chlorinated solvents. As part of the product stewardship for this new solvent, Albemarle developed a recycling system for the users and worked with them to minimize occupational exposures.