1. Akzo Nobel and Sustainability
AIChE conference
Atlanta, April 14, 2005
Klas Hallberg
Sustainable Development group
Akzo Nobel (Sweden)

2. Agenda Akzo Nobel company profile
Practical use of eco-efficiency tools today
Life Cycle Assessment from salt to cardboard
Environmental Risk Assessment of an asphalt additive
Eco-efficiency evaluation of colorants
The DANTES project - an example of openness in communication between companies and the society

3. Akzo Nobel profile
A Dutch multi-national company created in Roots trace back to 1777
Serving customers with healthcare products, coatings and chemicals
17 billion $ in net sales (2003)
More than employees
Operates in about 80 countries

4. Sustainable Development group
Klas Hallberg
Karin Sanne Malin Bogeskär Anna-Lena Palm Johan Widheden
Akzo Nobel Surface Chemistry
Akzo Nobel Functional Chemicals
Akzo Nobel Base Chemicals
Eka Chemicals
Akzo Nobel Salt
And more!
Provide services to:

5. Agenda Akzo Nobel company profile
Practical use of eco-efficiency tools today
Life Cycle Assessment from salt to cardboard
Environmental Risk Assessment of an asphalt additive
Eco-efficiency evaluation of colorants
The DANTES project - an example of openness in communication between companies and the society

6. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

7. LCA from salt extraction to Stora Enso cardboard
Electrolysis
Environmental hotspots in
the production of NaOH?
NaOH
NaCl
Salt extraction
Pulp & Paper
Environmental profile of salt
improved from 1998 to 2000?
Have paper chemicals a significant influence on the environmental profile of cardboard?
Stora Enso cardboard

8. Business value of the LCA example
Salt extraction:
CO2 decrease => good economy e.g. energy savings, CO2 emission trading
Electrolysis:
Relevant information to meet NGO´s specific concerns e.g. SO2 and NOX
Focus on the transport instead of emissions from the site => avoid sub optimization
Pulp & Paper:
Sales support
New business or more important; we don’t loose existing business!

9. Agenda Akzo Nobel company profile
Practical use of eco-efficiency tools today
Life Cycle Assessment from salt to cardboard
Environmental Risk Assessment of an asphalt additive
Eco-efficiency evaluation of colorants
The DANTES project - an example of openness in communication between companies and the society

10. Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA)
Data evaluation
Exposure
assessment
Effect
assessment
PEC = Predicted Environmental Concentration
RCR < 1
No risk!
PNEC = Predicted
No-Effect Concentration
NOEC
No observed effect concentration: The highest concentration of a material in a toxicity test that has no statistically significant effect on the exposed population of test organisms compared to the controls.  When derived from a life cycle or partial life cycle test, it is numerically the same as the lower limit of the MATC.  Also called no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) or no observed effect level (NOEL).
ERA life cycle
Risk Characterisation Ratio
RCR = PEC / PNEC

11. Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) for an asphalt additive (Wetfix)
The asphalt additive (Wetfix):
Promotes the adhesion between bitumen and aggregate (hot mix) in order to extend the life time of an asphalt pavement
Is used in low concentrations (0,2-0,4% weight of bitumen)

12. Simplified life cycle of the asphalt additive (Wetfix)
Extraction of Resource A (eg. natural gas)
Extraction of Resource B
Refining of Resource B
Simplified life cycle of the asphalt additive (Wetfix)
Production of Raw Material 1
Transport of Raw Material 1
Production of Raw Material 2
Transport of Raw Material 2
LCA
Production of an
asphalt additive
ERA
Use of product
Waste handling of
Product

13. Comparison between LCA & Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA)
ERA : Not including resource consumption etc.
LCA : Difficult to include inherent properties
Thorough Environmental Assessment

14. Comparison between LCA & Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA)
Starting point:
“the substance”
ERA
LCA
LCA
Starting point:
one application
Raw materials
Production/formulation
Use

15. The potential role of Life Cycle Assessment in regulation of chemicals in the European Union according to the European Chemicals Bureau
ERA
SEA
Basis for decision
Decision
LCA
ERA = Environmental Risk Assessment
SEA = Socio-economic analysis
LCA = Life Cycle Assessment

16. CO2 emissions [kg] / km highway
Comparison between Lime, Cement & Wetfix (asphalt additive) from a life cycle perspective of a road
CO2 emissions [kg] / km highway
Hot mix
Lime
Cement
Wetfix

17. Business value of the ERA and the ERA/LCA example
Avoid unwanted surprises
Are more toxicity tests and/or exposure measurements useful and necessary => reduced costs
Comply with REACH ! (the new EU chemicals legislation)
ERA/LCA combination:
More complete picture of complex issues => increased credibility
Provides a wider perspective on possible consequences of banning a substance from a market
Is used for marketing today

18. Agenda Akzo Nobel company profile
Practical use of eco-efficiency tools today
Life Cycle Assessment from salt to cardboard
Environmental Risk Assessment of an asphalt additive
Eco-efficiency evaluation of colorants
The DANTES project - an example of openness in communication between companies and the society

19. Applying the BASF eco-efficiency method on a study made by Akzo Nobel
Eco-efficiency evaluation of an old and a new colorant used in water based paint
Applying the BASF eco-efficiency method
on a study made by Akzo Nobel

20. Environmental and economic impact
LCA-based environmental impact
Consumption of energy
Consumption of resources
Land use
Emissions
LCA-based environmental impact
Consumption of energy
Consumption of resources
Land use
Emissions
Toxic potential
Risk potential
Weighting method
According to “EPS”
Weighting method
According to BASF
Economic impact
Environmental costs
Economic impact
Price

21. Eco-efficiency results
0,0
Environmental impact (normalized)
Old Colorant
1,0
New Colorant
2,0
1,2
1,0
0,8
Cost (normalized)

22. Other conclusions from an eco-efficiency study
Environmental costs were found to be a relatively large part of the total costs of the studied products
For the surfactants (used in the colorants) 4,5% – 6,5% of the sales price
The environmental costs are higher than normally (~1%) reported to authorities and statistics

23. Agenda Akzo Nobel company profile
Practical use of eco-efficiency tools today
Life Cycle Assessment from salt to cardboard
Environmental Risk Assessment of an asphalt additive
Eco-efficiency evaluation of colorants
The DANTES project - an example of openness in communication between companies and the society

24. DANTES www.dantes.info A demonstration project for
sustainable development

25. Project information
Supported by the EU LIFE - Environment Programme
Period: 2002 – 2005 (August 31)
Partners: Akzo Nobel Surface Chemistry ABB Stora Enso Chalmers University of Technology

26. DANTES goals
Demonstrate and evaluate environmental assessment and communication tools:
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Life Cycle Costing (LCC)
Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA)
Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)
Environmental Performance Indicators (EPI)
Display strategies of how to use these tools in different functions within a company.

27. Strategies
provide examples on how you can address different environmental sustainability issues within different parts of a company:
Research & development
Marketing
Supply chain
Production
Environmental support

28. Environment Economy Engineering Communication
is a smorgasbord!
Environment
Economy
Life Cycle Cost
Environmental Management Systems
Eco-efficiency evaluation
Environmental Risk Assessment
CO2 emission trading
Exposure scenarios
LCA
Supplier evaluation
Key Performance Indicators
Transportation and environment
Environmental Product Declarations
Sustainability issues in R&D
Sustainability information on the WEB
Energy efficiency
Environmental education
Engineering
Communication

29. Between 3000 and 4000 visits per month!
– the DANTES project website
Between 3000 and 4000 visits per month!