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Select SDGs to find out how we are taking action in support of the UN Substinable Development Goals
Product stewardship, the responsibility to minimize a product’s environmental impact throughout all stages of its life cycle, is at the core of responsible action by the chemical industry. As such, it is an important pillar of Responsible Care®.
In order to enable the flow of information up and down the value chain and to ensure that chemicals are used and managed safely throughout their life cycle, ICL maintains a close, sustained dialogue and transparent working relationships with its suppliers, customers and others involved in its value chains. ICL takes action throughout the value chain to increase its positive impact and minimize any negative impacts. For example, learn more about ICL’s involvement in the TfS initiative for sustainable procurement.
Starting with innovation, ICL is looking at the mega trends occurring globally and at the UN’s SDGs as guiding principles of the products that it needs to develop. Products are developed in line with a “Sustainability Index” developed by the Company. In addition, existing products meet regulatory standards.
ICL prioritizes product management approaches that reduce environmental impact during their use. This is relevant both for ICL’s fertilizers as well as its industrial products. In its fertilizers business, ICL develops products that minimize environmental impact such as Controlled Release Fertilizers and other Specialty Fertilizers. In addition, it supports farmers with its professional agronomists that provide support and best practices on the balanced and sustainable use of fertilizers. Recently it has also provided digital platforms to enable farmers to engage in precision agriculture.
For its industrial products, ICL suggests best practices for using many of its products as part of the service it provides to its clients. ICL’s labs stand ready to support clients’ needs and requests, be it trying new formulations or helping clients troubleshoot issues that they raise. One example is the SAFR methodology developed by ICL that informs clients on best choices for flame retardants based on the desired use.
ICL customers receive Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) with relevant products. These are available in dozens of languages and are beyond the compliance requirements for most countries. Safety cards are also available for ICL employees and for the logistics and distribution personnel of ICL’s products, including a unique safety book for handling Bromine.
The Voluntary Emission Control Action Program (VECAP) is a product stewardship scheme for the management of chemicals throughout the value chain which goes beyond regulatory and legislative requirements. It was launched in 2004 by the International Bromine Council (BSEF) and the UK Textile Finishers Association to reduce emissions of the brominated flame retardant Deca-BDE. In 2015, it was expanded to include all powder brominated flame retardants (BFRs) produced by VECAP member companies. VECAP published in 2019 the VECAP Code of Best Practice which includes examples of possible sources of emission and good housekeeping procedures in order to to help producers and downstream users – particularly compounders, textile formulators and masterbatches within the plastics converters sector - to control, reduce and continuously improve their potential emissions of flame retardants.
Read MoreICL also supports other product-safety related requests from its customers, such as GMO/allergens declarations and more.
Regarding the end of life of its products, ICL is exploring an initiative that employs circular economy strategies for flame retardants and for products used in the construction industry.
As a major producer of fertilizers and specialty fertilizers intended for greater precision, ICL’s products enhance yields and improve crop quality, while also reducing water consumption and loss of fertilizers through leaching and volatilization.
