Results of the Responsible Care programme of the chemical industry in 2015 ‒ Indicators for circular economy included for the first time
The 2015 results of the Chemical Industry’s Responsible Care programme have been published. Indicators for circular economy are a new element in the reports. The Chemical Industry´s international Responsible Care programme is the oldest voluntary industry programme supporting sustainability in Finland. For nearly 25 years, Responsible Care has served as the operating model and approach used in matters related to sustainability in the Finnish chemical industry.
Currently, almost 100 Finnish companies in the chemical industry are committed to the programme, accounting for 80 per cent of the industry production and 60 per cent of its personnel. The approximately 50 indicators that are reported each year relate to investments, resource efficiency, discharges and emissions, occupational well-being, product stewardship and communications within the chemical industry. In the reports for 2015, indicators for circular economy have been introduced.
“The chemical industry is a pioneer in the field of circular economy, as it has been using waste and by-products from various sectors to produce new products and solution for several decades. The introduction of indicators relating to circular economy as a part of our Responsible Care reporting has enabled us to handle opportunities for development in a more systematic way, says Timo Leppä, the Managing Director of the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland.
Key results of the 2015 Responsible Care programme (from 2014):
- Lost time injuries frequency rate (LTI3) 6,9 injuries / million hours worked (7,1)
- Sick leaves 3,9 % of the hours worked (4,2)
- Energy consumption 0,93 kWh/per one kg (0,92)
- Water consumption 1,10 litres/kilogramme (1,11)
- Waste to be disposed of by landfilling 5,3 g/ one kg of production (7,0)
- Emissions of greenhouse gases 215 gCO2e/one kg (207)
The results for 2015 are essentially a continuation of the long-term results. The water consumption in the production has been reduced by 54% and the energy consumption by 22% over the past twenty years. The amount of waste to be disposed of by landfilling has been reduced by 55% since 1999 and the lost time injuries frequency rate has dropped by 84% since the year 1988.
“In the indicators for circular economy, we made the reporting of raw materials and the use of by-products and waste more precise. As a result, we got unique information about the material flow in the chemical industry. At the same time, the introduction of new monitoring areas directs the companies’ attention to new areas of sustainability”, says senior advisor Merja Vuori, who coordinates the data collection for the programme.
Some results relating to circular economy in 2015:
- 2 % of the materials produced were by-products and waste.
- 74% of these by-products and waste products were utilised as materials and energy
- 9% of the raw materials used in the production were renewable
- 2% of the raw materials used in the production were recycled
