08/04/2016 (Business Wire) - Solvay announces the certification of its Halifax, UK manufacturing site in accordance to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) guidelines. Halifax joins sister sites in Zhenjiang and Zhangjiagang, China and Itatiba, Brazil in achieving the RSPO Mass Balance accreditation which is highly coveted by its home and personal care customers. Solvay aims at having all its global business unit Novecare sites using palm oil and palm kernel oil derivatives worldwide to be certified by the end of the year.

In line with Solvay Way, Novecare’s sustainability ambition is structured around four main principles: build partnership with our customers, innovate for consumers’ well-being, save natural resources and share value. In this context, RSPO certification is an important feature of Novecare’s commitments. Its priority is to purchase sustainable raw materials and to meet the traceability requirements of its customers to:

• select the suppliers engaged in the transformation of the palm value chain;
• help suppliers to progress responsibly (i.e: support POIG* initiative...);
• promote the conservation and the restoration of High Carbon Stocks areas;
• engage our customers to increase the proportion of RSPO certified ingredients.

Solvay uses palm oil and palm kernel oil derivatives to manufacture specialty surfactants and help its customers to develop innovative formulations that enter into body cleansing, skin care and hair care applications. Novecare is now able to offer its customers RSPO Mass Balance certified palm-based ingredients from Europe, Asia and Latin America. This certification enables Novecare to control purchases and sales of RSPO certified palm oil and its derivatives, which will be also audited by an external and independent party. Solvay is a member of RSPO since 2011.

Beyond RSPO certification, Novecare is engaging in specific projects to help smallholders to develop good agricultural practices to increase yields while preserving the environment and ending deforestation. Building both on its experience with other small landowners projects such as the “Sustainable Guar Initiative” in India and its agro-chemistry know-how, Novecare will start field trials this year with its Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer solutions. The technology can positively act to promote sustainable yields while limiting greenhouse gas emissions derived from nitrogen-based fertilizers.

Solvay Way – “doing business, being responsible” – is our CSR approach. Because sustainable chemistry means respecting people and the environment, we act as a responsible player taking into account and meeting the sustainable challenges faced by our various stakeholders. By 2025, Solvay commits to generate 50% of revenues with solutions addressing the challenges of sustainable development.

*POIG: Palm Oil Innovation Group