This post is a re-print of an article published in Bic Magazine.
If you dislike buzzwords as much as I do, then you probably already tune out when you hear or see the words “sustainability,” “circular economy” and “renewables.” So, let’s not discuss those here. Instead, let’s talk about making more money by making the best use of the resources we have, in order to ensure we always have the raw materials we need in the future. Yes, that’s really what those buzzwords mean; they just get overused.
The future of sustainability includes greater chemical reuse
I think most people would agree they want things to be better for their children and for future generations than they were for us. Today, when people think about making a better tomorrow, most of the focus is on finding alternatives to petroleum-derived products by developing alternatives made from plants. Given the massive volumes of raw materials consumed every year, finding ways to utilize plant-based options certainly deserves a lot of attention and investment for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, the switch to plant-based materials will take many years before it can be cost-effective in enough manufacturing processes to have a major impact.
As with most trends, many people have lost sight of an approach that can very quickly minimize the need for a significant portion of raw materials and immediately produce significant returns. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to make further use of materials that are already in the economic engine. Yes, I’m speaking of chemical reuse. Reuse has long been the focus of many industries, such as paper and plastic, but less so for the overall chemical industry.
Several companies across the U.S. have become specialists in the reuse of chemicals, operating as distributors of used chemicals, chemical coproducts and byproducts. Today, products such as alcohols (like methanol, ethanol and isopropyl alcohol) are broadly distributed for reuse applications. Other broadly distributed reuse products include solvents (acetone, esters and mixtures), inorganic acids (like sulfuric, phosphoric and hydrochloric acids), organic acids (such as formic, propionic and acetic acids) caustic solutions and glycols. Chemical reuse continues to grow throughout the world.
Regulatory compliance in reuse
While reuse is a great option that supports the global circular economy, it must be done in such a way as to maintain extremely high standards for regulatory compliance and product stewardship. These are critical factors in reusing chemicals, since failure to comply with regulations or provide good stewardship can undermine the benefits of reuse.
Whenever products are recycled or reused, they must be used legitimately and in full compliance with EPA and state regulations (both the state where the material is produced and the state where the material is used). Unfortunately, many companies lack a comprehensive understanding of these regulations. For this reason, care must be taken to ensure those handling the materials have a thorough knowledge of the regulatory environment.
Product stewardship in reuse
Good product stewardship is considerably more complex for beneficial reuse than for typical commodity or specialty chemicals. This is typically because less information is available for used and coproduct chemicals. Many producers of such chemicals and petroleum products invest little in the development of literature, such as technical data sheets or specifications, compared to what they do for primary products. For example, these chemicals rarely have specifications, technical data sheets, handling and use guidelines and often fail to have a proper safety data sheet.
While many companies in the reuse industry do not invest the necessary time, energy and care to ensure proper regulatory compliance or product stewardship, some can be very good partners. A good partner can guide manufacturers through the regulatory and product stewardship challenges of chemical reuse. The best reuse companies understand that “sustainability” matters for their own sustainability.