EN V IRONMEN T
CHEMICAL COMPANIES THAT CARE Man-made chemicals can have devastating effects on the environment, however, some local companies are working hard to change this, reports DALE HES Plascon manufactures paints that are entirely free of APEO chemicals.
C
ompanies that work with chemicals are often guilty of ground, water and air pollution, but several South African companies have made it their mission to be environmentally friendly and are living up to and exceeding regulatory requirements.
PLASCON’S GREEN APPROACH Plascon, one of South Africa’s oldest paint companies, has a core philosophy around environmental sustainability, with an intense focus on producing paints that are free from harmful chemicals. “Furthering Plascon’s commitment to environmental conservation has been a mandate for the brand, which continues to
take meaningful steps to reduce its impact on the environment with leaps and bounds in green technology,” says Suvasin Moodley, head of Marketing (Decorative) at Plascon. One of the most recent of these innovations has been the introduction of paints that are entirely free from APEO (alkylphenol ethoxylates) chemicals. “Plascon TradePro Roof & More is entirely free of these chemicals,” Moodley says. “Conventional roof paints contain APEOs that, over time, leach into waterways through rain and drainage – eventually contaminating the soil, water tables, rivers and, ultimately, oceans.” Plascon also produces decorative coatings that are lead-free and have a low volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) content. VOCs are human-made contaminants used and produced in the processing of, or as, paints, adhesives and petroleum products. “Many of us don’t know what goes into paint. The food industry, on the other hand, has been carefully regulated so that all ingredients are listed upfront on the packaging. Yet this is not the case with coatings for our home. You have to be careful about what you buy,” Moodley points out. The company’s approach to manufacturing, whereby stringent environmental management systems are implemented in its plants, has seen the company maintaining an ISO 14001 accreditation since 2005.
“FURTHERING PLASCON’S COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION HAS BEEN A MANDATE FOR THE BRAND, WHICH CONTINUES TO TAKE MEANINGFUL STEPS TO REDUCE ITS IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT.” – SUVASIN MOODLEY, PLASCON
SUSTAINABILITY FROM SASOL
I
n the fuel production sector, Sasol has pumped millions of rands into ensuring that its operations are as environmentally friendly as possible. Dr Sarushen Pillay, vice president of Environmental Sustainability, concedes that Sasol cannot completely eliminate an impact on the environment, but says that much is being done to mitigate this. “Sasol is dependent on natural resources, including coal, crude oil, natural gas and water, for our business activities. These activities have an unavoidable impact on the environment, but we remain committed to minimising these impacts,” says Pillay, explaining that the company’s actions are directed by the core values of safety, health and the environment (SHE).
IMAGES: SUPPLIED
SUPPORTING ECO-FRIENDLY PROJECTS Companies that work with chemicals are increasingly supporting environmental organisations. Plascon, for example, has provided support to the Wilderness Leadership Foundation, the Endangered Wildlife Trust and the SPCA.
“Sasol mitigates the risks related to air quality, water consumption, waste footprint, land use and the impact on biodiversity through the investigation of alternative feedstocks, optimised processes, improved efficiency, and focused abatement technology retrofits. This includes offsets, monitoring air quality through an extensive monitoring network as well as research of the impacts on the environment.” Pillay highlights initiatives such as the Secunda Chemical Operations Nitro Facility, which implements various rehabilitation projects to address water pollution. “Unfavourable water balance poses an increased risk of potential overflows, resulting in the uncontrolled release of nitrogen-containing wastewater to the
environment, mostly during the rainy season. The nitro facility has mitigated this impact.” Air quality management is also being improved through detailed monitoring and reporting of emissions, actively tracking and focusing on compliance, and sustainably reducing emissions from its operations. This has resulted in particulate matter emissions decreasing by 50 per cent since 2014.
Meanwhile, Sasol is a major sponsor of BirdLife South Africa and also sponsors the production of leading bird books. The company also has a small mammal research project around its plant in Secunda, Mpumalanga, which protects threatened grasslands and wetlands, and the various species that live in these areas, near the plant.
37
MISA_Environmental_2.indd 37
Sasol believes in sustainability.
MADE IN SA
MADE IN SA
37
2021/06/14 7:57 PM
