Advancing the UN SDGs through sustainable preservation

We understand that preservation and sustainability go hand-in-hand. By increasing the longevity of something, whether it be a physical material or product, we are helping to build a more sustainable future. Some of our products act directly as preservatives, through material protection, while other products work to combat harmful microorganisms and improve hygiene, helping to support healthier societies.

Aligning our sustainability strategy with the UN SDGs is incredibly important to create a more sustainable and equitable world. To do this, we continue to gather data to ensure we transparently disclose our progress so we can make the most tangible and measurable impacts.

Improving the impact of our products

Our commitment to sustainability is closely tied to our focus on innovation and technology. We work to strike a delicate balance between the necessity for microbial control and the use of materials that preserve the health of our planet. We are committed to sustainability through various initiatives, including preserving current technologies that protect public health and developing new, greener, low-carbon and more sustainable chemistries and products that benefit our customers.

At Arxada, we aim to preserve the planet by producing low-carbon footprint products that reduce emissions and minimize resource depletion. By utilizing low-carbon and energy efficient production methods, as well as responsible sourcing of materials, we promote sustainable consumption patterns. This not only helps mitigate climate change (SDG 13: Climate Action) but also supports the transition to a more sustainable economy (SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production) and helps the entire value chain to meet its sustainability commitments.

One key area of focus is preventing microbial contamination in consumer products, a crucial endeavor to safeguard manufacturers' and marketers' finances and reputations. Our preservatives are designed to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria, yeast and fungi, so extending the shelf life of personal care and cleaning products and reducing the need to dispose of products before use. As microbes continue to evolve due to increasing population density and climate change, the threats they pose to people, places and the planet are constantly evolving. We uphold our commitment to pioneering technology and innovation that can protect public health while promoting sustainability.

Our teams work closely to make certain our products meet all current and anticipated regulatory requirements. We have created and instituted a product development process that goes beyond regulatory compliance and is focused on performance, environment and safety goals that benefit customers, associates and end-users alike. In developing our products, our research and development (R&D) and operational teams work together to ensure our products support preservation in their end uses. For example, products that form a component in paints and coatings can be used to protect and preserve the material of the surface they are used on. Coatings used on wind turbines that produce renewable energy must withstand harsh weather conditions, while coatings used on appliances must withstand everyday use.

Innovating sustainable products

Arxada's purpose is to advance better science to solve the world's toughest preservation challenges. Preservation is about protecting and maintaining the health and wellbeing of people and improving the longevity of vital infrastructure, while improving the health of the planet. Our ambition is to innovate and be part of efforts to address the UN SDGs.

Effective preservation plays an essential role in enhancing the longevity of water-based products, leading to significant reduction in waste across global supply chains. Preserving products is crucial for minimizing waste and ensuring product safety. Ineffective preservation leads can limit the useful life of products, leading to higher waste and energy use over time. This impacts product development across many of our business lines, namely paints and coating, professional hygiene and marine antifouling.

Globally, the development and use of effective preservation solutions face increasing regulatory challenges. Many active biocidal substances have either been discontinued, unsupported, not approved, or restricted for use. There is an urgent need for innovative technologies that can utilize existing effective biocidal agents in conjunction with new delivery methods and solution enhancements. Additionally, the advancement of sustainable innovations, such as bio-based technologies, adjuvants and potentiators, is essential.

Investing in innovations for microbial control will require significant resources and concentrated effort, with considerable time needed for success. Collaboration with customers, NGOs and regulatory bodies is crucial to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape and reduce uncertainty. Arxada aims to provide valuable insights into the latest developments as a leader in responsible innovation, showcasing cutting-edge technologies that redefine the possibilities for achieving more sustainable preservation solutions.

Highlights

Geogard® Boost PGC: A more sustainable way to boost your preservative potential

As a chemical ingredient supplier to the beauty and personal care industries, it is our responsibility to lead the development of safer and more eco-friendly products moving towards a greener future. This includes developing products that act as key enablers and contributors to the 17 UN SDGs.

To help realize this vision, we have launched a more sustainable, multifunctional ingredient, Geogard® Boost PGC (Propylene Glycol Caprylate). Geogard® Boost PGC is a naturally derived, multifunctional personal care ingredient that boosts the antimicrobial performance of a wide range of preservation ingredients while adding other functional benefits to both formulators and consumers. In addition to this, the product contributes to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

Geogard® Boost PGC brings multifunctional benefits to personal care formulations including: Skin Mildness: Suitable for all skin types and does not cause skin irritation.

– Increased Skin Hydration: In multiple studies, we were able to demonstrate increased skin hydration potentiation.

– Enhanced Skin Feel: Through a sensory panel test, participants agreed that our product improves the non-sticky skin feel properties of Glycerin.

– Friendly to the Skin Microbiome Balance: Effectively maintains the balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria.

– Provides Co-emulsification Stability Benefits: Enhanced stability and formulation of microemulsions at both room and elevated temperatures.

Tanasote® - helping keep wood in the game

Industrial timber has many applications in today's world, including railway sleepers, utility poles, as well as in heavy-duty agricultural applications. Ensuring the timber is safe to use for these purposes and maintains longevity is key to contributing to global industry and infrastructure. Traditionally, creosote (a wood preservative pesticide) has been used to protect the timber and increase its longevity.

Notably, the safety and environmental credentials of creosote have been under review in Europe for years, and its use has been restricted under the EU's Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR).

Over the past decade, our wood protection R&D team has worked to develop a BPR authorized alternative; in April 2021, we introduced Tanasote®. The oil-based copper wood preservative is designed to deliver a long service life (typically beyond 40 years depending on timber species and end-use application), while minimizing the risk of early failures. It is the only oil-based wood preservative approved under the BPR and all its active ingredients are approved for wood preservative use in Europe. Tanasote® has passed the BPR risk assessments to be used for the treatment of timbers in industrial heavy-duty applications both above ground and in-ground contact.

While providing a safer and more sustainable alternative to creosote, Tanasote®, due to its wood protection and longevity enhancing qualities, contributes to two of the 17 UN SDGs, specifically SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

During our extensive R&D process, we tested the performance of the product beyond the required industry standards to ensure that a longer service life for industrial-use timber can be achieved.

This included testing in high humidity, aggressive field test sites and laboratory fungal studies. In addition, to provide confidence in our test performance data, it was reviewed by a third party and we engaged in full scale trials with commercial partners across Europe, including railway sleepers, utility poles, equestrian and agricultural fencing.

To help our partners demonstrate the reduced environmental impact of timber treated with Tanasote® compared with other materials such as cast concrete, steel and fiberglass, we invested in life cycle analysis (LCA) for both utility poles and railway sleepers. The LCAs confirmed that, compared with other materials, both timber poles and sleepers treated with Tanasote® had the lowest impact on ecosystems, human health and natural resources.

"Preservation is about protecting and maintaining the health and wellbeing of people and improving the longevity of vital infrastructure, while improving the health of the planet."

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