When the AkzoNobel plant for the manufacture of ethylene amines and ethanolamines was built in 1977, we had already decided that the environmental considerations would be a primary concern in the selection and preparation of the site and in the design and choice of materials for the plant itself. At that time, our environmental awareness was such that our own requirements for protecting the environment were far stricter than the current legislation. The fact that we built the plant on a special concrete base with drainage channels leading to underground collecting tanks, and that we installed seal-less pumps, are telling examples of the foresightedness which enabled us to keep apace with, or even ahead of, the increasingly stringent environmental regulations without recourse to radical alterations or modifications to the plant or site.

Continual improvement
Environmental work is a process of continual improvement. Such improvements are often dependent on technical advances or changes in production methods or processes. AkzoNobel has undertaken specific measures to reduce the environmental impact of its activities apace with the availability of funding and technological developments.