Business News
BASFs eco-efficiency analysis wins international recognition
Friday 24. July 2009 - Non-profit organization NSF certifies method in the United States
BASFs eco-efficiency analysis has been awarded the internationally recognized seal of approval of the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF). The U.S.-based NSF is an international non-profit organization that is active in the field of public health protection and consumer safety.
The eco-efficiency analysis, which has already been evaluated by the German Association for Technical Inspection (TÜV), provides information on the relationship between the economic value of a product and its impact on the environment. This tool helps BASF and its customers to decide which products and processes are most suitable, both in economic and in environmental terms. The entire lifecycle of a product or production process is assessed, for example, in terms of resource and energy consumption, emissions to air, water and soil as well as risk potential.
In collaboration with various stakeholders and product safety experts at BASF Corporation, the NFS has defined standard requirements for eco-efficiency analyses. The aim of NFS Protocol 352 is to ensure conclusiveness, objectivity and transparency for the different types of eco-efficiency analyses. BASFs method has now been verified under the requirements of this protocol. “This NSF certificate is a big step forward and shows the increasing acceptance of our strategic eco-efficiency tool – also in the United States,” said Dr. Ulrich von Deessen, head of BASFs Environment, Health & Safety Competence Center in Ludwigshafen.
“NSF shares BASFs commitment to the environment, and we applaud their leadership in helping to develop an intelligent methodology, which provides solutions that improve the environment and the economy,” said Bob Ferguson, NSF Vice President.
BASFs eco-efficiency analysis is based on standards DIN EN ISO 14040 and 14044. Since the introduction of this tool in 1996, BASF has performed more than 400 analyses for BASF business units, as well as for external partners and customers. Eco-efficiency analyses have been conducted for major products in 90 percent of BASFs product lines.