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Environment, Safety, Health Facts and figures for 1998

Environment, Safety, Health - Henkel · Toilet soaps; bath and shower products; ... for detergents and household cleansers; ... Henkel produces oleochemical

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Page 1: Environment, Safety, Health - Henkel · Toilet soaps; bath and shower products; ... for detergents and household cleansers; ... Henkel produces oleochemical

Environment, Safety, Health

Facts and figures for 1998

Page 2: Environment, Safety, Health - Henkel · Toilet soaps; bath and shower products; ... for detergents and household cleansers; ... Henkel produces oleochemical

Sustainable development is a clear objective of the HenkelGroup’s corporate policy. We are convinced that sustainabledevelopment can only be achieved by the joint, concerted ef-forts of all social groups. An open and constructive dialoguebetween the players is a basic precondition for this.

Henkel wants to take the initiative in encouraging this dia-logue. One example of how it is doing so is its annual reporton safety, health and environmental protection in the HenkelGroup. This is the eighth such publication that has appeared.

A central element of the 1998 report is the examples illustrat-ing how our new Standards for Safety, Health and Environment(which we refer to as SHE Standards) are being translatedinto practice throughout the Group. The standards form thebasis of the Henkel Group’s SHE Management System. Thefull text of the SHE Standards is published for the first time in this report.

We are well aware that we will be judged by these standards,as will our corporate communications. Consequently, we haverevised and expanded the design of the report. This is evidentin the new “Dialogue” chapter, for example, where we ex-press our views on subjects such as genetic engineering, whichimpinge on Henkel and are the focus of public controversy.We hope that an intensive exchange of ideas will producemore suggestions for ecologically better product concepts.

Our efforts to maintain a balance between economic and eco-logical considerations are described in the “Products” chapter.We report on the development of innovative products andsystems, whose use will yield ecological benefits, and withwhich we hope to be able to establish ourselves in new andattractive markets. It has repeatedly been shown that good en-vironmental compatibility must go hand in hand with superi-or product performance before customers will give preferenceto a new product.

We are convinced that, by integrating the SHE ManagementSystem into our business processes, we will be able to makeour products and production methods environmentally morecompatible, and by doing so will broaden the basis for theeconomic success of our company.

Precise and open dialogue

Dr. Hans-Dietrich WinkhausPresident and Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Wolfgang GawrischCorporate Vice President Research/Technology

Dr. Hans-Dietrich Winkhaus Dr. Wolfgang Gawrisch

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SHE Report 1

Contents

Henkel in brief 2

Henkel and the environment – an overview 4

Management 6

Dialogue 16

Products 24Chemical Products 26Surface Technologies 28Adhesives 30Cosmetics/Toiletries 32Detergents/Household Cleansers 34Industrial and Institutional Hygiene 36

Production 38Europe 40Africa/Near East 43Asia/Pacific 44America 46

Environment program 48Objectives of the product divisions 50Site objectives 52

Environmental data 55

Glossary of chemical and technical terms 60

Our cover

The consistent utilization of renewable raw materials is one of Henkel’s

corporate strategies. We have chosen crops that are processed as raw

materials in the Henkel Group for our cover and as the visual openers for

the chapters in this report.

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Chemical Products

Umsatzanteile nach Unternehmensbereichen 1998

in DM millions (in EUR millions)

23%4,881

Surface Technologies 8%1,703

Adhesives 22%4,639

Cosmetics/Toiletries 15%3,335

Detergents/Household Cleansers

23%4,919

Industrial andInstitutional Hygiene

8%1,615

Total sales 21,336

Other 1%244

(2,495)

(871)

(2,372)

(1,705)

(2,515)

(826)

(10,909)

(125)

100%

Henkel in brief

SHE Report

The Henkel Group comprises more than 340 compa-nies based in over 70 countries. In 1998, sales of the HenkelGroup amounted to DM 21.3 billion (EUR 10.9 billion), ofwhich 23 percent were attributable to our German sub-sidiaries and 77 percent to the non-German Group compa-nies. The parent company is Henkel KGaA in Düsseldorf.Henkel is one of the German companies with the most busi-ness activities abroad.

Henkel has a total of 56,600 employees, 40,800 ofthem outside Germany. The Company has 15,800 employeesin Germany, including 8,500 in Düsseldorf-Holthausen, theGroup’s biggest production site.

Henkel is the world’s largest processor of oils andfats derived from renewable raw materials. The ChemicalProducts business sector has production sites in all of themajor economic regions. As an efficient, worldwide leadingsupplier of specialty chemicals, this business sector will, in thefuture, operate as a legally independent company under thename Cognis.

The Surface Technologies business sector is the interna-tional market and technology leader in products and systemsfor the surface treatment of metals and metal substitutes. In addition, it provides a comprehensive range of technicalsupport services.

Henkel is also number one on the global adhesivesmarket, with the most varied product portfolio, which in-cludes craftsmen and consumer adhesives, industrial andpackaging adhesives, reactive adhesives, and high-perfor-mance sealants.

In the field of cosmetics and toiletries, Henkel is one ofthe top suppliers in Europe. It is also favorably positioned ingrowth markets elsewhere in the world. The core segments ofthe Cosmetics/Toiletries business sector are hair cosmetics,toiletries, and hair salon products.

Henkel’s Detergents/Household Cleansers businesssector occupies a leading position in Europe. It also utilizesopportunities of building up its position in the up-and-comingmarkets of the Mediterranean region and the promising fu-ture markets in China and India.

In the field of industrial and institutional hygiene,Henkel operates on the European market through Henkel-Ecolab, a joint venture established in cooperation with EcolabInc. of St. Paul, Minnesota (USA). This joint venture companyis one of the most prominent suppliers in Europe. Together,Henkel-Ecolab and Ecolab Inc., in which Henkel has a 22-percent interest, are the international market leaders in indus-trial and institutional hygiene.

Six business sectors

Henkel is ready to meet the economic and ecological challenges of the 21st century. Through applied chemistry and expert service, the Company makes people’s lives easier, safer and better.

Sales by business sector, 1998

2

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Adhesives● Consumer and Craftsmen Adhesives: wallpaper pastes;ceiling, wall covering and tile adhesives; home decorationproducts; sealants, polyurethane foam fillers; cyanoacrylates;contact adhesives; wood glues; PVC pipe adhesives; flooringadhesives; building chemicals; coatings; glue sticks; gluerollers; correction rollers; adhesive tapes.● Industrial and Packaging Adhesives: packaging andlabeling adhesives; shoe adhesives; cigarette adhesives; book-binding adhesives; adhesives for the wood processing indus-try; laminating adhesives; adhesives for nonwovens; leatherboard.● Engineering Adhesives: reactive adhesives; high-performance sealants; sealing systems; assembly adhesives.

Cosmetics/ToiletriesToilet soaps; bath and shower products; deodorants;

skin creams; skincare products; dental care and oral hygieneproducts; hair shampoos and conditioners; hair colorants;hair styling and permanent wave products; perfumes and fra-grances; hair salon products.

Detergents/Household CleansersUniversal detergents; specialty detergents; fabric soft-

eners; dishwashing products; household cleansers; scouringagents; floor and carpet care products; bath and toiletcleansers; glass cleaners and lens wipes; furniture and kitchencare products; shoe care and laundry conditioning products;plant care products.

Industrial and Institutional HygieneProducts, appliances, equipment, systems and services

for cleaning, laundry care, maintenance, sanitizing and disin-fecting applications at major industrial and institutionalcustomers, in the food and beverage industry and the agricul-tural sector.

SHE Report 3

The Henkel Group manufactures almost 10,000 prod-ucts. Worldwide responsibility for these products rests withsix distinct business sectors.

Chemical Products● Oleochemicals: fatty acids; glycerine and fatty acid deriv-atives; fatty alcohols and their derivatives; food and feedstuffadditives; natural-source vitamin E and carotenoids.● Care Chemicals: products for the cosmetics, toiletries andpharmaceutical industries, for detergents and householdcleansers; aroma chemicals/perfume compositions.● Organic Specialty Chemicals: base materials and addi-tives for plastics, paints and coatings; auxiliary products fortextile, leather and paper production; specialty products formining, oil drilling and for lubricants, plant care formulationsand the construction industry.● Inorganic products: water glass.

Surface TechnologiesProducts and application systems for the chemical sur-

face treatment of metals and metal substitutes; lubricants;cleaning products; corrosion inhibitors; products for conver-sion processing and for the treatment of cooling, process andwastewater; process control and metering equipment;antifreeze agents and corrosion inhibitors for motor vehiclecooling systems; CFC substitutes for cleaning applications.Specialty products for the automotive industry: polyurethaneadhesives and elastomer sealants, epoxide structural adhe-sives, PVC and polyacrylate plastisols, dispersion adhesives,hotmelt adhesives and corrosion protection waxes.

Product divisions

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Germany

Umsatzanteile nach Regionen 1998

by customer location

in DM millions (in EUR millions)

23%4,944

Rest of Europe 46%9,831

North America 16%3,383

Latin America 5%1,059

Africa 2%374

Asia/Australia 8%1,745

Total sales 21,336

(2,528)

(5,027)

(1,730)

(541)

(191)

(892)

(10,909) 100%

Sales by region, 1998

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Chemical Products

Surface Technologies

Adhesives

Cosmetics/Toiletries

Detergents/Household Cleansers

Industrial and Institutional Hygiene

High relevance

Medium relevance#Low relevance

Raw materials

Distribution

Use

ManufactureDisposal

SHE Report 5

Henkel and the environment – an overview

Detergents and householdcleansers, cosmetic and toiletrypreparations, and industrial andinstitutional hygiene products allend up in wastewater after theyhave been used. Henkel has there-fore formulated these products sothat the aquatic environment suf-fers no harm as a consequence oftheir use. When industrial chemi-cal products are used, the resulting

wastewater must sometimes bepretreated to remove harmfulchemicals before it is dischargedinto the sewage system. Henkel’sinnovative forms of packaginghave reduced the amount of pack-aging waste that consumers haveto deal with. Industrial customerscan also make use of returnablecontainer systems.

Henkel operates 210 productionsites around the world. The prod-ucts manufactured in a given re-gion are mainly marketed withinthat region. Consequently, themanufacturer-to-client distribu-tion routes are generally short.The Henkel Group produces oleo-chemical base materials at foursites in Germany, France,Malaysia, and the USA. The

Malaysian site processes vegetableoils obtained in Southeast Asia,while the other sites have to shipin the oils and fats needed as rawmaterials from the regions wherethey are produced.

Whenever possible, Henkel givespreference to the use of renewableraw materials. Agricultural land isneeded to cultivate these materials.The Company also makes use ofnon-renewable fossil sources ofraw materials. For some of its sur-face treatment products, Henkelstill uses heavy-metal compounds.Chemical products and detergentsand household cleansers require

relatively large inputs of raw ma-terials, relative to the Group’stotal consumption. The produc-tion of the raw materials used byHenkel is not unusually energy-intensive or associated with criti-cal emissions.

Large amounts of Henkel prod-ucts end up in wastewater afteruse. Their component substancesmust not interfere with the properfunctioning of sewage treatmentplants or inflict damage on the lifeforms found in rivers and lakes.One of the guiding principles ofproduct development at Henkel istherefore to ensure that customerscan use the Company’s products

in an environmentally compatiblemanner. The biodegradability ofcomponent substances is thus justas important a criterion as a po-tential toxic impact on the lifeforms existing in surface waters.Adhesives constitute an exceptionin that they generally remain onthe articles they bond and are dis-posed of together with them.

Henkel produces oleochemicalbase substances by chemical reac-tion processes, sometimes at hightemperatures and pressures. Itsother manufacturing methods aremainly mixing processes. Theproduction of detergents some-times involves mechanicalprocesses requiring sophisticatedequipment. Some of the raw ma-terials used to manufacture surface

treatment products necessitateappropriate occupational safetymeasures.

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Systematic approach

Management

Page 8: Environment, Safety, Health - Henkel · Toilet soaps; bath and shower products; ... for detergents and household cleansers; ... Henkel produces oleochemical

Quality management systems that conform to thestandards of the ISO 9000 series have been in place at HenkelGroup sites all over the world and certified by accreditedexternal verifiers for many years now. The concept of “HenkelQuality” goes much further than this, however. It coverssafety, health and environmental protection and quality.

To give substance to this comprehensive quality con-cept, Henkel has defined 15 Corporate SHE standards con-cerning environmental and health protection and safety as abasis for its SHE Management System. These 15 standardsare reinforced by a total of 55 SHE guidelines. The standardsset the basic requirements. These include the development andimplementation of programs to avoid or minimize any harm-ful effects of emissions on the environment. The guidelinesthen specify the framework. For example, an inventory ofhazardous materials must be compiled, emissions must bemeasured, the results of the measurements must be documentedin an emissions inventory, the emissions must be ecologicallyand toxicologically analyzed, and, if necessary, improvementprograms must be drafted and applied. The standards and theguidelines are binding for the entire Henkel Group.

Quality management and SHE management systemshave many elements in common, including employee trainingand the essential continuous improvement loop (define targets– implement action plans – monitor target achievement –define more challenging targets). Integration of the two systemsis a logical step and delivers obvious benefits, such as a reduc-tion in administrative work and costs. The integrated systemis less complex, easier for employees to apply, and thus morereadily internalized.

The SHE officers at the Henkel sites integrate the re-quirements of the standards and guidelines into their docu-mented procedures. In doing so, they take into account site-specific factors (such as the range of products manufacturedthere and the applicable national and local regulatory require-ments) and assign responsibility to specific employees. Therules and procedures that have to be complied with at the sites(whether on the shop floor or in sales and administration)must, however, be formulated more precisely and gearedspecifically to the applicable work area. They are defined in

the work instructions. The SHE officers ensure that employ-ees are properly trained and familiarized with the integratedsystem.

Many Henkel sites have completed these tasks, and insome cases have had their integrated management systemscertified by accredited external verifiers in combined audits(for instance, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001). Implementation ofthe integrated management system throughout the Group willbe completed in the year 2000.

Integrated management system

SHE Report 7

SHE

From corporate mission to work instruction

*Request our free brochure

Corporate SHE guidelines

The Henkel Group’sPrinciples and

Objectives of EnvironmentalProtection and Safety*

Principle no. 6 from thecorporate mission

statement*: “Henkel is theecological leader in the

chemical industry”

Manuals and documented procedures(with integrated SHE and quality requirements)

Work instructions

Corporate SHE Standards*

Quality

Quality managementstandards of the ISO 9000

series

Continuous improvement

Site-specific procedures

Page 9: Environment, Safety, Health - Henkel · Toilet soaps; bath and shower products; ... for detergents and household cleansers; ... Henkel produces oleochemical

Henkel’s Management Board bears ultimate respon-sibility for all SHE matters. It also defines corporate SHEpolicy. The heads of the six business sectors (Chemical Prod-ucts, Surface Technologies, Adhesives, Cosmetics/Toiletries,Detergents/Household Cleansers, and Industrial and Institu-tional Hygiene) ensure that this policy is put into practice inthe Henkel Group companies assigned to their respectivesectors.

Overall responsibility for any given company in theHenkel Group is borne by the respective business sector headon the Management Board.

The integrated management system is an importantinstrument at the individual company level. It makes sure thatthere is a clearly defined chain of SHE responsibility andaccountability, and that legal requirements, as well as Henkelstandards going beyond legal requirements, are compliedwith. Nothing can be overlooked, as the system reveals anygaps. Documented procedures give plant managers, productdevelopers, and distribution managers the reassurance thatthey are complying with all occupational safety requirements

in their plant, that they know and take into account the eco-logical and toxicological assessment of the planned ingredientswhen developing new products, or that they are placing anorder with a shipping company that is known to be reliable.

Each business sector appoints its own SHE officerswith corporate, regional or local responsibility. To guaranteethat the integrated management system develops a high de-gree of functionality, this role is often entrusted to existingquality officers. The SHE officers inform and advise the orga-nizational units assigned to them, and also have monitoringfunctions.

The central organizational units Corporate SHE andBiology/Product Safety belong to the Research/Technologydivision, which is headed by a Corporate Vice President whoreports directly to the President and CEO. As competence andknowledge centers, these two organizational units advise andsupport the Henkel Group companies.

Specialists from Corporate SHE identify opportunitiesof improving environmental protection and safety at produc-tion sites worldwide, as part of their SHE controlling activi-ties, for instance, and monitor the progress made.

The Biology/Product Safety unit, which incorporatesthe technical departments Toxicology and Ecology, advisesand supports product developers and application engineers inthe business sectors. It also carries out the final ecological andtoxicological product assessments.

SHE organization in the Henkel Group

Henkel Group Management Board

Integrated management system

SHE officers

Research/Technology divisionCorporate SHEBiology/Product Safety

Henkel Group companies

SHE Report8

Henkel has revised the appropriate organizational structures and refocused its strengths tomeet the requirements of the SHE Management System and to assure the success of its fusion withthe quality management system to form an integrated management system. The SHE organizationof the Henkel Group is outlined below.

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Communication ForumProduct Stewardship

SHECoordination Circle

SHE action plans

SHE controlling/SHE advice

SHE product assessment

Henkel Group Management BoardPresident and CEO Heads of business sectors

Henkel Groupcompanies

SHE officers

Research/Technologydivision

Biology/Product Safety

Integratedmanagement system

Corporate SHE

SHE organization

In the Product Stewardship communication forum, theproduct development and application technology managers ofthe business sectors and the experts of the central Biology/Product Safety unit regularly discuss and assess product safetytopics.

New scientific findings or experience gained in thefield are examined with regard to their relevance for Henkelproducts, as are amendments to relevant laws and ordinances.The focus is not just on SHE matters that directly affectHenkel products, but on the entire product life cycle.

Discussions in this forum thus prompted the decisionto approve raw materials as detergent components only ifthey have been subjected to thorough ecological and toxico-logical testing and to document them in an international dataprocessing system (see next page).

The SHE Coordination Circle consists of representa-tives of all business sectors, the central SHE competence cen-ters Biology/Product Safety and Corporate SHE, as well asCorporate Communications, and is chaired by the CorporateVice President Research/Technology. It exercises coordinating,initiating and monitoring functions for the Henkel Groupwith regard to SHE matters. These include formulating SHEprinciples, objectives and concepts as action plans for ap-proval by the Management Board, and monitoring the imple-mentation of agreed measures.

The SHE Coordination Circle meets at least twice eachyear. It makes use of project groups and appoints their mem-bers. One of these international project groups produced the15 SHE standards and 55 guidelines of the SHE Manage-ment System. Another has been entrusted with developingand implementing the SHE audit system.

SHE Report 9

Communication ForumProduct Stewardship

SHE Coordination Circle

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The frequency, content and style of communicationswithin the Henkel Group have evolved dramatically duringrecent years. Information, questions, experience, unusual oc-currences, etc., were previously formulated in rigid reportform and sent to colleagues in the Henkel Group according toa fixed distribution list. This time-consuming and sometimesrestricting procedure has now disappeared, and employeessimply write informal mail messages on their PCs. They mightask for details of a fire in a distillation plant in the USA be-cause they operate a plant of this type themselves, or ask aBrazilian colleague whether they can also use the waste man-agement software developed in that country. With a click of abutton, they send their messages by Intranet directly to the re-cipients in the Henkel world.

This new communications technology promotes a di-rect international exchange of ideas and experience amongHenkel employees who have to deal with the same or similarquestions and problems. Henkel Group companies are grow-ing closer. Transparency is increasing. Modern forms of com-munication also facilitate the worldwide implementation ofthe Henkel SHE standards. Five examples are related below.

An international control system for formulations iscurrently being introduced in the Detergents/HouseholdCleansers business sector. The central element of this system isan internationally applicable list of raw materials that havebeen subjected to ecological and toxicological safety assess-ments and declared suitable for the formulation of products.

Moreover, all formulations used by Henkel to producedetergents and household cleansers in the various individualcountries are recorded in a computer system. New or consid-erably modified formulations must be released by the SHEofficers in Düsseldorf. This puts the finishing touches on thepreviously practiced system of regional approval procedures.Managers responsible for the formulation of detergents andhousehold cleansers have welcomed the resulting transparen-cy and high level of product safety.

The Chemical Products business sector has establishedan international reporting and information system for occupa-tional accidents that covers all of its production sites. For eachlost-time injury that results in at least one day of absence,precisely defined information must be input into an accidentdatabase within 24 hours. The degree of detail required is thesame worldwide. It includes a description of the cause of theaccident, the conclusions drawn, and the measures to be takento avoid future recurrence.

The database can be accessed by all production sitesand by SHE officers at all levels up to and including the headsof the business sectors. The transparency of the accident situa-tion strengthens the motivation of employees and managers atthe individual production sites to improve occupational safety.In addition, the SHE officers in Düsseldorf analyze the acci-dent scenarios. They formulate accident prevention proposalsand measures and see to it that they are implemented Group-wide.

One of the Henkel standards and the associated guide-lines contain goals relating to occupational health and medi-cine. The aim and task of occupational medicine at Henkel isto ensure adequate health protection for the company’s em-ployees and neighbors. Beyond this, the physicians supportthe business sectors with regard to all medical aspects of prod-uct safety and the protection of customer and consumerhealth.

The company medical service at Henkel in Düsseldorfhas formulated a number of principles of occupational medi-cine, initially geared to conditions in Germany. These princi-ples have proven their practical worth in the Henkel Group’sGerman companies. Now the physicians have started to draftprinciples that will apply throughout the Henkel Group.

A checklist has been drawn up to simplify the transla-tion of these principles into practice. All major occupationalmedicine topics are addressed in detail. These include medicalequipment and treatment on site, assessment of individualworkplaces from a health point of view, work organizationand hazardous materials management, registration of the mostcommon types of accidents, and illness frequency.

SHE Report10

Product safety

Occupational safety

Occupational health and medicine

Internationally binding SHE standards

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The individual Group companies can use the checklistto document and improve their occupational medicine situa-tion. Company physicians in Düsseldorf will also travel toother Henkel Group sites to advise those responsible forhealth there, starting with Chinese sites in mid 1999.

The idea of a residual substances exchange – at the in-dustrial sector level, for example – is not new. What is unusu-al is that the staff of the Trade & Services department at theDüsseldorf-Holthausen site have actually set up such a facility.They did this because they were convinced that experts in thechemicals trade, who have to deal with product specificationsevery day, can also be successful residual materials brokers.

On the basis of their experience, the “brokers” arequickly able to find out which of the residual substances thatare unavoidably generated by Henkel in Düsseldorf can beutilized by other Henkel Group companies or other firms as a valuable raw material. As a result, for example, 15 metrictons of a faulty product batch were spared from incineration.The rejected foam setting lotion was not suitable for cosmeticpurposes, but another company was happy to buy it as a rawmaterial, using it to make a defoamer for industrial applica-tions.

The success of the Henkel residual materials exchangeis not simply due to a combination of a good idea and expertknowledge. Committed and skilled marketing have made theexchange popular and have stimulated the creativity of manyplant managers in finding uses for residual materials. Themeasure of their success is that more than 2,000 metric tonsof Henkel residual substances could be additionally recycledlast year, thus saving millions.

Henkel companies in other countries have taken upthis idea and are setting up national residual materials ex-changes with the help of the initiators in Düsseldorf.

The labeling, storage and transport of hazardous goodsare subject to extensive and detailed regulations with whichHenkel must comply. Moreover, to ensure ongoing compli-ance with the law, the relatively frequent amendments tothese regulations must be translated promptly into practice.This often requires several thousand Henkel products to bechecked at very short notice. Together with Sicad Environ-ment, a Siemens subsidiary, Henkel’s Transport Safety depart-ment in Düsseldorf has therefore installed the Transec soft-ware system. As well as being faster and safer, the system hasreduced the amount of work needed to check and recategorizehazardous goods.

The Henkel Group’s German companies that did notyet have a system of their own have started to work withTransec. Since the laws on dangerous substances are interna-tionally harmonized, Henkel companies in a number of Euro-pean countries are looking into the possibility of also usingTransec.

SHE Report 11

Hazardous goods management

Trade in residual substances

Plant firedepartments andoccupationalphysicians takepart in regularemergencydrills, like thisone in Düssel-dorf, to ensurethat their skillsare maintainedat the requisitelevel.

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SHE Report12

The Henkel Group’s Principles and Objectives ofEnvironmental Protection and Safety contain an introductorysentence reading “Sustainable development must give equalpriority to economic, ecological and social goals. Onlyeconomically successful companies will be able to contributeto effective environmental protection and social progress.”

Uncertainty sometimes arises as to whether thisstatement applies in reverse. In other words, are companiesthat are committed to the principles of sustainable developmenteconomically more successful than others? And are they more attractive to investors because they can be expected toperform better and run fewer risks?

Yes, say the managers of environmental funds andinvestment companies, most of which have only been estab-lished recently, but are steadily growing in numbers andvolume. They point out that their performance is usuallybetter than the general stock indexes. They attribute this tothe fact that they do not simply compile their portfolios in line with traditional concepts, but also by assessing and takinginto account the sustainability of the companies they look at.They assume that an ecologically efficient company will beeconomically stronger, exhibit a more pronounced innovativedrive, and have generally above-average management skills.

In late 1998, the Swiss economics editor, PeterRasonyi, researched the situation of eco funds in Switzerland.His report, which appeared in the Neue Zürcher Zeitungunder the headline, “Die Umwelt-Anlagen kommen voran”(environmental investments make progress), stated that theassets managed by “green” funds had increased by around 50percent in less than a year. Such assets represent only a verysmall fraction of the total assets managed in Switzerland, butthe basic concept and its professional application had estab-lished themselves. In early 1999, the Öko-Invest publishingcompany, managed by Max Deml, disclosed the assets ofgreen and ethical funds in its periodical. As listed in Öko-Invest, the assets of the 16 environmental and ethical funds in German-speaking countries amounted to almost DM 1billion. By contrast, the assets of the 26 British funds amount-ed to DM 3.6 billion and the value of assets of the 33 fundsin the USA was almost DM 30 billion.

The assets of the Sustainable Perfor-mance Group (SPG), an investment compa-ny which is quoted on the Swiss stockexchange, are managed by SustainableAsset Management (SAM). As SAM sees it,

assessing a company purely on the basis of its ecologicalefficiency overemphasizes static environmental aspects.SAM therefore also considers long-term scenarios andqualitative assumptions about the development of new andsustainable technologies and products.

Henkel is represented in SPG’s portfolio. In its quarter-ly client information bulletin, SPG published a report onHenkel, describing it as an example of a “sustainabilityleader.” The SAM sustainability rating assesses Henkel ashaving “above average chances” and “below average risk.”

Henkel takes great interest in conducting a dialoguewith the rating departments of investment companies anddiscovering the very different standpoints from which theindividual funds carry out their assessments. The topicscovered by this new type of dialogue complement thelong-existing exchange of views between Henkel and eco-logical institutions, other stakeholders, and financial circles(analysts, investors, financial journalists). These discus-sions inject additional innovative ideas into the company.

How others assess Henkel

Dialogue with eco funds

Sustainable development and shareholder value

Comparison of stock exchange prices in Swiss francs

January 98 July 98 December 98

510

470

430

390

310

Sustainable Performance Group (SPG)

Morgan Stanley World Stock Index Source: SPG

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SHE Report 13

Examples in this report demonstrate how the imple-mentation of environmental protection measures can lead tosavings (see page 11) and how sustainable development canyield competitive advantages in the market (see oppositepage). Just the same, a company must also identify, assess and minimize the risks associated with its activities. If anoperational incident should endanger the neighborhood orharm the environment, for example, the associated high andunanticipated costs are only part of the consequences. Thecompany’s reputation might be damaged, generally resultingin a drop in the price of its stock. In the case of the HenkelGroup, which is dependent on the sale of branded productsfor half of its revenue, there is an additional factor: Every day,consumers are faced with the decision of whether or not tobuy Henkel products, and Henkel’s economic success isdirectly influenced by their choice.

Identifying, assessing and minimizing risks and elimi-nating unacceptable risks are therefore especially important

and constitute a top priority in the implementation of theSHE Management System in the Henkel Group.

Since 1996, 92 Henkel Group production sites aroundthe world have been audited in the light of SHE considera-tions (55 of them in 1998). The audits are coordinated andsupervised by SHE experts from Henkel, Düsseldorf, and inNorth America and parts of Latin America by the head officeof its subsidiary, Henkel Corporation, in Gulph Mills, Penn-sylvania. By the year 2000, 136 major Henkel productionsites will have been audited.

The audits cover, in particular, safety analysis and riskassessment, occupational safety, employees’ personal protec-tive equipment, fire prevention, stockkeeping, and emergency

SHE audits at Henkel

Making risks calculable

1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

197.3226.2

177.0

226.7247.5 258.7245.0

274.7263.5

239.2

78.1

84.9

75.3

86.188.7 78.388.6 82.081.4

84.336.3

56.3

29.6

42.4

58.437.549.1 35.243.6

45.1

311.7 367.4281.9 355.2 394.6 374.5382.7 391.9388.5368.6

Expenditure on environmental and consumer protection within the Henkel Group

Operating costs

R&D

Investments

in DM millions

The above expenditure on environmental and consumerprotection includes only the calculable costs. These com-prise investments and operating costs for “end of pipe”technology to reduce emissions, as well as the costs of anumber of special development projects for environmentaland consumer protection.

Non-calculable expenditure is the additional cost ofdeveloping products and processes, and of constructing pro-duction lines that take environmental protection and safetyaspects into account from the very beginning (integrated

environmental protection). As the emphasis steadily shiftstoward integrated environmental protection, the calculablecosts incurred for environmental and consumer protectionlose their significance.

In the future, the level of these costs will gradually ceaseto be an indicator of what a company does to protect theenvironment. An overall view should also consider the com-petitive advantages gained by a company with a high envi-ronmental standard. In general, however, these are difficultto quantify.

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plans. They also allow a practice-in-place assessment of theSHE Management System at the individual sites. The firstaudit at a site focuses especially on the safety of the produc-tion lines and storage facilities, as well as the protection of thehealth of employees and neighbors. Compliance with all otherstandards is then looked at in detail in the follow-up audits.

An audit takes several days and is carried out by inde-pendent Henkel Group experts from Düsseldorf or GulphMills in cooperation with the site’s SHE officers. The teamthen discusses the results of the audit and develops proposalsand plans of action for necessary and desirable improvements.

To protect sites against any loss of face, the audit team’sresults are not published within the Group. Only the respon-sible managers in the relevant business sector are informed.However, SHE controlling monitors whether the agreed im-provements at the site are actually implemented.

This approach has proven successful in promoting anatmosphere of trust, thus encouraging site managers to coop-erate fully with the auditors. A survey in 1998 showed thatalmost all sites regard the audits, the detailed assessment ofthe SHE situation, and the suggestions for improvement asimportant and helpful. In fact, the assistance of the auditteams has already enabled some sites to put long-plannedprojects into practice.

SHE Report14

Sites certified to international standards

Facility audits by independent auditorsare an important instrument for ensuringcompliance with SHE requirements, forverifying the functionality of the HenkelSHE Management System at the sites, andthus for reducing risks. SHE audits byindependent Henkel experts are examplesof such inspections.

If a site is successfully audited byexternal verifiers in line with international-ly agreed standards, a certificate is award-ed. Higher costs are incurred, however. Ifsuch certificates yield market benefits, theHenkel Group companies take advantageof this opportunity. Depending on the cus-tomer structure, they aim at achievingcertification to the international environ-mental management standard ISO 14001and/or the Eco-Management and AuditScheme (EMAS) of the European Union.The table lists the Henkel Group’s certifiedsites.

Belgium Henkel Belgium, Herent XBrazil Indústrias Químicas, Jacarei X

Indústrias Químicas, Diadema XDenmark Henkel-Ecolab, Valby XGermany Grünau Illertissen, Illertissen X X

Henkel Fragrance Center, Krefeld X XHenkel, Düsseldorf XHenkel Genthin, Genthin X Henkel Oberflächentechnik, Herborn X XHenkel Teroson, Heidelberg X XKepec Chemische Fabrik, Siegburg XNeynaber Chemie, Loxstedt X XThompson-Siegel, Düsseldorf X

Great Britain Henkel Limited, Winsford XIreland Henkel Ireland, Cork XNetherlands Henkel-Ecolab, Nieuwegein XNorway Henkel Nopco, Drammen XSpain Henkel Ibérica, Pulcra, Barcelona XSweden Nordic AB, Mölndal X

ISO 14001 EMAS

By the year 2000, SHE audits will have been carried out at 136 majorproduction sites. The illustration shows such an audit being carried outin the Philippines. A checklist is being used to assess safety in a plantlaboratory.

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Audits give a powerful stimulus to the implementationof necessary or desirable improvements. This is illustrated byan analysis of 44 audit reports by Henkel experts in Düssel-dorf in the course of their SHE controlling activities. Duringthe 44 audits, a total of 1,448 checklist items were examined,including safety precautions for the storage of hazardous ma-terials, or escape routes in production, storage, and officebuildings. In 617 cases, the situation was rated as good. In831 cases, the audit result prompted site managers to planimprovement measures, such as the preparation of work in-structions for store personnel, or better signposting of escaperoutes. In general, the improvements enhanced an already ad-equate safety level.

In three of the 1,448 individual checks, however, unac-ceptable risks were identified. At two sites, production lineshad to be closed down and the risks eliminated immediately.One site manager was given a written warning, because regu-lations on the handling of dangerous substances were beingignored. In the third case, at a site that had recently been ac-quired, a number of serious risk areas were identified. A pro-gram of immediate action was agreed, and the risks have nowbeen eliminated. The audit at this site will be repeated in1999.

These results clearly illustrate that auditing of the SHEManagement System at the sites is an important instrumentfor reducing risks.

New sites are regularly incorporated into the HenkelGroup as a result of acquisitions. The Henkel SHE standardsand the associated guidelines therefore include directions onhow to proceed with regard to SHE considerations when acompany is taken over. Examination of production sites forpossible soil contamination is a key aspect of this.

The findings can have substantial financial conse-quences for Henkel. If the soil is so badly contaminated that itconstitutes a threat to the environment, its remediation re-quires the deployment of considerable technical resources, at acorrespondingly high cost. It is therefore no wonder thatHenkel looks into every last detail during these examinations.The Chemical Products business sector has an experiencedteam of specialists which can also be called upon by otherbusiness sectors. Here are three examples of examinationscarried out in 1998:

The Italian production site of Caleppio di Settala nearMilan came to Henkel as a consequence of the acquisition ofthe Novamax Group in 1996. It employs around 200 peopleand manufactures products for the surface treatment of met-als. There was some suspicion that there was a legacy of cont-amination from the site’s past activities. Soil and groundwatersurveys were therefore carried out to clarify the situation andto ensure that no contamination from neighboring industrialsites was washed in with the groundwater. The final report,written in early 1998, gave Settala a clean bill of health. Thesite conforms to the legal requirements.

A historical survey of the activities formerly carried out ata French site was sufficient to exclude the possibility of anyrisk.

Contamination resulting from the careless handling ofdiesel oil in the past was identified and assessed at a site thatHenkel planned to acquire in eastern Europe. The proposedremediation measures and costs were directly taken intoaccount in the purchase negotiations.

SHE Report 15

What audits achieve

Independent auditors check the safety status and the efficiency ofenvironmental protection at a wastewater pretreatment plant oper-ated by Henkel Philippines.

Detecting historical contamination at new sites

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We debate the issues

Open dialogue

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SHE Report 17

Social groups opposed to biotechnology and geneticengineering are taking an increasingly differentiated view ofthe individual application fields. In Germany, for example, the“green” political party “Bündnis 90/Die Grünen” signed acoalition agreement with the social democratic SPD in October1998, containing the statement that modern methods ofbiotechnology and genetic engineering are firmly establishedin the fields of basic and applied research throughout theworld. Moreover, both parties formulated one of their objec-tives in the following terms: “The new Federal governmentwill continue to support the responsible innovative potentialof biotechnology and genetic engineering.”

This was one reason for Henkel to turn the spotlighton the role of biotechnology and genetic engineering in itsown activities and whether the research it carries out and theutilized applications can be categorized as responsible.

A single, narrowly defined, but important group ofraw materials is manufactured by Henkel by means of bio-technology and is, to some extent, genetically manipulated.These are enzymes for detergents and household cleansers.

Enzymes are of vital importance for metabolic process-es in plants, animals and humans. They make certain chemicalreactions proceed very quickly. Enzymes of the protease class,for example, break down the proteins in the food we eat intotheir basic building blocks, the amino acids. These in turncombine to create the body’s own specific proteins.

Enzymes are specialists whose capabilities are also usedin washing and dishwashing machines. Proteases selectivelybreak down protein stains, and lipases attack fat stains, evenat low washing temperatures. This is why enzymes are im-portant components of detergents.

During the life cycle of a detergent – from the raw ma-terial to disposal in a sewage treatment plant – most energy isconsumed during the washing process itself (see the washingsystem life cycle assessment data on page 25). Furthermore,much more energy is consumed at high operating tempera-tures than at low ones. Enzymes take much of the credit forthe excellent results obtained with modern detergents at lowtemperatures.

If certain bacteria, as naturally occurring microorgan-isms, are provided with the correct nutrients and kept underthe conditions they prefer, they are capable of producing thesedetergent enzymes as metabolic products. Industrial-scalebiotechnological processes have been developed to utilize thisphenomenon. The bacteria grow and multiply in water-filled,

closed agitator vessels known as fermenters. The optimal con-ditions for growth are established by precisely regulating thetemperature and the addition of oxygen and nutrients. Thisresults in high enzyme yields. Finally, the enzymes are sepa-rated from the bacteria. To ensure that the enzymes can bereadily and safely processed, auxiliary substances such as cel-lulose, starch and wax are used to produce stable enzymegranulates.

In the past, Henkel used proteases that had been pro-duced by the traditional method. The organisms needed tocreate the proteases were isolated from their natural environ-ment and optimized by a process of selection. Since the mid1980s, Henkel’s genetic engineering and biotechnologyspecialists have been working on transferring the geneticinformation of highly effective proteases to especially suitable,proven production strains. In this way, much purer enzymescan be obtained from smaller amounts of raw material. Inaddition, especially efficient enzymes can be developed bymanipulating the genetic information.

Genetic engineering – an enduring subject of public debate

Biotechnologically manufactured detergent enzymes

Henkel’s biotechnological and genetic engineering research and devel-opment are concentrated in Düsseldorf. The structure of a molecule ofa detergent protease is shown here on a computer.

Genetic engineering at Henkel

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SHE Report18

The life cycle assessment of a genetically engineeredprotease in comparison with its predecessor shows that, evenduring production of the new protease, emissions of carbondioxide and the organic load in wastewater decrease by morethan 60 percent overall. Moreover, the cut in energy con-sumption achieved each year by switching production to thenew type is equivalent to the energy needed for 11.5 millionwash cycles at 60 degrees Celsius in modern household wash-ing machines.

The president of the German Federal EnvironmentAgency explained his view of biotechnology on the occasionof a seminar organized in Bonn by the Federal Ministry of theEnvironment in late 1996. He singled out detergent enzymesfor special praise in view of the cuts achieved in energy andwater consumption, as well as the reduced amounts of wash-ing active substances released into the environment. He em-phasized, “Considerable additional conservation of resourcesis achieved when the enzymes are no longer produced bytraditional biotechnological, but rather by genetic engineer-ing methods.”

Henkel deals very carefully and seriously with all ethi-cal questions relating to biotechnology and genetic engineer-ing. Henkel’s field of business is, however, far removed fromthose fields of genetic engineering that are on the fringe of theethically responsible.

Henkel subscribes to the core ethical values of Eu-ropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries, andconforms to its principles (EuropaBio core ethical values canbe found on the Internet: http://www.europa-bio.be). Theprinciples, which cover issues relating to genetic engineering,include statements ranging from “We neither use nor supportthe use of cloning technologies to reproduce human beings” to “We support the exchange of biotechnology betweendeveloped and developing countries duly considering eachcountry’s cultural values.”

The applicable regulation of the European Uniondefines four safety levels for handling genetically modifiedorganisms. The microorganisms used to produce enzymesbelong, without exception, to the level with the least safetyrequirements. Henkel’s research laboratories and pilot plantsare constructed and equipped to ensure that the microorgan-isms cannot enter the environment by way of the producedenzymes, wastewater, or any other path. After the enzymeshave been separated, the biomass is sterilized. In other words,all of the microorganisms are killed.

Research and development in biotechnology and ge-netic engineering are concentrated at Henkel, Düsseldorf. Theenzyme granulates for Henkel’s detergents and householdcleansers are produced in Kundl, Austria, by Biozym, a jointventure between Henkel and a respected Swiss company.Biozym does not carry out its own fermentation operations,but buys in enzyme preproducts. These are supplied by aneighboring partner company and other enzyme manufactur-ers.

The enzymes are clearly declared on the packages ofHenkel detergents and household cleansers. In line with vol-untary agreements, Henkel has provided the appropriateregulatory bodies with detailed and confidential information,including data on the production of its enzymes.

Henkel has always kept regulatory bodies, consumerorganizations, environmental organizations and individualsinformed about the importance of genetic engineering andbiotechnology in the manufacture of enzymes through specialbrochures and other publications, as well as workshops. Forexample, a continuously updated brochure with the title“Henkel informiert – Enzyme und Waschmittel” (Henkel in-formation – Enzymes and Detergents) is sent free of charge toconsumers on request.

A brochure published jointly by the German, Austrianand Swiss industrial associations of detergent manufacturers(“Enzyme in Waschmitteln – die Rolle der Gentechnik”) isaddressed directly to consumers. Henkel helped to write it.

Henkel’s strategy is not to exploit the opportunitiesoffered by biotechnology and genetic engineering unless theyresult in ecological gain, greater benefit for consumers, andeconomic advantages for Henkel. Although it is highly un-likely that the Düsseldorf genetic engineering specialists couldapproach the boundaries of the ethically responsible whenresearching new fields of application, this would, nevertheless,be the first aspect to be thoroughly investigated before under-taking any possible future expansion of genetic engineering.

High safety standard

Publicly accessible information on genetic engineering

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SHE Report 19

The chart shows the number of accidents per 1,000employees in the major companies of the Henkel Group.Occupational accidents are all accidents that involve Henkelemployees on Henkel premises and result in at least one dayof absence from work by these employees. Events outside ofHenkel premises, such as traffic accidents on public roads, are not included. Henkel will be collecting such occupationalaccident data from a larger number of Group companies inthe future.

In 1998, one Henkel employee fell to his death on theJakarta site in Indonesia. This tragic accident resulted fromfailure to comply with regulations. As a result, employeesattending safety courses are urgently reminded of the im-portance of being safety-conscious and are advised never todisregard safety instructions.

A total of 58 serious accidents were registered at 26sites in 1998 (1997: 39). Henkel defines a serious accident asone in which the injured person is absent from work for morethan 50 days. 27 of the 58 serious accidents occurred duringtypical production activities (for example, incurred while op-erating a machine, or scalds). The other 31 occurred as a re-sult of a stumble, a twisted ankle, or a fall down a flight ofstairs.

Although there were no cases of noncompliance withlegal regulations, a total of 91 complaints concerning phe-nomena that were probably or certainly attributable to Henkelwere received from neighbors of 23 of the 88 sites whosedata were collected. Of these,● 57 concerned odor,● 18 concerned noise, and● 16 concerned dust.

Four sites received more than five complaints. In 63cases, the source of the problem could be identified and mea-sures to improve the situation were initiated. In 27 cases, thecauses of the complaints have already been eliminated.

In 1998, for the first time, the 88 sites collected anddocumented the complaints from neighbors in line with thesame defined criteria. Comparisons with 1997 are thereforeof only limited validity. 61 complaints were registered in1997.

All Henkel Group companies take extensive safety measures to avoid occupational accidents.They also rely on comprehensive training programs for the Group’s 56,000 employees worldwide.Henkel regards occupational safety as an important managerial task, although each employee is, ofcourse, responsible for safety at and around his or her own workplace.

Occupational accidents in the Henkel Group

Complaints from neighbors

Henkel Corporation (Canada and USA)

Henkel Central Eastern Europe Group

Germany

Henkel France

Sidobre-Sinnova, France

Great Britain

South Africa

Japan

Argentina

Brazil

Mexico

Australia

Benelux

Henkel Ireland

Italy

Switzerland

Henkel Nordic Group, Scandinavia

Turkey

Henkel Ibérica Group

30

23

17

27

7

15

34

32

37

29

27

11

9

63

11

49

10

28

16

Facts and figures

Occupational accidents in 1998

Number of occupational accidents with at least one day of absence per 1,000 employees (excluding off-site accidents)

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SHE Report20

SHE data Reporting basewithin the Henkel Group

Fatal occupational accidentsSignificant operational incidents

Serious distribution incidents

Serious occupational accidentsComplaints from neighbors

Accidents resulting in atleast 1 day of absence from work

All production sites (210)

88 major production sites

Major Henkel Group companies(production and administration)

with a total of some 34,000 employees(= 60 percent of the total workforce)

Scope of the reported SHE data

Basic and advanced training, together with measures toraise employee awareness, are a key component of all plansfor improving environmental protection and safety. The sitestherefore organize regular employee training courses, whoseformat and content may differ widely, especially with regardto site-specific details. Although most sites document thesetraining measures, the differences in the measures themselvesprevent the data from being aggregated in a meaningful form.The SHE experts in Düsseldorf are therefore developing aconcept for recording the different types of training courses,so that in the future it will be possible to obtain a clearer pic-ture of training measures in the Henkel Group.

The safety aspects of transporting raw materials andproducts are the subject of a separate standard in the HenkelSHE Management System. Risks during transportation aresystematically identified, and – when necessary – measuresare taken to reduce them. The guidelines contain specifica-tions that are directly related to transportation (for example,the legal requirements concerning the necessary shipping pa-pers, safety data sheets, and emergency instructions), but alsotake environmental and safety aspects (for example, duringloading or the cleansing of tank trucks) into account. The rulescovering the careful selection of shipping agents are also im-portant.

In 1998, there were no serious distribution incidentsresulting in serious personal injury or environmental damagedue to the accidental release of Henkel products.

A quantitative general overview of the state of distribu-tion safety in the Henkel Group cannot yet be compiled, be-cause the commercial and administrative documentation doesnot contain all of the necessary basic data. A concept for theGroup-wide collection and documentation of the missing in-formation is currently being drafted.

Distribution safety Employee training

The SHE reporting system for the Henkel Group is currently being established. The table provides information on the scope of SHE data collection for the year 1998.

In 1998, no significant operational incidents occurred.Henkel categorizes an incident as “significant” if its conse-quences include at least one of the following:

fatalities or serious injuries,endangerment of the neighborhood or environment,tangible losses of more than US $ 100,000,a high level of public reaction.In 1997, four operational incidents were categorized

as significant on the grounds of the associated tangiblelosses.

Significant operational incidentsin the Henkel Group

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currently formulating ethical standards to enable this objectiveto be anchored in corporate policy. The standards should befinalized and ready for Management Board approval by early2000. They will then be published and will become mandato-ry for the entire Henkel Group.

Sustainable development has an economic, an ecologi-cal, and a social component. For commercial and industrialcompanies, the task of maintaining an even balance betweenthe economic and ecological aspects has been a permanentfeature of their daily work for many years. In meeting thischallenge, they are helped by their extensive experience andeffective instruments, such as internationally agreed environ-mental management systems. As yet, however, there arescarcely any orientation guides with regard to how – and towhat extent – social considerations should play a role in theactivities of a company, and guidelines and fully developedmanagement systems are almost non-existent. Companiesmust find their own way of deriving concrete objectives andaction plans from the basic concept of sustainable develop-ment. One possibility is sponsorship.

The Henkel SHE Management System focuses on thethemes of safety, health and environmental protection. At thesame time, Henkel acknowledges its social responsibility to itsemployees, neighbors, and customers, and to society as awhole. Henkel operates in accordance with these principles.An international workgroup of human resources managers is

SHE Report 21

Examples of social sponsorship by Henkel

Henkel Group companies tradi-tionally support social institutions,community help organizations,nursery schools, schools, seniorcitizens’ homes, cultural activities,and scientific institutions. TheHenkel Group donates several mil-lion DM annually in this way. Thetable shows examples of socialsponsoring from the year 1998.They are representative of theactivities of many other HenkelGroup companies.

Aid campaign in cooperation with UNICEF. Employees and pensionersdonated winter clothing for Russian street children.

The social component of sustainable development

Social standards

Country: Henkel site: Sponsored organization/cause:

Argentina Avellaneda Home for street childrenChina All sites Flood victims in ChinaGermany Düsseldorf UNICEF,

community child and youth workHeidelberg ZNS foundation (for accident victims with

damage to the central nervous system)Loxstedt Community youth work

India Karaikal Leprosy centerIreland Cork Chernobyl Orphans FundItaly Ferentino Restoration of the antique theaterUSA Hoboken, New Jersey Hurricane victims in Costa Rica

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Project: Project partners: Main sponsorship objective:

In late 1997, Henkel KGaA in Düsseldorf establishedan annual eco sponsorship budget. This budget is used to sup-port ecological projects that meet certain criteria. They might,for example, have a model character, or encourage changes inattitudes towards the environment. The table provides anoverview of the measures that have so far been sponsored.

Outside of Germany, Henkel’s Maribor site in Sloveniais sponsoring a project on protecting the olm, a salamander-like creature which has been declared part of the country’snational heritage.

SHE Report22

Fritz Henkel School, Düsseldorf-Garath

Heiligenhauser Verein für wissenschaftliche Naturschutz-patenschaften, Heiligenhaus (society for scientific natureconservation sponsorships)

Heiligenhauser Verein;with the support of the Löbbecke Museum (Düsseldorf)

Biotopverbund Westliche Günz – Ottobeuren(habitat management institute)

Biologische Station Urdenbacher Kämpe e.V., Monheim am Rhein(habitat management institute)

Biologische Station UrdenbacherKämpe e.V., Monheim am Rhein

Bergisch-Rheinischer Wasserver-band, Haan (water management board)

Promotion of environmental awareness and corresponding changes in behavior; model for other schools

Support of a private initiativeand unpaid work (retentionof a habitat)

Model project for the development of practical solutions for protecting amphibians during the spawn run

Providing a cash injection to allow quick purchase of a piece of land (thus securing the future of extensive farmingin the project area)

Support of the ecological development of the nature reserve in the vicinity of Henkel Düsseldorf

Model project for renaturing otherlakes created by the excavation of gravel

Ecological development of land in the vicinity of Henkel in Düsseldorf

Eco audit at a secondary school

Drafting of a habitat manage-ment plan for the Hofermühle Teich wetland nature reserve

Drafting scientific concepts forprotecting amphibians

Purchase of land to support an integral ecological concept

Creation of standing watersin a nature reserve

Study of underwater and floatingleaf vegetation in various flooded gravel pits

Near-natural restoration ofa straightened stream course

Eco sponsorship

Model project for renaturing gravel pit lakes. Henkel sponsors research on underwater and floating leaf vegetation.

Henkel’s eco sponsorship in Germany

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SHE Report 23

Dialogue with our neighbors and the public at large,learning about their concerns and reservations, informingthem about the site’s activities and explaining how the Com-pany operates, getting to know each other - all of these areimportant aspects in favor of an open house. They justify thetime and effort involved.

Brazil: JacareiGermany: Genthin

HeidelbergLoxstedt

Italy: Fino MornascoFerentino

Mexico: Ecátepec de MorelosRussia: Tosno

USA: Hoboken, New JerseyKankakee, Illinois

In 1998, ten Henkel sites held an open house day

Henkel Surface Technologies provid-ed support and advice to its cus-tomer, the renowned manufacturer ofhousehold appliances, Whirlpool Cor-poration, in improving waste manage-ment at a production site. As a result,an annual reduction of around13,000 cubic meters of wastewaterand 50 tons of waste was achieved,saving Whirlpool a five-figure sum.The Environmental PartnershipAward presented to Henkel SurfaceTechnologies was paired with a con-siderable cash prize. Henkel hasdonated this to the Cumberland RiverCompact, a non-profit group that iscarrying out a project for ecologicalimprovement of the CumberlandRiver and its tributaries. The Compactis made up of businesses, individuals,community organizations and agen-cies working in the Cumberland Riverwatershed.

Ferentino celebrates: On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, thedetergent site in the Italian town of Ferentino invited employees’families and the neighbors to an open house event.

Prizes and awards in 1998

Community outreach

Country: Company: Prize:

Germany Kepec, Rhein-Sieg County’s Environmental Siegburg Technology Prize; the city of Siegburg’s

Environment Prize for Innovation

Ireland Henkel Ireland, National Award for Waste RecoveryCork

USA Chemicals Group of Award under the Advanced Technology ProgramHenkel Corporation of the National Institute of Standards and

Technology for the development of environmen-tally compatible chemical intermediates, together with General Electric Corporation

Henkel Surface Whirlpool Corporation’s EnvironmentalTechnologies, Partnership AwardMadison Heights, Michigan

Henkel Corporation Certificates awarded by the U.S. Chemical Manufacturers Association to 17 sites for their outstanding safety performance in 1998

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Products

Safe products

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25

Product stewardship is a key element of Henkel’s SHEstandards in relation to products. Henkel continuously im-proves the safety and environmental compatibility of itsproducts in all phases of their life cycle, including planning,development, production, transport, use and disposal.

Comprehensive and regular risk assessment is an inte-gral part of the product stewardship concept.

The following chapter explains the implementation ofproduct stewardship by describing concrete examples. Someof these examples are also used to illustrate the environmentalimpacts shown in the overview on pages 4 and 5 in moredetail for individual product divisions.

Effective environmental protection requires a systemat-ic approach. For any given product, this means that measuresto improve its environmental compatibility must focus pri-marily on those phases of its life cycle where its environmen-tal impact is greatest. Analysis and assessment of product lifecycles – from the cradle to the grave – must therefore be thestarting point of any strategy aimed at improving environ-mental compatibility.

Some of the results can be expressed in figures. The lifecycle assessment of the “washing” system shown here is a casein point. The diagram is a selective and simplified representa-tion of the results of this assessment. The two key parameters“energy” and “wastewater load” have been singled out, andtheir life cycle totals have been broken down to show the per-centages attributable to various life cycle phases.

This focus on the main impacts of the washing systemdoes not mean that the other life cycle phases are ignored.The “from road to rail” distribution concept for detergents andhousehold cleansers (see Environment Report 1994) and thecontinuous reduction in the volume of packaging materials(one example of which is given on page 41) are clear evidenceto the contrary.

Product stewardship

SHE Report 25

Unconsidered activities are futile

➜Wastewater load(COD)

%100

20

40

60

80

0

Energy consumption and wastewater load (chemical oxygen demand)PercentagesDetergent: Persil Megaperls

Rawmaterials

Produc-tion

Pack-aging

Distri-bution

Wash cycle

Rawmaterials

0

100

20

40

60

80

%

➜Energy

Produc-tion

Pack-aging

Distri-bution

Wash cycle

Life cycle data of the “washing” system

The wash cycle has by far the greatest impact. TheDetergents/Household Cleansers business sector has,therefore, reduced the energy consumption and amountof chemicals per wash cycle by introducing improvedand new detergent formulations. On page 35, you canfind a report on detergent tabs, the latest example ofthis consistently implemented development.

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Raw materials from shrimp shells

Chitosan production started

In early 1998, it was still a develop-ment objective and yet, only eleven

months later, production of cosmeticquality chitosan was started in a newlybuilt factory in the Norwegian town ofTromsø. The production lines were setup in record time with a method devel-

oped by Henkel, and the whole opera-tion is a joint venture between Henkel

and two leading shrimp suppliers. The rawmaterial for the production process is shrimp

shells, which explains why the site was built inthe immediate vicinity of the processing plantsfor freshly landed shrimps and prawns.

The shells of these marine creatures used tobe regarded as a low-value waste product andwere ground up into meal, which was added tofish food. Now the joint venture extracts a valu-able base material for high-quality cosmeticproducts for skin and hair care. This is a goodand topical example of the implementation ofHenkel’s strategy of utilizing renewable rawmaterials. Indeed, it is an especially good exam-ple because chitosan is produced from “waste”materials and is thus not dependent on its ownraw material resources.

The concept of using a waste material to pro-duce a high-quality raw material that is in greatdemand is also compatible with the Norwegiangovernment’s program for encouraging newtechnologies. Official approval was grantedextremely quickly. In view of the jobs created,the project also received strong support from thelocal community. Henkel will follow up its light-ning start by improving the new method still fur-ther – for example, by recovering protein rawmaterials from the process water.

Chitosan

Chitosan is a base material that is ingreat demand. It is a biopolymer with ahigh molecular weight, which is especial-ly skin-compatible, forms protectivefilms, makes the skin supple, and pro-tects it against moisture loss. In addition,chitosan has antimicrobial properties and improves the water-resistance ofultraviolet filter substances. It is there-fore also used in skin care products,deodorants, and sunscreen products. Hair care and styling products thatcontain chitosan give the hair support,resilience and bounce.

Chemical Products

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SHE Report 27

The product developers of the Chemical Products busi-ness sector have successfully launched a new generationof surfactant formulations onto the market for the plasticsmanufacturing, papermaking, paints and coatings, andconstruction industries. These innovative products arecharacterized by more than their improved performance.They are also formulated without the ecologicallycontentious alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEO). With this newseries of products, Henkel is helping its customers toachieve their voluntary ecological improvement targets.

The ecologically optimized new surfactant formulationscan be utilized in a wide range of possible applications.They can, for example, be used in the production of emul-sion paints and dispersion adhesives, and as dispersantsfor pigments in environmentally compatible water-basedindustrial coatings. The paper industry uses them asantifoaming agents based on natural fatty alcohols. Inaddition, the biodegradable emulsified vegetable oilderivatives are replacing the previously essential mineraloil emulsions in release agents for shuttering panels in the building industry and – the latest development – inplant protection products.

The new products are already making inroads into thisdiverse market, which accounts for around ten percent ofsurfactant consumption worldwide.

This innovation won the development team the 1998Fritz Henkel Award for Innovation.

Reinforcing plastics with natural fibers

Many molded parts, even ships’ hulls, are made fromglass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP). However, this material isnot suitable for every field of application. Natural fiber rein-forced plastic is superior in a variety of ways, especially whenthe plastic that binds the fibers – the matrix resin – mainlyconsists of renewable raw materials. One of the objectives ofthe Chemical Products business sector and Henkel’s centralresearch department is to develop such matrix resins and testthem in the field. The target is a material that is 80 percentbased on native raw materials.

The Henkel project has attracted official interest. As itpromises to help open up new markets for German agricul-ture, Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V.*, a specialist agency of theGerman Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry, is pro-viding financial support.

Other partners are involved in the pilot project. WhileHenkel is developing these “tailor-made” matrix resins, theDeutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.** is con-tributing its extensive know-how in the production of moldedparts from composite materials. One of Germany’s leading of-fice furniture manufacturers, Wilkhahn, an ecologically ori-ented company, is the third member of the pioneering project.Wilkhahn is gaining experience with the new material in thefield and has started to use natural fiber reinforced plastic as astrengthening element in its seating products.

The project is at the beginning of its development.***Henkel is trying to attract other users from different sectors tobecome partners.

* Nachwachsende Rohstoffe = renewable raw materials

** German Aerospace Center

*** Further information in the new research magazine from Henkel, which can

be requested free of charge

Ecological information

Natural fiber reinforced plastic moldings, whose matrixresin was developed and improved using mainly renewableraw materials, have a range of ecological advantages. Theuse of renewable raw materials helps to conserve finiteraw material resources. Plastics reinforced with naturalfibers are also much lighter than the glass fiber reinforcedvarieties. When used in the interiors of road vehicles andaircraft they save weight and therefore fuel. In contrast to

glass fiber reinforced moldings, those reinforced with nat-ural fibers leave virtually no residues when they burn. Atthe end of the product’s life cycle, therefore, they can beincinerated as a source of useful thermal energy. Most ofthe carbon dioxide released during incineration originatedin renewable raw materials and does not, therefore,change the world’s carbon dioxide balance.

Ecologically improved industrial products

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Surface Technologies

Chrome-free processes

Chrome-free conversion processes foraluminum have not yet achieved

the anticipated market success.The expected breakthrough

in the architecturalaluminum market (alu-minum cladding for theoutside walls of buildings)has not yet materialized.By contrast, the chrome-

free process has benefiteda major manufacturer of

aluminum wheel rims, aswell as a number of companies

that serve smaller markets. Theymake products such as profile sec-

tions for shower cubicles or aluminum partsfor automobiles or household appliances.The aluminum body shell of the new Audi auto-mobile model, which will start to come off theproduction lines in late 1999, will also receive achrome-free pretreatment. This could point theway for others, thus helping Henkel SurfaceTechnologies to make further inroads into themarket.

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SHE Report 29

Ecological information

Products for the chemical treatment of metal surfacesmust alter the surface metal by entering into selectivechemical reactions. Only substances with a high chemicalreactivity can be used for this purpose. They are catego-rized as dangerous substances. Some of the products alsocontain heavy metals, such as chrome or nickel.

Henkel Surface Technologies maintains a lively dialoguewith its clients. Users are given extensive advice to enablethem to take all necessary occupational safety measureswhen working with dangerous substances.

The wastewater from production lines where chemical

surface treatment is carried out must, in general, be sub-jected to special purification procedures before it can bechanneled into a biological sewage treatment plant. Heavymetals, in particular, are removed during the preliminarypurification stage. One of the main objectives of HenkelSurface Technologies is to provide improved products thatminimize the risks both during and after use. This is whyalternative products, which are free from hazardous andenvironmentally polluting substances such as chrome andnickel, are developed and marketed.

Made-to-measure plastics

The Surface Technologies business sector regards itselfas a supplier not only of products, but also of innovative man-ufacturing processes that benefit both its clients and the envi-ronment. For example, the thickness of car body panels canbe reduced by filling the cavities with reinforcing plastics. Thenecessary made-to-measure products are called engineeredpolymers and are supplied by Henkel Surface Technologies.The advantages for the environment include even lightervehicles, less consumption of fuel and other resources, andfewer traffic-related emissions.

An essential precondition for the implementation ofsuch new ideas is not just close cooperation with clients, butalso involvement as early as the design phase of an automo-bile. The objective is to actively stimulate this process and torealize the innovative engineered polymers concept.

Nickel-free corrosion protection for automobiles

One example of successful cooperation with clients isthe joint development of an alternative corrosion protectionprocess for the new Mercedes A class. Daimler-Chrysler andHenkel Surface Technologies joined forces to introduce thisprocess, which makes no use of the toxic heavy metal, nickel,in the production line at the Rastatt factory in Germany.

A team of specialists from Mercedes and Henkel start-ed work in late 1996 and quickly pushed the developmentforward to completion. Since mid 1998, around 800 A classcars have been leaving the assembly line each day, completewith a nickel-free phosphate coating. As result, an annualsaving of around one metric ton of nickel is achieved. In com-parison to the total European consumption of approximately100 metric tons of nickel for the phosphating of automobiles,this is just a small first step. Nevertheless, it is a start. HenkelSurface Technologies is convinced that more automotive fac-tories will switch to nickel-free systems in the future.

Traditional stainless steel pickling agents contain nitricacid. As a consequence of this, harmful gases are formed dur-ing the pickling process and the wastewater contains nitrates.The Surface Technologies business sector therefore decidedto set itself the goal of developing and marketing stainlesssteel pickling agents that are free of nitric acid.

Henkel applications specialists in Italy developed an alter-native product. This nitric-acid-free pickling agent has alreadyacquired a 65-percent market share in Italy and a 10-percentshare worldwide. Seen from another angle, in 1998 aroundone million metric tons of stainless steel sheet, plate and wirewere treated using the Henkel nitric-acid-free method.

Market success for environmentally more compatiblestainless steel pickling agents

Nickel-free phosphating. This alternative corrosion protectionprocess was developed by Daimler-Chrysler and Henkel SurfaceTechnologies for the production of Mercedes A class cars.

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Adhesives

In 1998, Henkel achieved its objective ofsupplying extremely low-emission flooring adhe-sives for all work processes involved in layingfloor coverings. New additions to the range ofextremely low-emission floor covering adhe-sives from Thomsit include primers, levelingcompounds, and further adhesives. These prod-ucts conform to the requirements of theGemeinschaft Emissionskontrollierte Verlege-werkstoffe e.V. (quality association for emission-controlled flooring adhesives). They are labeledEMICODE EC1. Such Henkel products are

already available in Germany, Austria,Switzerland, and the Benelux countries.

Some 70 percent of all Thomsitcarpet adhesives have already been

modified to comply with the require-ments of the EMICODE EC1 quality

mark. At least one extremely low-emission system (primer, levelingcompound, adhesive) is available tohealth-conscious and environmentallyresponsible processors for most flooringtasks. The product developers want to

modify the majority of the flooring adhesives toqualify for the extremely low-emission catego-rization within the next two years.

Around half of the 400 million squaremeters of floor coverings and parquet that arelaid in Germany alone are secured by adhe-sives. Henkel, the market leader, supplies aboutone third of these. The new flooring adhesivesystems ensure clearer air and a feeling ofwell-being in many thousands of rooms.

Renovation of the Berlin Reichstag. The environmentally compatible productsfor laying the floor coverings were supplied by Henkel Bautechnik.

Reduced emissions

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SHE Report 31

Even the slightest risks are avoided

Since 1998, product developers and marketing special-ists of the Adhesives business sector have been working to re-place alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEO), a class of nonionicsurfactants, in aqueous dispersion adhesives. These includeadhesives for wall and floor coverings and labels. APEO is nolonger in favor because it is only slowly biodegradable andbecause the breakdown products, which are transported inwastewater into sewage treatment plants, from which they aredischarged into surface waters, are suspected of causing en-docrine effects. They can influence the hormonal balance inthe human body and in animals. In particular, interactionswith the male and female sex hormones have been the subjectof debate. In the coming years, international scientists mustclarify whether this suspicion is justified.

Henkel, however, is not prepared to take the slightestrisk. Although APEO from dispersion adhesives can only betransferred to wastewater in small amounts when the productcontainers are rinsed and cleaned, the entire product range isto be modified as a precaution. In Germany, around 70 per-cent of Henkel’s technical consumer products are alreadyAPEO-free. In other countries, new formulations must firstbe developed due to differences in the availability of raw ma-terials.

If a room is to be provided with a door, a door frame hasto be put in place first. The joint to the wall is filled with anexpansion adhesive, and the frame is thus fixed at a numberof points. This used to be the undisputed domain of two-com-ponent foams, supplied in aerosol cans. Now, however, theyare facing serious competition. The specialists of the Adhe-sives business sector have developed a product that needs nopropellent gas and can still be applied cleanly, quickly, andwithout the assembly strips that are usually needed when pro-pellant-free products are used. The foam does not drip, and ithardens in just a few minutes – good reasons for craftsmento turn to this innovative product. The unexpectedly high levelof demand for the new expansion adhesive confirms this.

And how does the environment benefit? Firstly, the newcartridges are designed to hold just enough to install onedoor. This eliminates the problem of what to do with productresidues. Moreover, the aerosol foams – which Henkel willinitially continue to supply in response to consumer demand –contain a fluorinated hydrocarbon that contributes to thegreenhouse effect.

In 1998, the year of the market launch, craftsmen in Ger-many used enough propellant-free product to bring about animprovement in the greenhouse effect equivalent to around2,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide. Small – and smart!

Although aerosol foams still predominate, Henkel is back-ing the propellant-free alternative. Each year 20 million insidedoors are fitted in Germany alone. The new Henkel productshould conquer an even larger share of this market.

The main environmental impact of adhesives is due tothe solvents that are released when the adhesives areused. The cured adhesive itself follows the life cycle ofthe product to which it is applied and is disposed with it.The Adhesives business sector therefore decided todevelop low-emission adhesives. The flooring adhesivesand propellant-free assembly foams are examples ofthese.

In Great Britain, Henkel is the leading supplier of paintstrippers. They contain methylene chloride, which is achlorinated hydrocarbon. The major part of the 3,447metric tons of chlorinated hydrocarbons processed in the

entire Henkel Group is used in Great Britain for the man-ufacture of these products.

For a number of years, Henkel has been trying toestablish an alternative, chlorinated-hydrocarbon-freepaint stripper on the British market. Despite all of thecompany’s considerable efforts, this product’s marketshare remains at around three percent. One reason forthis is that craftsmen have to accept that the productacts more slowly and adjust their work schedules accord-ingly. Another reason is that the toxic potential of meth-ylene chloride is rated less critically in Great Britain thanin other European countries.

Good things come in small packages

Ecological information

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Specially for gray hair

After almost ten years of research anddevelopment, in mid 1998, Schwarzkopf &Henkel launched Poly Re-Nature, a “naturalcolor” cream for graying hair. The product has anovel action principle, which returns grayinghair to its previous natural color. The creamcontains a precursor of the pigment that giveshair its natural color (melanin). With the help ofthe oxygen that is present in the air, it is capa-ble of forming color pigments that resemblenatural ones. The “mild” oxidation process dis-tinguishes the new action principle from that oftraditional hair colorants and is especially gentleon the hair.

There are other differences. Poly Re-Naturehas to be applied several times over a period ofa few weeks in accordance with the manufactur-er’s instructions before the user’s original natur-al hair color reappears. Customers can decidehow long the product should be allowed to takeeffect, how often it should be applied, andwhether the gray color should be completely oronly partially banished from their hair. Afterthis, only root treatment is necessary.

The product launch in Germany, Austria andSwitzerland evoked a sensational response. The media reported on it extensively, andSchwarzkopf & Henkel had to increase thecapacity and service hours of its hotline severaltimes to cope with the many customer questionsabout Poly Re-Nature.

After only a few months, 500,000 con-sumers had used the product successfully.Reactions to Poly Re-Nature were overwhelm-ingly positive. The innovative product has beenavailable in Belgium and the Netherlands sinceMarch 1999, and other European countries willfollow.

Cosmetics/Toiletries

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One of the objectives adopted by the Cosmetics/Toiletries business sector in 1997 was to use more renew-able vegetable raw materials. That it has been successful isexemplified by the new Bio-Cohesion range of care productsfor day or night application and for the eyes. If the watercontent of the formulations is left out of consideration, 70percent of the ingredients are vegetable-based. These newformulations had a storybook start, winning a large share of the highly competitive markets in Belgium, France,Portugal and Spain.

Their success is attributable to a new action principle.The cream has the same microscopic lamellar structure asthe upper layer of the skin. It is absorbed very easily by theskin, protects it against environmental factors, regulates itsmoisture balance, and gives it a smooth, young appear-ance.

The development team was presented with the 1998Fritz Henkel Award for Innovation for its work on thisproject.

SHE Report 33

Poly Re-Nature in the headlines

The market launch of Poly Re-Nature was accompa-nied by lively media interest. Some weeks afterwards, theproduct hit the headlines again. This time the media reportedstories of individual customers who complained about thediscoloration of their blond hair. What had happened?

Due to the large numbers of callers during the product’sintroduction phase, Schwarzkopf & Henkel could not guaran-tee its one-hundred percent accessibility by telephone at alltimes. A few customers, who had applied Poly Re-Nature tolight blond or blond hair and were dissatisfied with the result,contacted a consumer organization in North Rhine-Westphalia.The organization then informed the media. Schwarzkopf &Henkel reacted immediately. Henceforth the warning “notsuitable for light blond or blond hair” was printed on allpackages displayed for sale.

Schwarzkopf & Henkel systematically analyzed allcomplaints. Intensive contact with customers via the consumerhotline proved invaluable. Customers were also offered theopportunity to consult hairdressers in their home towns. TheSchwarzkopf & Henkel hair experts helped to eliminate asquickly as possible any undesirable effects of using Poly Re-Nature. Some customers also accepted an invitation to visitthe Schwarzkopf & Henkel test salon in Düsseldorf for advice.

Ecological information

When they develop and market their products, theexperts of the Cosmetics/Toiletries business sector lookbeyond the effects and benefits. Consumer safety, in par-ticular, is a central consideration. Good skin-compatibilityis one of the aspects considered, as is avoidance of thepossible sensitizing potential of certain groups of ingredi-ents. When a product developer formulates a new skincarecream such as, for example, the innovative product Bio-Cohesion, which was launched in 1998, a comprehensivetest program is carried out, which has proven itself over aperiod of years. The program includes dermatological andin vitro tests (tests that do not make use of experimentalanimals). Some of these, now generally accepted, alterna-tive test methods were developed on the initiative ofHenkel’s toxicologists in cooperation with specialist insti-tutes and universities.

New action principle with vegetable raw materials

Restructuringthe upper layer of the skin

Before treatment

36 percent

improvement

Structure of the upper layer of the skin

After treatment

Stratum corneum cellLamellar lipid structures

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Detergents/Household Cleansers

As a member of the A.I.S.E. (AssociationInternationale de la Savonnerie, de la Détergenceet des Produits d’Entretien), which is the Euro-pean detergent producers association, Henkelwas actively involved in establishing a Code ofGood Environmental Practice, defining environ-mental objectives that should be achieved bythe year 2001 (see page 51). In 1998, theCommission of the European Union adopted thiscommitment as an EU-wide recommendation.

Independent external verifiers audit thedetergent companies to ensure that the datareported to the association are correct. Such anaudit was carried out at Henkel in the fall of1998.

The A.I.S.E. Code is now official

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SHE Report 35

Ecological information

The substances that make up detergents and householdcleansers end up in wastewater after use. In 1958, Henkelstarted to measure the concentrations of key detergentcomponents, such as surfactants, in German rivers. This waslong before government agencies and scientific institutestook up this topic. The measurement results shed light onthe paths and destinations of chemicals in the environmentand thus provided valuable help in the development of envi-ronmentally more compatible formulations.

Today the concentrations of the monitored detergentcomponents in German rivers are very low. Low dosages perwash cycle, favorable biodegradation properties, and effi-cient sewage treatment plants have made a major contribu-tion to this state of affairs. The specialists in Düsseldorf arenow turning their attention to smaller watercourses, where it

is more likely that peak loads will occur. Against thisbackground, Henkel and other detergent and surfactantmanufacturers, together with independent research organi-zations and universities, have jointly produced a computermodel to calculate the concentrations of detergent compo-nents and other household chemicals in watercourses. Thisjoint project was christened GREAT-ER (Geography Refer-enced Exposure Assessment Tool for European Rivers).

Together with a clear representation of the predictedconcentrations on electronic maps, GREAT-ER will draw thefirst comprehensive picture of the surface water loads inEurope. Depending on the result of the ecological assess-ment of the load situation, the necessary measures toimprove the quality of surface waters can then be selective-ly introduced.

Banishing the problem of detergent overdosing

In May 1998, the Detergents/Household Cleansersbusiness sector launched the first-ever universal detergent intablet form in France. Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzer-land soon followed, as did the Benelux countries in early1999.

The “tabs” are Henkel’s solution to an environmentalproblem that has taxed its ingenuity for some time – the per-manent tendency of some consumers to overdose detergents.As the life cycle assessments show, the burden of detergentson the environment is greatest during the wash cycle (see page25). The washing active substances enter domestic wastewater,and if too much product has been used, more of them will doso than necessary. The tabs eliminate the problem of overdos-ing. Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V. (a German environmental or-ganization) has welcomed the development of detergents intablet form as “perhaps the most crucial new development inthe field of detergents.” The German magazine for ecology ineveryday life, ÖKO-TEST, which is known for its expert criti-cal analyses, described the tabs as “ecologically worthwhile.”

At first sight, the packaging of the tabs appears exces-sive. The tabs are packaged in pairs. They are very compact,however, and thus only use six percent more packaging mate-rial than a packet of Megaperls. This figure does not reflectthe abolition of dispensing aids (beakers, eco sacks).

Unbeatable in terms of saving packaging material is theMegaperls refill pouch, which requires only one fifth of thepackaging material of the packet. This advantage over the tabsonly applies, however, when users dose the Megaperls prop-erly.

Henkel’s detergent in tablet form has found favor withthe consumers. Henkel’s product developers and marketingexperts predict that the especially simple and convenienthandling will gradually wean users away from traditionalwashing powders to tabs. The market share of the tabs isexpected to reach the 20 percent milepost by the year 2000.

Computer simulation. Thepath of detergent compo-nents in rivers is traced onthe screen.

The solution to an environmental problem: Place two tabs in the deter-gent compartment of the washing machine, and detergent overdosing isa thing of the past.

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Der SHE - Report36

Membrane technology as a complete service package

H.E.R.O. (Henkel-Ecolab Reverse Osmosis) isthe name of a water purification system devel-

oped by Henkel-Ecolab together with aDutch equipment manufacturer. With the

help of membrane technology, the wash waterused in industrial and institutional laundries

can be purified to such an extent that most of itcan be recycled into the washing process.

The development of H.E.R.O. conforms toHenkel-Ecolab’s objective of providing clientswith products and systems that contribute tosaving resources and improving environmentalprotection. This is why the plant is designed sothat it can easily be incorporated in existinglarge-scale washing machines. This saves notonly water, but also energy, because in contrastto cold freshwater, the purified water is fed intothe rinse cycle at a temperature of 60 degreesCelsius. The hot water rinses more intensively,and the rinsed items have a lower residualwater content. Energy is thus also saved duringdrying.

A complete service package from Henkel-Ecolab, including detergents and laundry aidsgeared to the specific system, as well as mem-brane cleansing products, guarantees laundriesa high level of reliability.

An industrial or institutional laundry, whichprocesses 50 metric tons of washing per week,can save around 400,000 liters of freshwatereach week with the help of H.E.R.O. and onlyneeds around two liters of freshwater per kilo-gram of dry washing.

Save water and energy

Industrial and Institutional Hygiene

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SHE Report 37

Henkel-Ecolab has developed and marketed two new dis-pensing systems for different fields of application in industrialand institutional cleaning. Both were designed to avoid over-dosing and skin contact with the highly concentrated productwhen the ready-to-use cleansing solution is prepared by theemployees of the cleaning company.

Wherever floors, surfaces, and sanitary areas have to becleaned – in administrative or office buildings or hospitals –the necessary cleansing solutions must no longer be preparedmanually, with a greater or lesser degree of accuracy, fromthe concentrated cleanser and water with the help of a mea-suring beaker. The new stationary dispensing unit fromHenkel-Ecolab carries out this task exactly. Employees cannotcome into contact with the concentrate. Most clients installthe dispensing unit in the area where the cleaning equipmentis kept. The amount of cleansing fluid needed for one shift isdrawn off and placed on the work trolley, then the teams ofcleaners go about their tasks.

Where floors covering thousands of square meters have tobe cleaned with automatic machines, such as in supermarketsor in airports, the second new design from Henkel-Ecolabtakes over the task of filling the machines with fresh, ready-to-use cleansing solution. It, too, dispenses very accuratelyand fills the automatic cleaners in less than one minute. Incontrast, more than 20 minutes are usually needed to fill themachine manually with the necessary 200 to 300 liters ofcleansing solution. This is an additional reason for clients touse the new dispensing unit.

Ecological information

Product developers at Henkel-Ecolab always bear twothings in mind with regard to disinfectants and numerousother products. On the one hand, customers want theseproducts to reliably destroy microorganisms, but on theother, the formulations must also be environmentally com-patible. For this reason, microbicides that are readily bio-degradable in wastewater are used whenever the client’shygiene requirements permit this. Such microbicides losemost of their lethal properties before they reach the sewagetreatment plant.

Where extremely high levels of hygiene are essential, forexample, in operating theaters in hospitals, it is necessary touse substances that efficiently destroy a broad range of

microorganisms. Some of these active agents degrade veryslowly. To ensure that they can be used without causingharm to the environment, the experts at Henkel-Ecolab andin Henkel’s Biology/Product Safety central organizationalunit fall back on exposure analyses. These analyses predictthe concentrations of bactericides in sewage treatment plantinflows, for example, and in discharges to surface watersunder realistic worst case conditions. A newly developedproduct cannot harm the environment if the calculatedconcentration is below the threshold concentration at whichecotoxicological effects on organisms in the environmentcan be expected to occur.

Safe and precise dosingEnzymes instead of alkalis

Henkel-Ecolab is currently developing a cleaning sys-tem based on enzymes to the stage where it is ready for mar-keting. The system is intended for use in dairies that producefresh milk, ultra-high temperature sterilized milk, and milkpowder. The use of enzymes for such cleaning tasks is so new,and the prospects of success are so good, that a patent for theprocess has already been applied for.

The cleaning problem is the presence of encrustedprotein and calcareous deposits in pasteurization units wheremilk is sometimes heated to 140 degrees Celsius. Dairies have to clean such pasteurizers almost daily, because around30,000 liters of milk flow through the heating coils eachhour. Cleaning is traditionally carried out in two stages. Thefirst of these involves the use of 5-percent sodium hydroxidesolution at temperatures of 85 to 140 degrees Celsius (de-pending on the type of pasteurizer). After one rinsing cycle, aroughly 1.5-percent nitric acid solution at 75 degrees Celsiusis allowed to work on the encrustations. Finally, a thoroughrinse must carried out.

Henkel-Ecolab’s product developers have formulatedan enzymatic cleanser that can be used instead of the concen-trated alkali. It functions at 50 to 60 degrees Celsius and is soeffective that the subsequent acid treatment can be carried outwith acid at half of the previously needed concentration. Be-cause the alkali and part of the acid are no longer needed, thenew cleaning system reduces the amount of inorganic salts inthe wastewater. Less freshwater is needed for the rinse cycle,because the enzyme cleanser can be rinsed out more easily.And finally, a considerable amount of energy is saved due tothe lower cleaning temperature.

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With ideas and creativity

Production

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USA: The Cincinnati, Ohio, site where oleochemicalbase materials and specialty chemicals are produced, failed toachieve one of its objectives. The organic load of the site’swastewater should have been reduced by 10 percent withinone year (see page 54). The cause of the shortfall was a num-ber of initially inexplicable disturbances in the sewage treat-ment plant. The specialists in Cincinnati are now convincedthat they have the problem under control, in view of the factthat, at the end of 1998, the daily wastewater load was nearly20 percent down from the previous year.

More than 400 employees produce specialty chemicalsand vitamin E at the site in Kankakee, Illinois. They wantedto reduce emissions of volatile organics by connecting moreoperational units to an already existing exhaust air incinera-tion plant. Unfortunately, the plant did not thermally oxidizethe organic substances as efficiently as expected. The site isnow looking for an alternative technical solution that willavoid emissions at the source.

France: Henkel France’s production sites in Nemoursand Ponthierry employ more than 200 people and producedetergents and fabric softeners. Their target was to reduce theamount of production waste that has to be disposed of inlandfills by 10 percent (Nemours) and 60 percent (Ponthierry)(see page 52). However, the picture changed completely whenthe range of products manufactured at the two sites was ex-tensively reshuffled in the context of measures aimed at opti-mizing production structures. Changing the range of productsalso changes the quantities of waste.

Whether the production teams at the sites would havemet their target if these changes had not been carried out is amatter of pure speculation. What is certain is that the compa-ny’s employees are doing everything they can to avoid creat-ing waste. Despite increases in production in the detergentplant at Nemours in 1998, the amount of landfill waste wasno higher than in 1996. And in Ponthierry, it was 34 percentlower!

Environmentally compatible and safe production

SHE Report 39

Production sites throughout the world Objectives not achieved

It would be impossible for the Henkel Group to reporton all SHE activities and improvements at its sites within theconfines of this publication. The following chapter thereforegives a region-by-region overview of the major productionsites of the Henkel Group. The results of the SHE audits areshown for each region. Examples of improvements in envi-ronmental protection and safety, and of the start-up of newproduction plants, are also given.

Responsible Care is a worldwide initiative of the chem-ical industry. It is intended to promote continuous improvementin safety and the protection of health and the environment,independently of legal requirements. The initiative is beingimplemented by national chemical industry associations inmore than 40 countries.

Henkel’s SHE management system covers the require-ments resulting from the Responsible Care initiative. In many countries, recently joined by Morocco, Henkel Groupcompanies are pioneering the national implementation ofResponsible Care.

Responsible Care

The Henkel Group’s new, expanded communicationsconcept also provides for site-related reporting. Site por-traits in the local language will supplement the Groupreport and provide up-to-date, detailed information toneighbors, regulatory bodies, and the public. The first por-traits will appear in 1999.

The published environmental statements of the sitescertified under the European Union’s Eco-Managementand Audit Scheme (see page 14) are available free ofcharge on request. Alongside printed publications, Henkelintends to make increasing use of electronic media suchas the Internet.

Site portraits

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SHE Report40

* One of the 88 sites contributing to the Group dataCertified to ISO 14001 and/or EMASSHE audit carried outObjectives published

Europe

AustriaVienna*

BelgiumHerent*Tessenderlo

DenmarkValby

FinlandHelsinkiRiihimäki*Vantaa*

FranceBoussens*Châlons-en-Champagne*Châlons-sur-MarneCosne-sur-LoireLièpvre*Louviers*Meaux*Nemours*Ponthierry*Reims*Yainville*

GermanyBopfingenDüsseldorf-Flingern*Düsseldorf-Holthausen*Genthin*Hanover*Heidelberg*HeidenauHerborn-Schönbach*Illertissen*KrefeldLoxstedt*Magdeburg*NeesenSankt AugustinSiegburg*UnnaViersen-DülkenWassertrüdingen*

Great BritainBelvedere*Winsford

GreeceAtalanti

HungaryKörösladány*Vác

IrelandBallyfermot*Cork*Tallaght*

ItalyCaleppio di Settala*Campo di BisenzioCasarileFerentino*Fino Mornasco*Lomazzo*ParmaRozzanoZingonia/Bergamo

NetherlandsNieuwegein*Ravenstein*

NorwayDrammen

PolandRacibórz*StaporkówWarsaw

PortugalAlverca*

RussiaEngels*Tosno*

SloveniaMaribor*

SpainBarcelona/Zona Franca*Barcelona/Zona TerrassaLa Coruña*Malgrat*Montornés*San Adrián*Seville/Alcalá de Guadaira*Santa Perpétua

SwedenMölndal*

SwitzerlandErlinsbach

TurkeyCayirova*Izmir*

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SHE Report 41

In 1998, SHE audits were carried out at 32 Europeansites. These audits contribute to the continuous improvementof the SHE situation at the sites (see page 15). The audits doc-umented a high overall SHE standard.

At one recently acquired site, the verifiers and theresponsible production personnel found considerable safetydeficits. Shortcomings and potential for improvement wereidentified in occupational safety, handling of volatile sub-stances, storage of hazardous substances, and waste manage-ment. Those responsible reacted immediately and drew up aprogram for eliminating the worst deficits. The necessary in-vestment resources were quickly made available. The mostserious shortcomings had been remedied by the end of 1998.In 1999, the audit will be repeated.

Austria: Henkel’s SHE Management System covers therequirements of the chemical industry’s worldwide Responsi-ble Care initiative, which promotes continuous improvementin safety, health and environmental protection. The associa-tion of the Austrian chemical industry (FCIO) is the onlyEuropean association to have drawn up a national system forauditing compliance with the requirements of ResponsibleCare. Henkel Austria, which has its head office in Vienna, has grasped this opportunity. The company, which employsalmost 1,000 people and markets 2,000 branded articles, wassuccessfully audited by accredited external verifiers and, inFebruary 1999, received the FCIO certificate.

France: Neighbors of Henkel France’s Louviers site,where around 50 employees produce adhesives, complainedabout excessive noise. Their complaints were justified. A noiselevel of 71 decibels (A) was measured in the vicinity of thesite. This was clearly in excess of the permissible limit of 65decibels (A). The main cause was an undamped compressor. It has been soundproofed, and the noise level in the neighbor-hood of the site is now about 61 decibels (A). Because thescale of measurement is logarithmic, this means that the noiselevel is actually only one tenth of its previous magnitude.

France: The employees of Henkel France’s detergentplant in Reims are proud to have achieved a significant reduc-tion in packaging materials and transport trips. By improvingproduction conditions, thus achieving an increase in the rela-tive density of the product, they were able to reduce the sizeof detergent packages in 1998. This brought about a saving of16 percent, equivalent to 1,200 metric tons of packagingmaterial. Even better, 10 percent more cartons now fit on theshipping pallets. This means that a truck can now carry moredetergent per tour to the company’s customers. As a result,600 fewer trips are needed per year

Germany: Henkel Düsseldorf’s new production line forgranulated washing active substances, which started opera-tions in 1998, incorporates many innovations and benefits.Granulates are in demand by customers as a complement tosurfactant pastes, which contain 20 to 60 percent water.Thanks to the granulates, less water has to be transported.The granulates emit no dust and can be easily processed. Theline, which currently has an output capacity of 10,000 metrictons per year, employs the modern fluidized-bed dryingprocess. It can also be used to produce detergent premixeswith ecologically favorable properties.

SHE audits:Good results with one exception

Responsible Care implemented

Integrated environmental protection

Environmental logistics

Noise stop

The heart of the new Düsseldorf production line for granulated washingactive substances. A surfactant paste is sprayed into the fluidized-beddrier.

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SHE Report42

Ireland: Henkel Ireland in Cork employs 120 peopleand produces auxiliaries and additives for the detergent, food,pharmaceutical, and metal extraction industries. It has setambitious targets for reducing emissions from its steam andelectricity generation systems (see page 52). The planned steepcuts in the amounts of pollutants emitted were to be achievedby modernizing the boiler house and switching to cogenera-tion. The new plant did not initially bring about the anticipat-ed reduction in emissions, and as a consequence numerousimprovements were carried out during 1998. Measurementswill be taken in 1999 to monitor the success of these steps,and the results should be reported in the year 2000.

Improving the efficiency of steam generation was oneof the individual measures specified in Henkel Ireland’s far-reaching environment program, which was drawn up in 1998and covers the period up to 2003. The other measures aremainly aimed at avoiding emissions to water and the air, gen-erating less waste, and lowering noise levels. Henkel Irelandwill report on the progress achieved.

Rigorous cuts in emissionsPostponed, but not canceled

3.1

2.3

3.3

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

0.6

1.5

1.4

3.2

1.7

3.51.3

2.7 0.8

1.70.50.8

Sulfur dioxide

Nitrogen oxide (calculated as nitrogen dioxide)

Dust

Emergency drills at Henkel. The fire departments at the individ-ual sites carry out such drills regularly. The scene shown herewas photographed during a large-scale exercise in Düsseldorfin October 1998. Cooperation with public emergency servicesis also rehearsed.

Poland: Management and employees of Henkel Polskain Racibórz have worked consistently and very successfullyat reducing emissions from their power plant during thepast three years (see page 53). Around 400 people areemployed at the site, whose products include detergents,household cleansers and soaps, as well as sulfonic acidsand glycerine. The large cuts in emissions during powergeneration were achieved by a switch in fuel from coal tonatural gas. Because production output has increasedsteeply in Racibórz since 1994, the bar chart shows thespecific emissions to the air in kilograms per metric ton of product.

Accredited external verifiers have so far certified 17 ofHenkel’s European sites to the ISO 14001 international envi-ronment management standard and/or the European Union’sEco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) (see page 14).Another 15 sites want to achieve certification by the end ofthe year 2000 (see pages 52 to 54).

Site certification

Kilograms per metric ton of product

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South AfricaAlberton-Alrode*Cape TownChloorkop

SHE audits were carried out at four sites in the region.In general, they were found to have a good to satisfactorySHE Standard.

At one production site, however, the auditors discov-ered a source of danger in the production line, which untilthen had been totally underestimated by the site’s manage-ment team. Immediate action was taken to eliminate thisserious safety risk.

At one site, the number of occupational accidents waswell above the average for the Henkel Group. The audit drewthe attention of the responsible site managers to the need toimprove occupational safety. The auditors’ calculations alsorevealed that the human suffering caused by accidents is ac-companied by a high level of economic loss.

Morocco: In 1998, the International Council of ChemicalAssociations (ICCA) accepted Morocco into the group of Re-sponsible Care countries, which now numbers more than 40members. Henkel Maroc was one of the first Moroccan com-panies to subscribe to the basic principles of Responsible Care.The presence of government representatives and the press at

the signing ceremony organized by the FCP (the Moroccanchemical association) was a clear indication of the importancethey attach to the implementation of the Responsible Care ini-tiative in the industry. Henkel Maroc has a tried and proveninstrument at its disposal in the form of the Henkel SHEManagement System.

Egypt: In the Egyptian city of Port Said, around 400Henkel employees produce detergents and cosmetic products.At one time, it seemed that the company would have to investheavily in a wastewater treatment unit to enable it to complywith official requirements. However, its experts found an al-ternative solution. They restructured the production processesso that all of the rinse water could be reutilized as processwater. Alongside the essential construction work, includingthe installation of a collection tank for the rinse water, it wasalso necessary to carry out an intensive program of measuresto raise levels of employee awareness and training. The proj-ect was a success, and all process water outlets from the pro-duction building to the sewerage system have now beenclosed off.

SHE Report 43

Africa/Near East

EgyptPort Said*

IsraelHaifa*

LebanonBeirut

TunisiaTunis*

Commitment to Responsible Care

Wastewater-free production

SHE Audits:Showing things in a new light

* One of the 88 sites contributingto the Group dataCertified to ISO 14001SHE audit carried outObjectives published

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New ZealandAvondale/Auckland

PhilippinesManila

TaiwanChung Li/Taipei

ThailandBangkok*

AustraliaMelbourne/Broadmeadows*Melbourne/Kilsyth*

ChinaGuilin*GuangzhouShanghai, Gu Lang Lu*Shanghai, Jinshan*Shanghai Henkel TerosonShantou*Siping*Tianjin*Xuzhou*

IndiaKaraikal (Madras)*Gurgaon

IndonesiaJakarta*

JapanTokyo/Kitatone*Yashiro

MalaysiaTelok Panglima Garang*Kuala Lumpur

SHE Report44

Asia/Pacific

* One of the 88 sites contributing to the Group dataCertified to ISO 14001SHE audit carried outObjectives published

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SHE audits were carried out at six sites in the region in1998. In general, they were found to have a good to satisfac-tory SHE standard.

At one site, the team of auditors encountered a newlyset-up production line. The raw materials processed there hada far higher danger potential than the other substances used at the site. The occupational safety concept was no longeradequate to the demands made on it. Employees who had towork with the dangerous substances were not sufficientlyprotected. Fire protection, emergency preparedness measures,storage, waste management, and measures to prevent acciden-tal discharges into the sewage network were no longer equalto requirements. The new production line was promptly takenout of operation. A start was immediately made on eliminat-ing the identified shortcomings. The site’s manager was givena written warning.

Thailand: Henkel Thailand has started up a new sulfa-tion plant in Bangpakong industrial park, near Bangkok. Thefacility, which incorporates the latest technology, produces an-ionic surfactants for detergents and household cleansers. Themodern production process operates at a high level of plantsafety and yields top quality products. It also results in consid-erable environmental benefits. For example, the demineralizedwater that the plant needs is obtained by a process based onreverse osmosis, which is favored by the local conditions,rather than the use of ion exchangers. This means that largeamounts of salt-rich water are neither produced nor dis-charged.

Henkel assigned a high priority to occupational safetyeven during the construction phase. Although the plant wasbuilt in just 13 months to a very tight deadline, and some-times up to 400 people were working simultaneously on thebuilding site, not a single serious accident occurred.

India: In 1998, the implementation of extensive awareness-raising and training measures for the 160 employees wasgiven high priority at the Karaikal site in India. Fire-fightingand first-aid drills were also held. As a result of these mea-sures, not a single reportable accident occurred in 1998.

A newly constituted Safety Audit Team has startedwork to ensure that the standard of safety is maintained andimproved. The Karaikal site produces detergents, soaps andzeolites. In addition, a start has been made on establishing agreen belt around the site. A new area will be planted eachyear.

China: The Chinese detergent plant at Guilin has modern-ized its steam generation. Instead of coal, oil is now the pre-ferred fuel. The new boiler emits only 75 metric tons of sulfurdioxide per year instead of the previous 625. Although theold coal-fired boiler was fitted with a dedusting system, therewere still some dust emissions to the atmosphere. These havenow been completely eliminated. The oil-fired boiler has noneed of the old dust scrubbers, and this alone saves 120,000cubic meters of fresh water and reduces the volume of waste-water by the same amount each year.

The new objective of the almost 500 employees atGuilin is the systematic reduction of the site’s wastewaterload. As a first stage, the site’s experts are determining thecontribution of each production section to the total waste-water load. The results obtained at the individual measure-ment points are documented in a wastewater register, whichwill be completed by the end of 1999.

SHE Report 45

SHE Audits:The top priority is safety

New sulfation plant

Oil brings benefits

Accident-free

New sulfation plant for the pro-duction of surfactants in Thailand.The plant incorporates the latesttechnology and is environmental-ly compatible. It is located onHenkel Thailand’s new 80,000square meter lot.

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ArgentinaAvellaneda*

BrazilJacarei*Diadema, São Paulo Itapevi, São Paulo*

ChileSantiago*

MexicoEcátepec de Morelos*

VenezuelaGuacara/Caracas

CanadaBrampton, Ontario*Rexdale, OntarioToronto, Ontario*

Puerto RicoSabana Grande*

USAAtlanta, Georgia*Aurora, IllinoisBrooklyn, New YorkCalhoun, GeorgiaCharlotte, North Carolina*Cincinnati, Ohio*Cleveland, Ohio*Elgin North, IllinoisElgin South, IllinoisFremont, CaliforniaHayward, CaliforniaHoboken, New Jersey*Jackson, TennesseeKankakee, Illinois*Kansas City, Kansas*Lewisville, TexasLivonia, Michigan*Lock Haven, Pennsylvania*Mauldin, South Carolina*Oak Creek, Wisconsin*Solon, OhioSt. Louis, MissouriTucker, GeorgiaWarren, Michigan*Wayne, New Jersey

SHE Report46

America

* One of the 88 sites contrib-uting to the Group dataCertified to ISO 14001SHE audit carried outObjectives published

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SHE audits were carried out at 13 sites in the USAand Canada in 1998. They confirmed the sites’ compliancewith the legal requirements and the specifications of theHenkel SHE standards and guidelines. Nevertheless, a num-ber of opportunities for improving plant safety and reducingemissions were identified. The sites are now implementing the measures recommended after the audits.

USA: The almost 700 employees of the large chem-ical products site at Cincinnati, Ohio, have set a new record in accident-free operations. During the course of 1998, theypassed the one million hours mark, and by the end of the yearthey had worked 1,360,000 hours without a single accidentthat resulted in even one day of lost time. This success wasachieved by teamwork between management and employeeswho jointly developed occupational safety improvementprograms and goals to ensure that safety is maintained at ahigh level.

Canada: Employees of the Toronto site, where fatty acidsare produced for the cosmetics and food industries, have con-tacted more than 1,000 of the site’s neighbors. As part of theprocess of implementing the Responsible Care philosophy, theemployees introduced the company to local residents and ad-dressed their concerns. In particular, residents were askedwhether they had ever suffered any inconvenience due to theplant’s operations. Only a few mentioned occasional unpleas-ant odors or noisy alarms during the night. Quick action wastaken to eliminate the noise, and a major odor abatementproject was started.

The response to these visits was very positive, and theinitiative played a big part in building up trust.

Puerto Rico: Loctite in Puerto Rico employs around 300people and produces engineering adhesives. The use of meth-ylene chloride, a chlorinated hydrocarbon, was discontinuedin 1998. It was replaced by an environmentally more com-patible solvent. As a result, fugitive emissions of 14 metrictons per year of methylene chloride to the atmosphere havebeen eliminated.

Chile: Henkel Chile stopped using toluene in theproduction of adhesives at its Santiago site three years ago.Adhesives that contain toluene can be misused as an intoxi-cant by glue-sniffers. Henkel was the first company in Chileand South America to stop using toluene. In December 1998,the Chilean Minister of Health presented the company withthe national health award in recognition of its pioneering rolein dispensing with toluene. On December 24, 1998, promptedby Henkel’s trail-blazing example,the Chilean presi-dent signed a lawforbidding the pro-duction and mar-keting of toluene-based adhesives.

Brazil: In 1998, as one of the first companies inBrazil, the Jacarei site of Henkel Indústrias Químicas was cer-tified to the ISO 14001 international management standardby accredited external verifiers. Around 400 employees pro-duce organic specialty chemicals and adhesives in Jacarei. Theworkforce is proud of this achievement, but is determined notto rest on its laurels. An environment program includingmore than 20 individual items has been launched. Especiallypleasing is that, while the program was being drafted, it wasfound that many significant improvements can be achievedwithout high investment costs.

SHE Report 47

SHE audits:No critical cases

Accident-free

Community outreach program

Methylene chloride is “out”

No sniffing

Proud of environmental certificate

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Environment program and environmental data

Ambitious objectives

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The continuous improvement of safety, health and en-vironmental protection in a company should be a systematicprocess, transparent to both internal and external observers.The first step is to set ambitious but attainable objectives,which must be pursued consistently. Henkel publishes its ob-jectives and reports its annual progress toward their ultimateattainment. The wide variety of objectives described in thischapter gives an impression of the multifaceted improvementprograms currently being implemented in the Group.

The following two pages show the development objec-tives of the product divisions - subject, naturally, to the con-straints of competitive considerations. Page references in thestatus column indicate that more detailed information can befound in the Products chapter.

The Henkel Group’s efforts to reduce its emissions andits consumption of resources start at the individual sites. Theoverview shows the Henkel Group sites that have set objec-tives and gives brief descriptions of these objectives. Due tolack of space, it is only possible to show one of several objec-tives for some of these sites.

The challenging nature of these objectives is confirmedby the fact that not all of them are achieved. When necessary,objectives are explained in the Production chapter.

SHE performance indicators are an important man-agement instrument, with which opportunities of making im-provements in environmental protection and safety can beidentified, ongoing measures can be controlled, and progresstowards the attainment of objectives can be monitored. Per-formance indicators are also a suitable aid for communicatingthe status and progress of environmental protection and safetyin the Company to the public.

The Henkel Group indicators published in the Envi-ronmental Data section correspond to a large extent to thecore data set recommended by the European Chemical Indus-try Council (CEFIC). Where this is not the case (for example,transport safety data), Henkel is setting up data collectionsystems. The Henkel Group’s emissions of phosphorus andnitrogen compounds in wastewater are negligible.

SHE Report 49

Environment program for products

Environment program for production

Environmental data

ArgentinaAustraliaAustriaBelgiumBrazilCanadaChileChinaEgyptFinlandFranceGermanyGreat Britain

HungaryIndiaIndonesiaIrelandIsraelItalyJapanMalaysiaMexicoNetherlandsPolandPortugalPuerto Rico

RussiaSloveniaSouth AfricaSpainSwedenThailandTunisiaTurkeyUSA

The SHE performance indicators are determined at 88Henkel Group production sites in 35 countries and areaggregated to obtain the Group data. The 88 sites havebeen selected on the basis of their production volumes,the quantities and types of resources they consume,and their emissions. The 88 sites account for 83 per-cent of the production of the entire Henkel Group.

SHE data from 35 countries

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Chemical Products

Objectives of the product divisions

● Development of new raw materials on a purely vegetablebasis ➜ beginning with cosmetics raw materials

● Minimization of the consumption of energy and raw mate-rials during manufacturing ➜ starting with products forthe cosmetics industry

● Development and active marketing of APEO-free emulsi-fiers for polymerization Development of additives for environmentally more com-patible paint systems

● Biodegradable distillates and cleansing oils for the print-ing ink industry

StatusObjectives

Permanent objective

Cosmetic raw material, chitosan(see page 26)

New products selling successfully on the market(see page 27)Worldwide roll-out

Development work in progress

Surface Technologies

● Group-wide auditing of environmental management byaccredited external verifiers according to the EuropeanUnion’s Eco-Management and Audit Scheme and/or theinternational ISO 14001 standard

● Development and marketing of chrome-free conversionprocesses

● Development and marketing of environmentally morecompatible pickling processes for stainless steel

● New objective: “engineered polymers”

StatusObjectives

Certification of the entire Henkel Surface Technologies orga-nization within Germany to ISO 14001; certification ofMölndal site in Sweden to ISO 14001; other sites arepreparing for certificationDevelopment of first products to the commercialization stage(see page 28)First products on the market (see page 29)

Development work has already begun (see page 29)

SHE Report50

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Adhesives

● Group-wide auditing of environmental management byaccredited external verifiers on the basis of the EuropeanUnion’s Eco-Management and Audit Scheme and/or theinternational ISO 14001 standard

● Permanent revision and consistent optimization of theentire range of products

● Development of new emission-free or low-emissionadhesives

● When choosing raw materials, preference given torenewable feedstocks

StatusObjectives

Certification of Winsford site in Great Britain to ISO 14001

Permanent objective (see page 31 for product example)

First products successfully marketed (see page 30)

Permanent objective

Objectives

Detergents/Household Cleansers

● Use of eco-performance indicators for complete evalua-tion of the environmental impacts of detergents through-out their life cycle – definition of the indicators

● Reduction of 5% in energy consumption per wash cycle(relative to the 1996 level) by the end of 2001

● Reduction of 10% in the amount of detergent per washcycle (relative to the 1996 level) by the end of 2001

● Reduction of 10% in the amount of packaging per washcycle (relative to the 1996 level) by the end of 2001

StatusObjectives

Indicators have been defined; final definition will beapproved in 1999

Development work in the planned time schedule

Development work in the planned time schedule

Development work in the planned time schedule

Henkel-Ecolab

● Long-term, group-wide certification of the environmentalmanagement systems by accredited external verifiersaccording to the ISO 14001 standard

● Reduction of wastewater pollution in customer plants inthe food sector (breweries, dairies)

StatusObjectives

Certification of Tessenderlo site in Belgium in 1999

Dispensing system successfully marketed (see page 37)Product development of an enzyme-based cleanser completed(see page 37)

Cosmetics/Toiletries

● Use of renewable raw materials, preferably vegetable-based

Status

Permanent objective in the development of new formulations(see page 33 for product example)

SHE Report 51

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European region

* Additional objectives are declared in the site’s environmental statement (can be requested free of charge).

** Additional objectives are declared in the site’s comprehensive environment program.

Site objectives

Austria Vienna Certification to the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme 1999Belgium Herent Reduction of 15 percent in water consumption -10 percent 1998

France Louviers Creation of a wastewater register 1999Certification to ISO 14001 2000

Meaux Reduction of suspended solids in wastewater to less than 15 milligrams

per liter by improved final sedimentation 2000Reduction of 10 percent in wastewater load by recovering recyclable

materials (surfactants) 2000Nemours Reduction of 10 percent in volume of waste -1 percent 1998Ponthierry Reduction of 60 percent in volume of waste -34 percent 1998Reims Reduction of 20 percent in water consumption (relative to 1998) 1999

Certification to ISO 14001 1999Germany Düsseldorf-Flingern 20 percent less product residues from cleansing processes in wastewater 1999

Düsseldorf-Holthausen* Increase of 5 percent in recirculated steam condensate 2001Reduction of more than 50 kilograms per year in nickel load in wastewater 2001Reduction of reportable accidents to 5 per 1,000 employees 1999

Hannover Reduction of 55 percent in water consumption 1999Reduction of 5 percent in hazardous waste (relative to 1997) 1999

Heidelberg* Reduction of 30 metric tons in packaging material -70 metric tons 1998Reduction of specific energy consumption from 320 to 290 kilowatt

hours per metric ton of product 1999Herborn-Schönbach* Reduction in water consumption and volume of wastewater by

reducing the number of cleansing operations (installation of pipes that

can be cleaned with pig systems) 2000Illertissen* Reduction of COD load in wastewater (reference value 1998:

352 metric tons) 1999Loxstedt* Certification to ISO 14001 and EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme Achieved 1998

Reduction of 10 percent in hazardous waste (relative to 1998) 1999Magdeburg Sealing of the catch pots in the depot for water-polluting substances 1999Siegburg* Reduction of 5 percent in production waste -1 percent 1998

Reduction of 5 percent in water consumption 2000Hungary Körösladány Certification to ISO 14001 1999

Vác Certification to ISO 14001 1999Ireland Ballyfermot Certification to ISO 14001 1999

Cork** Reductions: 40 percent in sulfur dioxide emissions Extended to 2000 199825 percent in nitrogen oxide Extended to 2000 199825 percent in carbon dioxide Extended to 2000 1998

Tallaght Certification to ISO 14001 1999Italy Ferentino Reduction of 30 percent in water consumption -34 percent 1998

Reduction of 10 percent in volume of waste per metric ton of product 2001Lomazzo Reduction of 50 percent in water consumption -42 percent 1998

Reduction of 10 percent in volume of waste per metric ton of product 2001

Result 1998 Target yearObjectives

SHE Report52

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Poland Racibórz Reductions: 45 percent in sulfur dioxide emissions -59 percent 199845 percent in dust -53 percent 199845 percent in soot -56 percent 199820 percent in carbon dioxide emissions -34 percent 1998

Reductions: 96 percent in sulfur dioxide emissions 199997 percent in dust 199999 percent in soot 199920 percent in carbon dioxide emissions 1999

Certification to ISO 14001 1999Slovenia Maribor Construction of a wastewater retention basin 1999

Installation of catch pots in raw materials depot 1999Spain Barcelona, Zona-Franca** Certification to ISO 14001 Achieved 1998

Reduction of 10 percent in water consumption per

metric ton of product 1999La Coruña Certification to ISO 14001 2000Malgrat Certification to ISO 14001 2000Montornés Certification to ISO 14001 2000San Adrián Certification to ISO 14001 2000Santa Perpétua Certification to ISO 14001 2000Seville/Alcalá de Guadaira Certification to ISO 14001 2000

Sweden Mölndal Reduction of 50 percent in organic load in wastewater (relative to 1998) 2000Turkey Cayirova Reduction of 30 percent in organic load -29 percent 1998

Certification to ISO 14001 Extended to 1999 1998Izmir Reductions: 8 percent in water consumption -4.6 percent 1998

20 percent in the volume of wastewater -12 percent 199825 percent in the organic load in wastewater -49 percent 199812 percent in nitrogen oxide emissions -16 percent 1998

Result 1998 Target yearObjectives

SHE Report 53

South Africa Chloorkop Certification to ISO 14001 1999

African region

China Guilin Creation of a wastewater register 1999Siping Reduction of 8 percent in the volume of wastewater (relative to 1998) 1999

Malaysia Telok Panglima Garang Reduction of 70 percent in the sulfur dioxide emissions of the boiler house 1999

Asia/Pacific region

Result 1998 Target yearObjectives

Result 1998 Target yearObjectives

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Safety audits at 136 sites 107 2000

Group objective

Result 1998 Target yearObjectives

SHE Report54

Canada Toronto Installation and starting up of an odor control system 1999USA Gulph Mills, Pennsylvania Certification of responsible care management by the

U.S. Chemical Manufacturers Association 1999Charlotte, North Carolina Reduction of 45 percent in toluene emissions 2000Cincinnati, Ohio Reduction of 10% in the organic load in wastewater –0.9 percent 1998

Reduction of 50 percent in emissions of volatile organic substances 2000Kankakee, Illinois Reduction of 80 percent in emissions of volatile substances –20 percent 1998Lock Haven, Pennsylvania Reduction of 25 percent in emissions of volatile organic substances 1999

Mexico Ecátepec de Morelos Certification to ISO 14001 1999Reduction of more than 80% in the organic

load in wastewater (relative to 1998) 2000Argentina Avellaneda Certification to ISO 14001 1999

Brazil Jacarei** Certification to ISO 14001 Achieved 1998Reduction of 5 percent in laboratory waste (relative to 1998) 1999

Chile Santiago Reduction in volume of wastewater (relative to 2,500 cubic meters in 1998) 1999

American region

Result 1998 Target yearObjectives

** Additional objectives are declared in the site’s comprehensive environment program.

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SHE Report 55

Environmental data

➜Coal

100%

140%

60%

Energiebedarf

in terajoules

25,18321,416 21,914 25,68821,831

´ 94 ´ 96 ´ 98

➜Fuel oil

➜Bought-in energy

➜Gas

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

12,161 11,838 11,70012,736

13,5122,245 2,005 1,915

3,048

1,965 2,054 2,173

3,049

2,735

6,000

2,935

5,460 5,519 6,126

6,855

ProductionEnergy consumption

Index: 1994 = 100%

Bought-in energy is electricity, steam and district heating that is

generated outside the sites.

100%

140%

60%

Produktionsmengen

in thousand metric tons

4,086 4,1314,038

´ 94 ´ 96 ´ 98

ProductionIndex: 1994 = 100%

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

5,6865,440

Production volumes

Energy consumption

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100%

140%

60%

Stickoxid-Emissionen

in metric tons (calculated as nitrogen dioxide)

3,402

3,062

3,6443,380

´ 94 ´ 96 ´ 98

ProductionNitrogen oxide emissions

Index: 1994 = 100%

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998*

2,497 The reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions is largely attributable to the

switch to different sources of energy at eastern European and Chinese

sites.

* Provisional value. At the time of going to press, not all data had been

finally evaluated.

140%

Schwefeldioxid-Emissionen

in metric tons

5,548

4,866

7,049

5,811 ´ 94 ´ ´ 96 ´ 98

ProductionSulfur dioxide emissionsIndex: 1994 = 100%

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998*

60%6,490

140%

* Provisional value. At the time of going to press, not all data had been

finally evaluated.

100%

140%

60%

Kohlendioxid-Emissionen

in thousand metric tons

1,832 1,858

2,298

´ 94 ´ 96 ´ 98

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

1,826

2,202

ProductionCarbon dioxide emissions

Index: 1994 = 100%

The carbon dioxide released by the activities of the Henkel Group is

almost all created by the generation of energy. The given values include

carbon dioxide formed during the generation of bought-in, i.e., exter-

nally generated, energy. Since this carbon dioxide was not emitted at

the Henkel sites, the amount was estimated with the help of recognized

factors.

SHE Report56

Carbon dioxide emissions

Sulfur dioxide emissions

Nitrogen oxide emissions

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SHE Report 57

ProductionWater consumptionVolume of wastewater

Index: 1994 = 100%100%

140%

60%

Wasserbedarf und Abwassermenge

in thousand cubic meters

´ 94 ´ 96 ´ 98

➜Water consumption26,206 25,54927,42826,662

15,59915,933

13,78915,533

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

14,556

25,838

Volume ofwastewater

The water consumption includes all water, whether bought-in or extract-

ed from Henkel’s own sources. Most of this water is process water.

Only a small proportion of drinking water is used.

Because water is lost by evaporation from cooling towers and water

is contained in products, the volume of wastewater is smaller than the

volume of water consumed.

100%

140%

60%

Emissionen flüchtiger organischer Verbindungen

in metric tons

872

652

843910

´ 94 ´ 96 ´ 98

Production Emissions of volatile organic compounds Index: 1994 = 100%

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998*

838

* Provisional value. At the time of going to press, not all data had been

finally evaluated.

100%

140%

60%

Staub-Emissionen

in metric tons

470521

788

´ 94 ´ 96 ´ 98

ProductionDust emissions

Index: 1994 = 100%

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998*

623

730

The values include aerosols, as they are difficult to distinguish from

dust with the available measuring technology.

* Provisional value. At the time of going to press, not all data had been

finally evaluated.

Dust emissions

Emissions of volatile organic compounds

Water consumption and volume of wastewater

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100%

140%

60%

Schwermetall-Emissionen in die Gewässer

in kilograms

4,284

´ 94 ´ 96 ´ 98

5,104 3,532 3,4455,396

2,8132,619

2,405

➜ Heavy metals*

➜ Zinc

2,291

913 1,040

1,602

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

3,794

1,185

3,099

ProductionEmissions of heavy metals

Index: 1994 = 100%

Heavy metals are partially eliminated in sewage treatment plants by

adsorption on sewage sludge. Depending on its composition, the

sewage sludge is either used as a fertilizer on agricultural land or is

dried and incinerated. The ash left over after incineration is disposed of

in landfills. Zinc is traditionally counted as a heavy metal. In terms of its

effects on the environment, however, zinc is generally less harmful than

the other heavy metals. In areas where there is a shortage of zinc in the

soil, for instance, fertilization with sewage sludge that contains zinc may

be beneficial. For this reason, the element zinc is shown separately.

The increase in zinc emissions was caused mainly by a change in

production conditions at one site. Measures were swiftly taken in

response, and zinc emissions at this site were back to their previous

level by the end of 1998.

*Lead, chromium, copper, nickel; particularly hazardous heavy metals,

such as mercury and cadmium, are not processed.

100%

140%

60%

CSB-Emissionen in die Gewässer

in metric tons

11,211 11,324

10,376

12,479

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

´ 94 ´ 96 ´ 98

8,996

Production COD emissions

Index: 1994 = 100%

The significant aspect of wastewater emissions is themagnitude of the loads actually discharged into surfacewaters. Almost one quarter of the sites are direct dischargers.In other words, the site wastewater is treated in-house and isthen discharged into surface waters (for example, a river orthe sea). The wastewater loads of these sites can be addeddirectly to the amount for the Henkel Group as a whole.

The other sites are indirect dischargers, and only aproportion of their wastewater loads therefore enters theenvironment. In order to reflect the actual burden on theenvironment in the total amount for the Henkel Group, it wasassumed that, on average, 70 percent of the wastewater loadfrom these indirect dischargers is degraded or eliminated inmunicipal or jointly operated sewage treatment plants. This is a very conservative estimate. Efficiently operated sewagetreatment plants generally attain degradation and eliminationrates well in excess of 90 percent.

SHE Report58

COD emissions into surface waters

Emissions of heavy metals into surface waters

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SHE Report 59

100%

140%

60%

Verbrauch von Chlorkohlenwasserstoffen

in metric tons

3,4473,866 3,298 3,2994,039

95 72127

3,771

3,226 3,236

3,912

➜ Henkel Group,excluding Germany

➜ Germany

´ 94 ´ 96 ´ 98

1994 1995 1996 1997 199852

3,395

63

Production Chlorinated hydrocarbons

Index: 1994 = 100%

Methylene chloride, which is used in Great Britain in paint strippers,

accounts for most of Henkel’s consumption of chlorinated hydrocar-

bons.

100%

140%

60%

Abfälle zur Wiederverwertung und Beseitigung

in thousand metric tons

309235 228 255238

➜ Hazardous wastefor disposal

➜ Waste forrecycling

➜Waste for disposal

10 1515

18 28

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

´ 94 ´ 96 ´ 98

11494

114 113 127

141

187

9686

107

RecyclingProductionDisposal

Index: 1994 = 100%

“Hazardous waste for disposal” includes not only those kinds of waste

that are classified as hazardous under the laws of the respective coun-

tries, but also all hazardous wastes listed in the Basel Convention of

1989.

Because individual countries continue to extend their list of haz-

ardous wastes, it is possible for the volume of hazardous waste to

increase without any change having occurred in the waste situation in

the Henkel Group.

The increase in the volume of waste for recycling in 1998 is attribut-

able to just one site. Under the official requirements, as of 1998, waste

recycled inside the site has to be included in the figures.

Waste for recycling and disposal

Consumption of chlorinated hydrocarbons

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Alkylphenol ethoxylate (APEO)Group of nonionic surfactants made from petrochemicalbase materials.

Basel ConventionInternational treaty, concluded in 1989, which regulates the cross-border transport of hazardous waste. The BaselConvention includes a list of those types of waste that are,by agreement, classified as hazardous.

Business Charter for Sustainable DevelopmentCharter agreed at WICEM II (Second World Industry Con-ference of Environmental Management) in Rotterdam inApril 1991. It formulates principles of environmental man-agement. WICEM II was organized by the InternationalChamber of Commerce (ICC) in cooperation with the UnitedNations Environment Program (UNEP) and the UN Con-ference on the Environment and Development (UNCED).

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)Measure of the total pollution of wastewater by organic sub-stances. The COD value is the amount of oxygen needed toeffect the chemical degradation of these substances.

Chlorinated hydrocarbonsOrganic solvents that contain chlorine. Their technical supe-riority is offset by environmental and health disadvantages.Chlorinated hydrocarbons are thus increasingly being re-placed by environmentally more compatible chlorine-freesubstances.

Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS)In 1993, the Council of Ministers of the then EuropeanCommunity (EC) adopted regulation 1836/93 “allowingvoluntary participation by companies in the industrial sectorin a Community eco-management and audit scheme.” Eco-management systems are certified by accredited externalverifiers. A certificate always applies to an individual site.

ISO 9001International standard that describes a universal, compre-hensive quality management system covering all stages of aproduct’s life, from its development, through materials pur-chasing and production, to shipping to the customer.

ISO 14001Internationally valid standard for environmental manage-ment at organizations and their sites. Certification is carriedout by accredited external verifiers.

Pig-compatible pipelinesPipelines through which a “pig” can be sent. The pig is aspecial plug that separates the products pumped through thepipeline. It largely eliminates the need to rinse the pipelineswhen there is a change of product.

Product stewardshipThe product-related aspect of Responsible Care. Productstewardship puts the product and its complete life cycle (rawmaterials, manufacture, packaging, transport, use, disposal)at the heart of all considerations of environmental andhealth aspects.

Responsible Care®

A worldwide initiative developed by the chemical industry.It stands for commitment to continuous improvement insafety and the protection of health and the environment,independently of legal requirements. With this initiative, the chemical industry wants to set attainable objectives as ameans of contributing to planning for an ecologically, eco-nomically and socially sustainable future. The trust andacceptance of the public must be gained by addressingpeople’s concerns and fears. The chemical industryin more than 40 countries has joined the initiative.It is identified worldwide by the same logo.Responsible Care® is a registered trademark.

SHEAbbreviation for Safety, Health, Environment. In recentyears, SHE has become a general term for the inclusion ofsafety and health in an expanded concept of environmentalprotection. In some countries, the sequence of the individualcomponents is different, resulting in the abbreviations HSEand EHS.

Glossary of chemical and technical terms

SHE Report60

A

B

C

I

E

P

R

S

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Corporate CommunicationsPhone: (+49-211) 797-3533Fax: (+49-211) 798-4040E-Mail: [email protected]

Environmental Protection and SafetyPhone: (+49-211) 797-3837Fax: (+49-211) 798-2551E-Mail: [email protected]

Mailing address:Henkel KGaACorporate CommunicationsD-40191 DüsseldorfGermany

Internet address:http://www.henkel.com

Further information

Published byHenkel KGaA, DüsseldorfCorporate Communications

Coordination and editorial work:Volker Krug, Wolfgang Zengerling,Corporate Communications;Claudia Plutniok, Dr. Rüdiger Wagner,Corporate Safety, Health, Environment, Quality

Scientific consultants:Dr. Heinz Günter Nösler,Corporate Safety, Health, Environment, Quality;Dr. Fritz Ötting,Biology/Product Safety

English translation, coordination and proofreading:ExperTeam®, Neuss: Dave Brandt,Alice Milne, Susan Salms-Moss

Design:Kuhn, Kammann & Kuhn, Cologne

Production:Gerhard Lensing

Photos:Erik Chmil, Steffen Hauser, Werner Haverkamp,Rudolf Holtappel, Günter Pfannmüller,Michael Wiegmann, Wilfried Wolter,Image Bank, ZEFA, Premium, Gruner & Jahr, IFAHenkel archives

Typesetting and printing:Schotte, Krefeld

PR: 5.99 15.000Mat. no. 4646711

ISBN: 3-923324-61-8

The product names are registered trademarks.

This publication was bound using Purmelt

QR 3366 IS from Henkel.

Printed on paper made from pulp bleached without chlorine.

Henkel is committed to the chemicalindustry’s worldwide Responsible Care®

initiative.

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(BitteAbsenderaufderVorderseitenichtvergessen)(BitteAbsenderaufderVorderseitenichtvergessen)

I would like to be added to thedistribution list for the HenkelGroup’s annual SHE Report.

I am on the distribution list, butmy address has changed (seeaddress on the front of this card).

Comments, suggestions:

If you would like to receive more information,check the relevant items.

Henkel in brief 19991998 Annual Report/SummaryMission, Principles, StrategyPrinciples and Objectives of Environmental Protection and SafetyCorporate SHE StandardsEnvironmental Statement of Henkel KGaA,Düsseldorf-Holthausen (in German)Henkel Group SHE Report 1998in view of tomorrow – Research and Development at HenkelCD-ROM Henkel Eco CommunicationCD-ROM – Henkel PublicationsOther:

I would like to be added to thedistribution list for the HenkelGroup’s annual SHE Report.

I am on the distribution list, butmy address has changed (seeaddress on the front of this card).

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Henkel in brief 19991998 Annual Report/SummaryMission, Principles, StrategyPrinciples and Objectives of Environmental Protection and SafetyCorporate SHE StandardsEnvironmental Statement of Henkel KGaA,Düsseldorf-Holthausen (in German)Henkel Group SHE Report 1998in view of tomorrow – Research and Development at HenkelCD-ROM Henkel Eco CommunicationCD-ROM – Henkel PublicationsOther:

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Reply:

Henkel KGaA

Corporate Communications

D-40191 Düsseldorf

Germany

Reply:

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Corporate Communications

D-40191 Düsseldorf

Germany

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