Circularity

The circular economy changes how our society makes, uses, and disposes nearly every material and manufactured good. At Kemira, we are committed to enabling a biobased circular economy and adopting best practices across our operations and along our value chains.

Targets & KPIs

240M€

revenue from renewable solutions, targeting 500M€ by 2030, base year 2021

58%

Of product portfolio improves customer resource efficiency, target to stay over 50%

52%

Of raw materials come from renewable or recycled sources

4.2

Disposed production waste intensity reduction targeting -15% by 2030, base year 2019

From linear to circular

The circular economy goes far beyond recycling. It requires fundamental changes to the way materials are sourced and how products are designed, produced, sold, used, and disposed of. Kemira is transforming chemistry value chains by creating renewable and recycled solutions that improve resource efficiency and circularity. Today we have five principles that guide our approach to the circular economy.

Kemira’s circular economy principles

We are taking steps to use renewable and recycled raw materials rather than virgin materials from fossil, mineral, organic and inorganic sources. Renewable materials are defined as biobased, recycled or CO2 based materials, containing a minimum of 50% of renewable carbon. Today nearly 20% of our current organic materials are already renewable and we continue to grow in this area in order to de-fossilize the chemistry value chain and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

In 2023, 44% of our raw materials came from recycled sources or industrial by-products. For example, in our inorganic coagulants line, 70–80% of the raw material comes from recycled sources like scrap iron and spent pickle liquor. These are used for water treatment, drinking water, and in many other industrial water treatment applications.

At Kemira, we are reducing waste from our operations by focusing on efficient waste management and converting by-products and side streams into value rather than waste.

We collect data on seven composition categories including chemical waste; sludge; metallic waste; mineral waste from construction and demolition, and other mineral waste; soils; wastewater; and other waste.

We’ve set our sights on reducing disposed production waste by 15%. This includes both hazardous and non-hazardous waste. It excludes waste that is recovered (e.g., through recycling, reuse, or incineration with energy recovery).

Kemira’s products help increase resource efficiency for customers by reducing the need for energy and water. They also cut the amount of waste and emissions, and optimize raw material use in processes and end products. For example, we offer several solutions that help customers derive value from waste streams and develop new circularity-driven businesses. For example, our phosphorous removal technology for wastewater sludge recovers nutrients that can be reused in agricultural applications.

We are actively developing novel solutions that help our customers increase the recyclability and biodegradability of their products, which can further reduce emissions at the end of a product’s useful life. These include fully biobased solutions and mass balance solutions.

Develop and apply chemistry and digital services that enable value chain partners to create products and solutions in alignment with circular economy principles. Focus increasingly on the value creation from value chain related by-products, sidestreams or wastes. Partner both up- and downstream to secure future raw materials and business opportunities.

Sustainability cases

3d image of grey collar shirt laid down on a light surface

ArticleFiber-based materialsTextile fibers

Renewing textiles: Chemistry expertise enables sustainability transformation

The textile industry is grappling with urgent challenges. We need to find more sustainable ways to produce and reuse textiles. In this transformation, renewable cellulose-based raw materials and textile recycling have a vital role. To unlock their true potential, chemistry expertise is key.

PodcastInnovation

Recovering phosphorus from the EU’s wastewater: capturing value from waste

In the first episode of our podcast series, Chemistry with a purpose, we spoke to Matthias Staub, Development Director of Water at Veolia, a leader in municipal wastewater treatment. The company is currently testing Kemira’s new Vivimag® phosphorus recovery technology, which has promising implications for the circular economy.

Listen

PodcastInnovation

Biobased innovation: making circular polymers from sugar

Christian Lenges is an innovation expert at International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), one of Kemira’s collaboration partners in the quest to develop fully biobased polymers that outperform traditional fossil-based derived products. We caught up with Christian to learn more about the challenges and opportunities of making polymers from sugar instead of fossil-based raw materials.

Listen

3D imagery of pastel coloured paperboard packages floating in the air.

ArticleFiber-based materialsInnovation

Chemistry for tomorrow’s packaging

Consumers and regulators are demanding increased recyclability and sustainability from everyday packaging such as cups and food containers. With the help of chemistry, innovative paper and board packages can help brands meet the demand.

Person walking on top of a log in woods.

ArticleInnovation

Biomass balanced polymers – Speeding up the renewable shift

The urgency to shift from conventional, fossil-based chemistries to solutions derived from renewable feedstocks is becoming increasingly evident, driven by the need to mitigate climate change. To take immediate action and reduce the use of fossil carbon across the value chain, Kemira is utilizing the biomass balance approach to create a more sustainable future for customers and society.

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