“Caring is in our nature and deeply rooted in our DNA. That’s why we are committed to protecting the world in which we all live and work. Our vision is to align our actions in a sustainable way – to protect our planet and its resources, and to make an active contribution to all of the people along our bioactive ingredients value chain. To turn this vision into reality, we launched our Responsibly Active program which includes clear commitments and action plans,” says Lucilene Veira Nunes, Head of Business Management for the active ingredients business of BASF in Europe. Together with the team, she is responsible for setting up the program.
Success Factor: Sustainability
For companies and their stakeholders in the beauty and cosmetics industry, sustainability is no longer a “nice option”. It has become a necessity and therefore a decisive success factor for the survival of our planet and each company’s own long-term development. Consumers are increasingly demanding sustainable products and choosing brands and companies based on ethical aspects, including their initiatives towards the environment and climate. Business customers also choose suppliers according to their contributions along the entire value chain.
“With Responsibly Active, we foster and channel our contributions in our respective fields of action to help curb climate change and make our world a better place. We also support current and potential customers in achieving their own sustainability goals,” explains Veira Nunes.
With its special focus on botanical sourcing for BASF’s bioactives portfolio, the program is based on three pillars to connect the innovative bioactive solutions with consumer needs while protecting natural resources for generations to come.
First Program Pillar: Innovating Products that Protect Natural Resources
Preserving natural resources and ecosystems is essential to the company since plants are at the core of BASF’s bioactives portfolio and biodiversity is the company’s reservoir to innovate. Therefore, BASF’s Care Creations® maximizes the use of renewable resources and fosters organic farming practices. Dedicated initiatives respect and protect local biodiversity and avoid land degradation and deforestation within the supply chains. They also aim at making each botanical traceable back to the source, and thus creating trust and freedom of choice for BASF customers.
People who are far away from where the raw materials are produced are also taking responsibility to protect natural resources. One example is Philippe. As the Raw Material Sourcing & Extraction Manager at the BASF site in Pulnoy, France, he has been working for years on smart ideas such as upcycling waste from the moringa oil extraction process to obtain highly effective bioactives. He is only one example of many within the company about how employees are contributing to the sustainability of the business.
Second Program Pillar: Empowering and Respecting People
The second pillar stands for BASF taking responsibility for people and the conditions in which they live and work. Everyone should be treated with fairness and respect. Adamantly committed to human rights and proper working conditions, BASF also recognizes and values traditional knowledge and indigenous rights. Promoting diverse and equitable work, BASF actively supports the inclusion of women and small holder farms. Take women like Fadna, who work in the Targanine cooperative, BASF’s Moroccan fair-trade partner and sustainable argan oil supplier. Thanks to a literacy program and other benefits, she can lead a life of self-sufficiency for herself and her family.
However, making a positive impact is not only limited to the individuals directly involved. Strong partnerships with botanical suppliers are also designed to foster long-term local development and raise communities’ livelihoods.
Third Program Pillar: Reducing Climate Impact
The third pillar of Responsibly Active is about impact on climate and the environment. This is where central fields of action have been defined to reduce the environmental and carbon footprint by consuming less water and energy while minimizing waste. Another topic at the core of the program is making packaging more sustainable by reducing it and using recyclable and recycled materials. Making the company’s operations climate neutral while reducing the environmental impact involves ongoing teamwork and the understanding that everyone has the power to drive change. A notable example is Farid, an EHS Engineer at BASF, and his team. They came up with a process to valorize botanical wastes, which can be used by farmers as organic fertilizers or to produce more than 18 MWh of green energy for local purposes.
To ensure that action really speaks louder than words, concrete targets and key actions have been set up for all three pillars. Ambitious goals, to be achieved in the spirit of fairness, trustworthy partnerships and mindful cooperation help to create efforts that are worth embarking on together in every way. And BASF’s Care Creations® is willing to go the extra mile towards greater sustainability – together with customers, employees, suppliers, partners, and everyone involved along the entire bioactives value chain. And this is exactly what is meant by stating “Together we are Responsibly Active”.
Join BASF’s journey and learn more about Responsibly Active:
www.carecreations.basf.com/responsibly-active
