Our objective
While meeting global demand for technologies and chemicals, we seek to contribute to a more sustainable plating industry through our products and solutions.
Part of this is to continuously improve our environmental performance and resource efficiency. To understand and mitigate our impact, we apply systematic and preliminary risk assessments of all substances used for new development projects and Atotech products. We use recognized and certified environmental management systems. We conduct audited environmental reporting and are committed to measuring our success against concrete targets.
Our progress
53%
In 2023, 53% of our Atotech R&D projects were focused on improving environmental sustainability.
25%
In 2023, 25% of Atotech electricity consumption came from renewable sources.
Covertron® 600
Our latest innovation, Covertron® 600 enables Cr(VI)-free and PFAS-free pretreatment processes for decorative electroplating.
CO2 reduction
We have set ourselves a goal to reduce our global CO2 emissions from our direct operations (scope 1+2) by 42% by 2030. This is a corporate target from a 2022 baseline.
Our products
Over the last decade, we have focused significantly on making our Atotech portfolio more environmentally friendly. We are committed to reducing the use of hazardous chemicals and are at the forefront of developing less harmful processes that go beyond industry standards. Examples include our trivalent chromium processes, which we offer for both decorative and functional coatings. Over the past ten years, we have eliminated several hazardous chemicals from our product portfolio. We have reduced solvent usage in our zinc flakes and sealers product line in order to lower emissions. Over time, we seek to remove all toxic substances, CMR substances, heavy metals, and allergenic substances from our Atotech products.
Our product development
Our Atotech systems and equipment are designed to use water, energy, and raw materials with high efficiency, reusing and recycling wherever possible. To improve even further, we have made sustainability a key driver of our R&D strategy. When we develop new products and solutions for the Atotech brand, our guiding principle is ensuring improvement to previously used processes or equipment within the following aspects*:
- Less usage of toxic or CMR substances
- Waste reduction and wastewater treatment, e.g. through longer bath life, less rinsing steps, easier waste treatment, reusing and recycling
- Reduced emissions, e.g. lower solvent content
- Energy use reduction, e.g. due to lower working temperature and no need for cooling
- Reduced water withdrawal
- Efficient usage of raw materials, thereby reducing waste and saving material consumption
*Products developed according to any of these standards are considered to have been designed for use-phase efficiency.
Our waste management
For our Atotech operations, we have a global waste management procedure in place, complying with local and international regulations relating to waste and following clear requirements. These are designed to protect the environment, as well as the health of the people handling this waste and others who may be exposed to it. The procedures in place apply to all our production sites, TechCenters, and laboratories.
Our overarching key principles for waste management are:
- Preventing and reducing the production of waste in activities
- Preparing for re-use and re-using substances, materials or products
- Recycling waste
- Recovering non-recycled substances, materials or products
- Minimizing the distances covered for equivalent treatments during the waste transport phase
We regularly evaluate each of these principles and if necessary, define corrective or enhanced actions.
Our downstream value chain
Helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals through sustainable products and services, is one of the most significant opportunities for us to make a positive environmental impact. We can quickly respond to our customers’ needs as they adapt to increasingly stringent environmental laws and regulations for their manufacturing processes. For example, we have introduced Atotech products that require less energy utilization by increasing efficiency and/or reducing operating temperature. We also supply our customers with auxiliary equipment, which helps reduce wastewater and extend chemistry bath life, reducing costs, improving quality and maximizing operating efficiency. Overall, it helps diminishing the environmental impact of our customers’ plating operations. We were the first company to introduce the trivalent chromium hard-chrome plating process, allowing our customers to phase out hexavalent chromium (“Chrome VI”).
