Chemicals manufacturing

This guidance is for businesses that manufacture or process generic chemicals and chemical products. This covers commodity chemicals, chemicals products or preparations and speciality chemicals.

Commodity chemicals usually produced in bulk, eg by thermal cracking or distillation, include:

• organic chemicals, such as hydrocarbons, alcohols, di-isocyanates, prepolymers, polyurethane foams or elastomers
• inorganic chemicals, such as acids, bases, salts, halogens and metal oxides
• industrial gases, such as acetylene, butane and propane, oxygen, refrigerant gases and nitrogen.

Chemical products or preparations manufactured and formulated from basic chemicals, eg by mixing, blending, diluting or converting, include: pesticides, decorative paints, varnishes and surface coatings, printing inks, mastics and sealants, soap and detergents, cleaning and polishing chemicals or preparations and cosmetics and toiletries.

Speciality chemicals are used as specific products and ingredients for other industries. They include: pharmaceutical intermediates and products, explosives and pyrotechnic products, speciality surfactants, photographic chemicals and essential oils.

If you use, rather than manufacture chemicals or chemical products see our chemical storage guidance or specific guidance for your business sector.

Chemical storage
Guidance by business

If you are a rubber or plastics business you should read our guidance on manufacturing rubber and plastic products.

Rubber and plastic products

Comply with REACH

If you manufacture, import or use chemical substances or chemical products or preparations, including as a mixture or solution, you must comply with the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals) Regulation.

You may need to register the chemicals you manufacture, or import from outside the EU, in quantities of one tonne or more per calendar year with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). If you manufacture or import a product you may need to register the individual chemical ingredients. Specific deadlines for registration apply.

If you are a chemical manufacturing or importing business see our guidance on complying with REACH.

Complying with REACH in chemicals manufacturing

If you are a user of chemicals see our general guidance on the REACH Regulation.

REACH Regulation - manufacturing, importing, selling and using chemicals

Environmental impacts of chemicals manufacturing businesses

Chemicals manufacturing businesses can have a number of impacts on the environment. Examples include:

• air emissions produced by chemical reactions during manufacturing, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and greenhouse gases, especially hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and nitrous oxide
• fossil fuel use, such as gas and oil used as raw materials in chemicals production and from energy used to provide heat and pressure during processing
• land contamination from bulk chemical or oil storage areas and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from electrical equipment
• noise pollution from processing plant and machinery and the movement of materials and goods to and from site
• waste disposal, such as process by-products and residues, spent catalysts, spent solvents, effluent treatment sludges, and contaminated chemical containers
• water pollution from accidental spills, equipment cleaning or effluent treatment processes containing increased levels of contaminants such as heavy metals, hydrocarbons, resins or solvents.
  

How can NetRegs help you?

Our guidance could help you to:

• avoid prosecution and receive fewer visits from environmental regulators
• increase efficiency and productivity
• reduce your operating costs
• be more likely to obtain business from government bodies and large businesses that require their business partners to manage their environmental impacts effectively
• improve your reputation amongst staff, customers and the public
• increase the chance of securing funding to expand your business by demonstrating that your environmental impacts are well managed.

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