Royal DSM, a global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, has today announced that it will phase out 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, commonly known as NMP, from its Resins product portfolio. In this way, DSM aims to drive the highest health and safety standards and strengthen its leadership in sustainable and innovative resins.
The decision to eliminate NMP from its product portfolio is another proof point of DSM’s Purpose led, Performance driven strategy, which involves a proactive product stewardship approach to reduce the presence of chemicals of concern over the coming years. By completing its phaseout by July 2020, DSM will be compliant ahead of schedule with all relevant market legislations. This NMP-phaseout is part of our most comprehensive phaseout program of toxic chemicals in our industry’s history, aiming to phaseout all chemicals of high concern from our finished products by 2025. DSM will leverage its scientific and technological capabilities, as well as working with partners throughout the value chain, to develop sustainable alternatives to NMP that continue to offer the highest performance.
NMP has been the subject of growing concern for industrial authorities and civil societies around the world. This substance is commonly used throughout the coatings industry. The European Commission has named it a Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) and has added it to its REACH Annex XVII restricted substances list. In the EU, after May 9th, 2020 NMP will be restricted in mixtures in a concentration equal to or greater than 0.3%. In addition, in the USA, NMP is a TSCA priority substance, and several retailers are proactively phasing it out from paint removers and strippers.
Martin Vlak, Managing Director, DSM Coating Resins "I’m very proud that – together with our partners and customers – we’re taking this leadership stance on the issue of NMP. It’s time to help our customers and their customers make the shift towards existing healthier products, or to proactively develop with our customers healthier products for (professional) painters who apply it in the homes and interiors of consumers and the families who live there. Our proactive step in eliminating NMP from our product portfolio is clearly aligned with our wider purpose of creating brighter lives for all."
DSM – Bright Science. Brighter Living.
Royal DSM is a purpose-led global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living. DSM is driving economic prosperity, environmental progress and social advances to create sustainable value for all stakeholders. DSM delivers innovative business solutions for human nutrition, animal nutrition, personal care and aroma, medical devices, green products and applications, and new mobility and connectivity. DSM and its associated companies deliver annual net sales of about €10 billion with approximately 23,000 employees. The company is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. More information can be found at www.dsm.com and www.dsm.com/paint.
Forward-looking statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements with respect to DSM’s future (financial) performance and position. Such statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections of DSM and information currently available to the company. DSM cautions readers that such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and therefore it should be understood that many factors can cause actual performance and position to differ materially from these statements. DSM has no obligation to update the statements contained in this press release, unless required by law. The English-language version of the press release is leading.
