Product sustainability scorecard

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 10942159
  • Patent Number
    10,942,159
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, February 4, 2016
    9 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 9, 2021
    3 years ago
Abstract
Suggested is a method for identifying fragrance compounds with low environmental impact and high degree of sustainability encompassing the following steps: (a) providing a fragrance compound or a fragrance composition of interest; (b) calculating scores for each of the following parameters (b1) biodegradability; (b2) biodiversity; (b3) carbon dioxide impact; (b4) process safety with regard to ecological toxicity; (b5) process safety with regard to human toxicity; (b6) land use; (b7) renewability; (b8) traceability; (b9) waste generation; and (b10) water consumption and/or pollution, (c) summing up all scores and calculate the average product sustainability score (PSC); and (d) proceed with those candidates showing a PSC of at least 70.
Description
FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention belongs to the area of cosmetics in general and fragrances in particular and refers to a method for identifying the environmental impact of new compounds with regard to key parameters as for example biodegradability and carbon dioxide production.


STATE OF THE ART

Worldwide companies develop, produce and sell about hundred thousand fragrances, flavours and cosmetic ingredients which are based on roughly 50,000 mostly natural raw materials, as for example vanilla, citrus products, onions, fish, meat or flower and plant materials.


With extensive global sourcing comes great responsibility. According to regulatory requirements with increasing complexity every year new products are subject to strict sustainability requirements. Moving towards a sustainable product development, it is desirous to anticipate coming legal requirements by rating the chemical substances sourced in particular for fragrances individually, to get a better understanding of the degree of sustainability for each product. The aim of the present invention is providing a scoring model, called “Product Sustainability Scorecard” to increase transparency of the environmental impact of fragrances and related raw materials to facilitate product development. Therefore, the aim of the present invention is providing a method to satisfy the needs explained above.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Object of the present invention is a method for identifying fragrance compounds with low environmental impact and high degree of sustainability encompassing the following steps:


(a) providing a fragrance compound or a fragrance composition of interest;


(b) calculating scores for each of the following parameters


(b1) biodegradability;


(b2) biodiversity;


(b3) carbon dioxide impact;


(b4) process safety with regard to ecological toxicity;


(b5) process safety with regard to human toxicity;


(b6) land use;


(b7) renewability;


(b8) traceability;


(b9) waste generation; and


(b10) water consumption and/or pollution,


(c) summing up all scores and calculate the average product sustainability score (PSC); and


(d) proceed with those candidates showing a PSC of at least 70.


The Product Sustainability Scorecard (“PSS”) allows measuring the material performance within the following parameters which are considered having the highest impact on environment as compiled in parameters (b1) to (b10).


The results from PSS allow evaluating the environmental impact of fragrance prior to its production based on fundamental research results. In order to provide new compounds which not only match with market requirements in terms of olfactory performance, but also comply with regulatory requirements and the overall approach for providing only new products with high sustainability and low environmental impact, the invention is not a simple instruction to human mind, but provides a technical teaching which shortens development times and is therefore also of serious economic importance.





BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:



FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an overview of the entire value chain from basic chemicals to raw materials suitable for fragrance production;



FIG. 2a shows a table presenting the consolidated results of a typical product scoring;



FIG. 2b illustrates a radar diagram of the results as shown in FIG. 2a;



FIG. 3 schematically illustrates how a route cause analysis for each scorecard criteria can be conducted via an automatic analysis tool in each product sheet directly;



FIG. 4 schematically illustrates how as a first step the synthesis route of 44DHM is evaluated and information concerning the raw materials including sustainability data (e.g. molar mass, processing, C-atoms, GHS hazard statements etc.) are collected;



FIGS. 5A-5J each schematically illustrate the details of the evaluation;



FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the recipe/fragrance formula consisting of 44DHM, DPG and HCA; and



FIG. 7 shows as an example the renewability score of sandranol.





DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

All parameters of the model are normalized to a scale from 0 to 100 without a dimension. However, units of pre-calculation steps are defined in the aspects of the different scorecard parameters. Objects of investigation for the scorecard were minimum 80% of the top raw materials, extrapolated to the entire material portfolio.


Environmental aspects of raw materials from waste streams like e.g. an orange peel, eucalyptus leafs etc. are not considered in this model.


Valuable side streams such as dipropylene glycol from 1,2-Propandiol production are allocated according to their molar masses. For example calculation for carbon dioxide impact followed the equation:

(Propylene oxide CO2 value*Propylene oxide Molar Mass+Propylene glycol CO2 value*Propylene glycol Molar Mass)/Dipropylene glycol Molar Mass


System Boundaries


Table 1 provides an overview of factors possibly occurring in the life cycle of cosmetic products in general and fragrances in particular, but were not considered in the course of the present invention:









TABLE 1







System boundaries








Factor
Background





Transport
Transport is considered to have minor impacts in comparison to processing of



raw materials.


Services
Services are considered to have minor impacts in comparison to processing of



raw materials.


Catalysts
The use of catalysts is often non-public information. However, catalysts are



usually only used in low dosages and can be reused several times before disposal.



The environmental impact is therefore considered as low.


Solvents used
The use of solvents is often non-public information. However, solvents are



usually cleaned after usage and reused several times before disposal. The standard



factors for distillation/crystallization also include distillation of solvents.



Due to strong customer requirements, critical solvents like ICH Q3c class 1 and 2



are usually strictly controlled. After reviewing related supplier information, only



ten raw materials identified came from suppliers who stated that class 1 or 2



solvents could be included. Reviewing five possible solvents, we found out that they



seem to be caused mainly by precursors e.g. Toluene, Methanol or Benzene as



reactants. This aspect is already assessed by the (Eco) Toxicity evaluation. For the



other five materials, only class 2 materials are used and volume use in fragrances



is low. For these reasons QC specifications are sufficient to restrict the critical use



of such solvents.


Carbon footprint
Heating or cooling is not evaluated due to low impact (low specific heat capacity


related data
in comparison to distillation or crystallization) e.g. warming of acetic acid to



800° C. produces a carbon footprint of approx. 0.1 kg CO2/kg product



Energy consumption like e.g. pumping, warming of raw material, heating of



buildings of administration etc. is not considered due to low relevance



Packaging is excluded. High volume products are usually delivered in reusable



containers and the impact is comparably low.



Other GHG emissions such as CH4 and N2O are not considered due to low



relevance. The CO2 factor is seen as sufficient to evaluate possible impact.



CO2 related to deforestation is not considered. Land use parameters are used



instead.



The individual energy mix is only considered if known, otherwise standard factors



are used.


Volatile Organic
VOCs are not considered. Most of the ingredients of fragrances fall into this


Compound
category, making comparisons redundant.


Equipment used
The environmental footprint of equipment is not considered. Usually equipment



is used for long periods and the impact is negligible.


Genetic Modified
GMOs may have an impact to e.g. biodiversity, but the direct use of such materials


Organism
is low and derivatives from global markets are mostly commodities were



possible influences to agriculture practices is also low. In the scope of the top 80%



raw materials no GMO is identified.


Convention on
As far as some of these materials are still being used, certifications are provided.


International Trade in
CITES materials are not in the scope of the top 80% fragrance portfolio.


Endangered Species



of Wild Fauna and



Flora (CITES)



Materials



Animal derived
Very low volumes of animal derived materials are used in fragrances. Therefore


materials
materiality is considered as quite low.









Selection of Scorecard Criteria


One essential step of sustainable business is to make business related issues transparent to the public. Traceability thorough the entire supply chain is a crucial parameter. It is therefore an important aspect defined in the present product sustainability scorecard. Another guide to the present invention represent the so-called “nine planetary boundaries”, a central concept in an earth system framework proposed by a group of earth system and environmental scientists. The framework was first introduced in 2009, when a group of 28 internationally renowned scientists identified and quantified the first set of nine planetary boundaries within which humanity can continue to develop and thrive for generations to come. Crossing these boundaries could generate abrupt or irreversible environmental changes. Respecting the boundaries reduces the risks to human society of crossing these thresholds. It is one scope of the present invention to assess related concerns. The planetary boundaries are shown in Table 2:









TABLE 2







Planetary boundaries








Planetary Boundaries
Main causes





1. Stratospheric ozone depletion
Anthropogenic ozone-depleting chemical substances


2. Loss of biosphere integrity
Demand for food, water and natural resources


(biodiversity loss and extinctions)



3. Chemical pollution and the
Emissions of Toxicity and long-living substances such as


release of novel entities
synthetic organic pollutants, heavy metal compounds and



radioactive materials


4. Climate Change
CO2


5. Ocean acidification
CO2


6. Freshwater consumption and the
Water use, CO2


global hydrological cycle



7. Land system change
Forests, grasslands, wetlands and other vegetation types have



primarily been converted to agricultural land


8. Nitrogen and phosphorus flows
Fertilizer production and application


into the biosphere and oceans



9. Atmospheric aerosol loading
Many pollutant gases condense into droplets and particles, also



through land use change which increases the release of dust



and smoke into the air









Another guide to the present invention are the so-called “12 principles of Green Chemistry”, which also define environmental impact of a compound Green chemistry is an area of chemistry and chemical engineering focused on the design of products and processes that minimize the use and generation of hazardous substances. Paul Anastas of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency formulated some simple rules of thumb for how sustainability can be achieved in the production of chemicals—the “Green chemical principles”. The principles are summarised in Table 3:









TABLE 3





Principles of Green Chemistry


Green Chemistry Principle















1. PREVENTION


It is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean up waste after it has already been created.


2. ATOM ECONOMY


Synthetic methods should be designed to maximize the incorporation of all materials used in the


process for the final product.


3. LESS HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL SYNTHESES


Wherever possible, practicable synthetic methods should be designed to use and generate sub-


stances that possess little or no toxicity to human health and the environment.


4. DESIGNING SAFER CHEMICALS


Chemical products should be designed to affect their desired function while minimizing their


toxicity.


5. SAFER SOLVENTS AND AUXILIARIES


The use of auxiliary substances (e.g., solvents, separation agents, etc.) should be made unnecessary


wherever possible and innocuous when used.


6. DESIGNING FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY


Energy requirements of chemical processes should be recognized for their environmental and


economic impacts and should be minimized. If possible, synthetic methods should be conducted at


ambient temperature and pressure.


7. USE OF RENEWABLE FEEDSTOCKS


A raw material or feedstock should be renewable rather than depleting whenever technically and


economically practicable.


8. REDUCE DERIVATES


Unnecessary derivatization (use of blocking groups, protection/deprotection, temporary


modification of physical/chemical processes) should be minimized or avoided if possible, because


such steps require additional reagents and can generate waste.


9. CATALYSIS


Catalytic reagents (as selective as possible) are superior to stoichiometric reagents.


10. DESIGN FOR DEGRADATION


Chemical products should be designed so that at the end of their function they break down into


innocuous degradation products and do not persist in the environment.


11. REAL-TIME ANALYIS FOR POLLUTION PREVENTION


Analytical methodologies need to be further developed to allow for real-time, in-process


monitoring and control prior to the formation of hazardous substances.


12. INHERENT SAFER CHEMISTRY FOR ACCIDENT PREVENTION


Substances and the form of a substance used in a chemical process should be chosen to minimize


the potential for chemical accidents, including releases, explosions, and fires.









Considering traceability of products the nine planetary boundaries and twelve principles of green chemistry formed a basis for calculating possible impact of products on environment in terms of the ten categories presented above. From these findings ten criteria for setting up a Product Sustainability Scorecard were developed.


Basically, all fragrance compositions can be covered by the methodology according to the present invention. A minimum of 80% of raw material by mass (kg) is evaluated.


The Method of Scoring and Weighting of Scorecard Criteria



FIG. 1 provides an overview of the entire value chain from basic chemicals to taw materials suitable for fragrance production.


The following parameters were identified as important to meet the requirements for sustainable product development.






    • Biodegradability,

    • Biodiversity,

    • CO2 production,

    • (Eco-) Toxicity,

    • Land use,

    • Renewability,

    • Traceability,

    • Waste production and

    • Water consumption.





All parameters were considered to be of equal importance. The result of all parameters can be averaged to score a singly raw material or a complete formula. In the following it is explained in detail how the scores for each of the parameters (b1) to (MO) can be calculated.


Biodegradability


Biodegradation is one of the most important factors in assessing the environmental fate of chemicals. Biodegradation is the chemical dissolution of materials by bacteria, fungi, or other biological means. Biodegradability is evaluated according to the OECD Method 301/302 or equivalent. The tests of the OECD test series 301 (A-F) verify whether a substance is able for complete biodegradation under aerobic conditions. Different test methods are available for well or poorly soluble as well as volatile substances. The test usually takes 28 days. Test items must reach 60% biodegradation within 10 days to be classified as ‘ready biodegradable’.


The scoring of precursors of petro-chemicals has no influence on the scoring of the product. It is assumed that such precursors are used in the production process, making them irrelevant for the assessment of the final product.


For products made of renewable material with high E-factors and low biodegradability in low regulated countries, it is assumed that residues in waste could harm the environment. Therefore the values of biodegradability of precursors are also taken into account for the product scorecard (e.g. peppermint oil).


The scoring is illustrated by the following Scheme 1:


Scheme 1: Scoring

  • STEP 1 Evaluation of the “Biodegradability Score” of the fragrance raw material based on the following scoring system

















. . .
“Ready Biodegradable”
>The scoring is based on the biodegradation
Data Source:



according to OECD
value of a chemical according to OECD 301;
‘Ready Biodegradable’



301
e.g. 70% biodegradation after 28-day test
Certificate




period = score of 70



000
No data available
>If no data is available, a score of 0 applies
Data Source:





/









Biodiversity


Biodiversity is the variety of different types of life found on earth and the variations within species. Possible impacts to Biodiversity are evaluated as compiled in Table 3:









TABLE 3







Typical impacts on biodiversity








Typical Impacts






Habitat Removal and
Conversion of lands to agriculture and/or poor agricultural practices (e.g.


Alteration
crop rotation, fertilizer, pesticides) also degrade soil quality and reduce



species.


Land use
Covered in Land use parameter.


Overharvesting/Over-
Usually applicable to wood products and considered accordantly.


exploitation



Pollution (Water/Air)
Covered in (Eco) Toxicity parameter


Introduction of exotic
Usually not applicable due to low relevance of animal derivatives in


species
fragrances. However, if issues are known related to Symrise raw



material this aspect will be evaluated too.


Climate change
Covered in CO2 parameter


Genetic modified
GMOs may have an impact to e.g. biodiversity, but the direct use of


organism (GMO)
such materials is low and derivatives from global markets are mostly



commodities were possible influences to agriculture practices is also



low.


Water use
High impact on biodiversity losses related to water stress (see



https://www.cbd.int/iyb/doc/prints/iyb-netherlands-watercrisis.pdf).



Covered in water parameter.


Using raw material from
The approach of Symrise is to avoid such materials. However, some of


endangered species
these materials are still being used, but only if certifications are



provided.









The scoring is illustrated by the following Scheme 2:


Scheme 2: Scoring

  • STEP 1 Evaluation of the “Bio-Diversity Score” of the fragrance raw material based on the following scoring system

















100
Reactant is side
>If a substance is a side product from a resource
Data Source:



product/results
(e.g. orange, wood) that was cultivated for other
Research



from waste
purposes in the first place, a score of 100 applies.




streams
Primary products, such as orange juice or wood for





the furniture industry may harm the environment.





However, users of so called “waste products” (such





as orange peels) have a low impact, as the environment





would also be harmed without using waste





streams.



100
Reactant results
>If a substance results from chemical synthesis, the
Data Source:



from chemical
impact of process pollutions and climate change are
Research



synthesis (without
already covered and therefore a score of 100 applies.




known issues)




100
Naturals from
>If naturals are sourced from biodiversity hot spots
Data Source:



non-biodiversity
the risk of destruction of biodiversity by traditional
Research/Link



hotspots
farming is high. Sourcing of material from non-critical





areas is considered as not highly risky. To identify





possible biodiversity hotspots where highest risks to





biodiversity are expected, the following tool was





used:





http://www.cepf.net/resources/hotspots/Pages/





default.aspx



100
Global bulk
>For big bulk products which are produced in more
Data Source:



products
than 1.000 t/annum a score of 100 applies since
List of Basic Chemicals



→ Production
products derived in high tonnages are considered as
and Production



volume of
less critical. A detailed list can be found here: Basic
Volumes



>1.000 t/annum
Chemicals and Production and here
/




http://echa.europa.eu/de/
http://echa.europa.eu/




1000 t is the threshold value of REACH. Experience
de/




has shown that large producers have a high degree of





automatization ensuring advanced process control





due to REACH requirements and cost pressure. Small





suppliers are not as well-positioned.



100
Naturals UEBT
>UEBT is one of the highest global certification
Data Source:



verified
standards for biodiversity
Certification


075
Naturals UEBT
>If naturals are not UEBT verified but at least UEBT
Data Source:



member and raw
member, a score of 75 applies, since UEBT members
Certification



material self-
are regularly audited




assessment





(Rating > 75%)




075
Naturals Global
>If naturals are verified by GAP, Rainforest Alliance,
Data Source:



GAP, Rainforest
Fair Trade or RSPO, a score of 75 applies. Such certifi-
Certification



Alliance, Fair
cation usually limits fertilizers and pesticides. Also




Trade, RSPO etc.
some additional environmental measures are





enforced.



050
Origin from EU
>The EU has started to link subsidies related to good
Data Source:



countries
environmental practice
Sourcing Information


025
Own growing
>Some supplier set own standards to e.g. limit the
Data Source:



standard including
use of fertilizers and pesticides
Certification



biodiversity topics





not externally





verified




000
Naturals, No
>If no data is available, a score of 0 applies
Data Source: /



further information









  • STEP 2 Calculation of the “Biodiversity Score” (BS) of the fragrance raw material. Each reactant counts into the product result related to molar masses used:







BS
=


(










Reactant






A





Molar






Mass


*






Reactant






A






Biodivers


.


+













Reactant






B





Molar






Mass


*






Reactant






B






Biodivers


.







)


(








Reactant






A





Molar






Mass



+







Reactant






B





Molar






Mass



+






)






Carbon Dioxide Impact


Carbon dioxide emissions are those stemming from the burning of fossil fuels and the manufacturing of cement. They include carbon dioxide produced during consumption of solid, liquid, and gas fuels and gas flaring. The scoring is illustrated by the following Scheme 3:


Scheme 3: Scoring

  • STEP 1 Research of the CO2 emissions of each reactant based on public databases like Probas.
  • STEP 2 Calculation of the CO2 emissions of the fragrance raw material resulting from its reactants (“Reactant Based CO2 Emissions”=RBCE). Each reactant counts into the product result related to molar masses used:






RBCE
=


(











Reactant






A





Molar






Mass


*






Reactant






A







CO
2




+












Reactant






B





Molar






Mass


*






Reactant






B






CO
2




















)








Product






Molar






Mass








  • STEP 3 Addition of CO2 emissions resulting from processing:
    • Reactant based CO2 emissions+Process based CO2 emissions
    • The following ‘standard processing factors’ are used (Table 4). These standard factors are based on average indicators of the industry and internal assumptions. If further information is available such data will be used preferably.










TABLE 4







Standard processing factors
























Water








Pyrolysis



Steam








&
Distillation &

Fermentation &
Distillation

No



Process
Distillation
Pyrolysis
Distillation
Crystallization
Crystallization
Crystallization
(generic)
Blending
Processing
Cracking





Kg CO2/
1
1
2
2
1
1
n.a.
0
0
n.a.


Kg Product












Losses
10%
10%
20%
20%
10%
10%
0%
0%
0%
26.8









  • STEP 4 Addition of CO2 emissions related to process losses: If no actual data is available, losses are calculated very conservatively with 10% of each intensive processing step. Losses are generally understood as the additional percentage of material needed to gain 100% of the product: e.g. for one composed molecule 1.1 times of the reactants and process energy is needed (+10%). Calculate Overall Cos emissions (OCE) according to following equation:

    OCE=(‘Product based CO2 emissions’+‘Process based CO2 emissions’)*(1+‘% Losses’)

  • STEP 5 Normalization to scale 0 to 100 (Negative result is set to 0):

    CO2 Score=(10−Overall CO2 Emissions)*10
    • The normalization with 10 kg CO2 per Kg product as upper limit for differentiation (everything above scores 0 as well), covers the vast majority of products in the portfolio and follows internal expert judgment.



Process Safety (Eco Toxicity and Toxicity)


Hazard statements form part of the ‘Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals’ (GHS). They are intended to form a set of standardized phrases about the hazards of chemical substances and mixtures.


H200: Physical Hazards (=Toxicity and Eco Toxicity)


H300: Health Hazards (=Toxicity)


H400: Environmental Hazards (=Eco Toxicity)


The scoring is illustrated by the following Schemes 4 and 5:


Scheme 4 and 5: Scoring

  • STEP 1 Evaluation of the ‘(Eco) Toxicity Material Score’ and ‘Critical By-Product Score’ of each reactant and its potential by-products based on the safety according to material properties:

















. . .
H-Phrases (Eco)
>In each step of the value chain H-Phrases of
Data Source:



Toxicity
raw materials are scored according to their
List of H-Phrases




criticality. The worst result is used for evaluation.
(Eco) Toxicity (see




Definitions and scorings of each H-Phrase can be
Appendix)




found here: H-Phrases Eco Toxicity









  • STEP 2 Evaluation of the ‘(Eco) Tox Supplier Score’ of each reactant based on process safety according to chemical handling (see appendix for further information):


















. . .
Country of origin
>Countries with a strong Regulatory
Data Source:




Quality and strong Rule of Law
List of World Bank Country




get higher ratings than countries
Ratings (see Appendix)




with lower ratings due to their





lower inherent risk. Further





descriptions can be found here:





World Bank



100
Global bulk products
>For big bulk products which are
Data Source:



→ Production volume of
produced in more than
List of Basic Chemicals and



>1.000 t/annum
1.000 t/annum a score of 100
Production Volumes (see




applies since products derived in high
Appendix)




tonnages are considered as less
/ http://echa.europa.eu/de/




critical. A detailed list can be found





here: Basic Chemicals and Production





and here





http://echa.europa.eu/de/





1000 t is the threshold value of





REACH. Experience has shown that





large producers have a high degree





of automatization ensuring





advanced process control due to





REACH requirements and cost





pressure. Small suppliers are not as





well-positioned.












100
Certification/
SMETA/ISO 14001
>If SMETA/ISO 14001 is audited
Data Source:



Assessment
audited successfully
successfully, a score of 100 applies.
Certification


075

SEDEX SAQ
>If SEDEX SAQ assessment result is
Data Source:




assessment (low risk)
‘low risk’, a score of 75 applies.
Certification


050

SEDEX SAQ
>If SEDEX SAQ assessment result is
Data Source:




assessment (medium
‘medium risk’, a score of 50 applies.
Certification




risk)




000

SEDEX SAQ
>If SEDEX SAQ assessment result is
Data Source:




assessment (high
‘high risk’, a score of 0 applies.
Certification




risk)









  • STEP 3 Calculation of the overall ‘(Eco) Tox Score’ of each reactant and the final product. Distinction is to be made between these two cases:
    • (i) Base materials: For a base materials, the material score and supplier score are compared. If the supplier score is better, it outweighs the material score—following the assumption that a safe and controlled production environment is able to avert the risks of hazardous materials:

      MAX(‘(Eco) Tox Material Score’;‘(Eco) Tox Supplier Score’)=(Eco) Tox Score
    • (ii) Composed products: For composed products the (Eco) Tox Score combines the hazard and supplier information of the composed product itself (calculated as above) with the (Eco) Tox Score of its reactants. The latter accounts for one third of the overall Tox Score:

      ⅔*MAX(‘(Eco) Tox Material Score’;‘(Eco) Tox Supplier Score’)+⅓*‘backpack of reactants’=(Eco) Tox Score
    • The backpacks of the reactants are the average of their own (Eco) Tox Scores weighted (by molar mass):














backpack






of






reactants



=


(













React
.




A







(
Eco
)






Tox






Score


*







React

.




A







Mol
.





Mass




+













React

.




B







(
Eco
)






Tox






Score


*







React

.




B







Mol
.





Mass







)


(








Reactant






A





Molar






Mass



+







Reactant






B





Molar






Mass




)








    • The hazard and supplier information of the product counting for ⅔ of the overall score puts an emphasize on the process steps closer to Symrise (and its management access)



  • STEP 4 In addition to the ‘(Eco) Tox Score’ the ‘(Eco) Tox Process Score’ is calculated. This score (only taking the last process step into account) compares the hazard risk of the product with the one of the potential by-products. The lowest (worst) score takes the lead:

    MIN(‘(Eco) Tox Material Score’;‘Critical By-Product Score’)=(Eco) Tox Process Score
    • Example: If a product has an ‘(Eco) Tox Material Score’ of 75 but its by-product has a score of 25, 25 is used.



Handling of Data Gaps


Usually big petro-chemical bulk commodities are available on the world market. Due to the highly optimized processes and experience with such suppliers it is assumed that such materials are managed in a safe manor and therefore Supplier Score Social and Supplier Score Environmental will be set to a maximum of 100. A list of related materials can be found here: http://echa.europa.eu/de/information-on-chemicals


If no further certification of environmental performance of supplier is available, a general country rating provided by the World Bank is used to create risk factors related to material handling. Countries with a strong Government Effectiveness/Regulatory Quality and strong Rule of Law receive higher ratings than countries with lower ratings due to their lower inherent risk.


Land Use


Land use for cultivation and production units results in a loss of biodiversity. Also discharges of toxic substances in soil and water cause damage to ecosystems. The scoring is illustrated by the following Scheme: 6


Scheme 6: Scoring

  • STEP 1 Evaluation of the ‘Land use Score’ of each reactant based on the following scoring system:
















100
Reactant is side product/
>If a substance is a side product from a resource (e.g. orange,



results from
wood) that is cultivated for other purposes in the first place, a score



waste streams
of 100 applies.




Primary products, such as orange juice or wood for the furniture




industry may harm the environment. However, users of so called




“waste products” (such as orange peels or eucalyptus leafs) have a




low impact since the environment would also be harmed without




using waste streams.


100
Reactant results from
>If a substance results from chemical synthesis, a score of 100



chemicals synthesis
applies. Land used for chemical plants or oil rigs are low compared



(without known
to agriculture.



issues)



075
Acreage of 10 t/ha =
>e.g. Potatoes.



75
Source: http://www.agrarheute.com/kartoffelernte-2014-mars


050
Acreage of 1 t/ha &&
>e.g. Palm Oi



<=10 t/ha = 50
Source: http://www.palmoilworld.org/about_malaysian-




industry.html


025
Acreage of >100
>e.g. Peppermint.



kg/ha & <=1 t/ha = 25
Source: http://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/farmers-quit-




mentha-32914


000
Acreage of <100
>e.g. Vetiver



kg/ha = 0
Source:




http://www.sugandhim.com/images/f&f_industry_articles/vetiver_




oil_%28Khus%29.pdf


000
No data available
>If no data is available, a score of 0 applies









  • STEP 2 Calculation of the ‘Land use Score’ of composed products. Each reactant counts into the product with the weight of its molar mass:









(













React
.




A






Molar






Mass


*







React

.




A






Land






use



+













React

.




B






Molar






Mass


*







React

.




B






Land





use



















)


(








Reactant






A





Molar






Mass



+







Reactant






B





Molar






Mass




)


=

Land





use





Score





Renewability


Renewability means the use of renewable resources for environmental protection. The scoring is illustrated by the following Scheme 7.


Scheme 6: Scoring

  • STEP 1 Evaluation of the ‘Renewability Score’ of each reactant based on the following scoring system:

















100
Reactant is renewable
>If a resource is renewable, a score of 100
Data Source:




applies.
Research


000
Reactant is not
>If a resource is not renewable, a score of 0
Data Source:



renewable
applies.
Research









  • STEP 2 Calculation of the ‘Renewability Score’ of composed products. The calculation is based on the number of C-atoms:
    • Example SANDRANOL (only the renewable C-atoms are labelled)
    • 10 of 14 C-atoms (71.43%) in the molecule come from renewable sources 4 Renewability Score=71.43:
    • Case 1: The number of C-Atoms of the product equals the sum of the C-Atoms of the reactants:









(













React
.




A






C


-



Atoms


*







React

.




A







Renewab
.





Score




+













React

.




B






C


-



Atoms


*







React

.




B







Renewab
.





Score







)








Product






C


-



Atoms




=

Renewability





Score







    • Case 2: The product has less C-Atoms than the reactants (C-Atoms going into waste or by-product): Expert judgement is needed to allocate the renewable and nonrenewable C-Atoms to product and waste/by-product.





Traceability


Supply Chain transparency and disclosure are essential for the improvement of sustainability throughout the whole value chain. The scoring is illustrated by the following Scheme 8.


Scheme 8: Scoring

  • STEP 1 Evaluation of the ‘Traceability Score’ of each reactant based on the following scoring system:

















100
Reactant results from
>If a substance results from chemical
Data Source:



chemicals synthesis
synthesis, a score of 100 applies. It is
Research



(without known issues)
assumed that chemical companies are





able to trace back raw materials by





unique identifiers or defined time





frames due to their high grade of





automation.



100
Global bulk products
>For big bulk products which are
Data Source:



→ Production volume
produced in more than 1.000 t/annum a
List of Basic Chemicals and



of
score of 100 applies since products
Production Volumes



>1.000 t/annum
derived in high tonnages are considered
(Appendix)




as less critical. A detailed list can be
/ http://echa.europa.eu/de/




found here: Basic Chemicals and





Production and here





http://echa.europa.eu/de/





1000 t is the threshold value of REACH.





Experience has shown that large





producers have a high degree of





automatization ensuring advanced process





control due to REACH requirements and





cost pressure. Small suppliers are not





as well-positioned.



100
Traceable up to the
>If a reactant is traceable up to the
Data Source:



field
field, it is considered the highest level
Research




of traceability and therefore scored





with 100.



075
Grower known
>If the grower is known, a score of 75
Data Source:




applies.
Research


050
Region of country of
>If the region within the country of
Data Source:



origin known
origin is known, a score of 50 applies.
Research


025
Country of origin
>If the country of origin is known, a
Data Source:



known
score of 25 applies.
Research


000
Only trader known
>If only the trader is known, no
Data Source:




transparency is assured.
Research


000
No data available
>If no data is available, a score of 0
Data Source:




applies
/









  • STEP 2 Calculation of the ‘Traceability Score’ of composed products. Each reactant counts into the product result related to molar masses:









(












React

.




A






Molar






Mass


*






Reactt






A






Traceability



+













React

.




B






Molar






Mass


*






Reactt






B





Traceability



















)


(







Reactant






A





Molar






Mass


*






Reactant






B





Molar






Mass



)


=

Traceability





Score





Generation of Waste—E-Factor


To assess waste generated by synthesis, the so-called E-factor (environmental factor) is used. It is calculated using this formula: E-factor=kg waste/kg reactants. The scoring is illustrated by the following Scheme 9.


Scheme 9: Scoring

  • STEP 1 Research of the E-factor of each basic material in public databases like Probas
  • STEP 2 Calculation of the E-factor of the reactants of composed products. Each reactant counts into the product result related to molar masses:








(











Reactant






A





Molar






Mass


*






Reactant






A





E


-



Factor



+












Reactant






B





Molar






Mass


*






Reactant






B





E


-


Factor













)








Product






Molar






Mass




=

Reactant





based





E


-


Factor





  • STEP 3 Calculation of the E-factor due to unused atoms:









(











Reactant






A





Molar






Mass



+







Reactant






B





Molar





Mass










-












Product






Molar






Mass






)








Product






Molar






Mass




=

unused





atoms





  • STEP 4 Calculation of the overall E-factor including losses: Losses are handled identically to the CO2 calculation. In contrast to unused atoms losses do not relate to waste by design (by-products etc.) but to waste due to losses of the product itself. For further information see section 3 (CO2)

    (Reactant based E-Factor+unused Atoms)*(1+Losses)=Overall E-Factor

  • STEP 5 Normalization to scale 0 to 100 (Negative result is set to 0):

    (10−Overall E-Factor)*10=Waste/E-Factor Score
    • The normalization with 10 kg waste per kg product as upper limit for differentiation (everything above scores 0 as well) covers the vast majority of products in the portfolio and follows internal expert judgment.



Exceptions

















100
Reactant is side product/
>If a substance is a side product from a
Data Source:



results from waste
resource (e.g. orange, wood) that is cultivated
Research



streams
for other purposes in the first place, a score of





100 applies. Primary products, such as orange





juice or wood for the furniture industry may





harm the environment. However, users of so





called “waste products” (such as orange peels





or eucalyptus leafs) have a low impact since





the environment would also be harmed with-





out using waste streams.



100
Waste recyclable
>Recycling of material is usually a valuable
Data Source:




substitute of raw materials. The energy used
Research




to produce this waste is already included in





the CO2 parameter.



100
Waste re-usable as side
>If it is known that waste (e.g. NaCl in
Data Source:



stream
Chloralkali process) is recovered and used as a raw
Research




material, it is not longer considered as waste.









Waste used as fuel or as fertilizer is considered as waste, because most of the Symrise fragrance raw materials are categorized this way and therefore it's not a differentiator.


Handling of Data Gaps


Usually suppliers prefer to not share process parameter to protect their knowledge. For processing steps with high energy consumptions and material losses (e.g. crystallization and distillation) standard factors related to own manufacturing data and Probas information are used.


Water Consumption and/or Pollution


The availability of water is dependent on water resources on one hand and water removal on the other. If water removal exceeds a certain percentage of resources, we speak of ‘water stress’. ‘Extreme water stress’ applies when the removal exceeds 40% of the resources. The scoring is illustrated by the following Scheme 10.


Scheme 10: Scoring

  • STEP 1 Evaluation of the ‘Water Score’ of each reactant based on the following scoring system:

















100
Reactant is side
>If a substance is a side product from a resource (e.g.
Data Source:



product/results
orange, wood) that is cultivated for other purposes in the
Research



from waste
first place, a score of 100 applies. Primary products, such




streams
as orange juice or wood for the furniture industry may





harm the environment. However, users of so called “waste





products” (such as orange peels or eucalyptus leafs) have a





low impact since the environment would also be harmed





without using waste streams.



100
Reactant results
>If a substance results from chemical synthesis, a score of
Data Source:



from chemicals
100 applies. Agricultural chemical processes are usually not
Research



synthesis/
that water demanding




product with very





low water





consumption




100
Global bulk
  For big bulk products which are produced in more
Data Source:



products
than 1.000 t/annum a score of 100 applies since
List of Basic Chemicals



→ Production
products derived in high tonnages are considered
and Production



volume of
as less critical. A detailed list can be found here:
Volumes



>1.000 t/annum
Basic Chemicals and Production
(Appendix)




  and here http://echa.europa.eu/de/





1000 t is the threshold value of REACH. Experience has





shown that large producers have a high degree of auto-





matization ensuring advanced process control due to REACH





requirements and cost pressure. Small suppliers are not as





well-positioned. Also due to high automatization, water





use is comparably low (approx. 1 m3/t).



100
Sourcing from
>If a process shows high water consumption, it needs to
Data Source:



non-stressed
be checked if water is sourced from so called “water
Research/Link



areas
stressed” areas to evaluate the materiality correctly. To





identify such risk, the following water tool is used:





http://www.wri.org/resources/charts-graphs/water-





stress-country A rating of 3 to 5 is considered as “water





stress”.



075
Sourcing from
>e.g. Vetiver (regulates groundwater)
Data Source:



water stressed
Source: http://www.vetiver.com/THN_vetiver_water.pdf
Research/Link



area-very low





consumption





(<0.1 m3/kg)




050
Sourcing from
>e.g. Citrus fruits, pulses, roots, tubers, corn, sugarcane
Data Source:



water stressed
Source: http://www.lenntech.com/water-food-
Research/Link



area-low
agriculture.htm




consumption (<=1





m3/kg)




025
Sourcing from
>e.g. Palm oil, Rice, Wheat, Wood
Data Source:



water-stressed
Source:
Research/Link



area
ttp://www.sert.nu.ac.th/IIRE/FP_V6N1%281%29.pdf and




medium
http://www.lenntech.com/water-food-agriculture.htm




consumption





(>=1 m3/kg &&





<10 m3/kg)




000
Sourcing from
>e.g. Peppermint, Patchouli
Data Source:



water-stressed
Source: http://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/farmers-
Research/Link



area
quit-mentha-32914




high consumption





>=10 m3/kg)




000
No data available
>If no data is available, a score of 0 applies
Data Source: /









  • STEP 2 Calculation of the ‘Water Score’ of composed products. Each reactant counts into the product result related to molar masses used:









(











Reactant






A





Molar






Mass


*






Reactant






A






Water



+












Reactant






B





Molar






Mass


*






Reactant






B





Water













)








(








Reactant






A





Molar






Mass



+







Reactant






B





Molar






Mass




)



=

Water





Score





SUMMARY

The following chapter shall provide a brief overview how the parameters explained above are calculated. As explained above a lot of indicators and values (such as for example biodegradability or carbon dioxide emissions) can be taken from public data bases. In case not indicated otherwise numbers shall be taken as percent.


The score for biodegradability of the compound or the compounds is evaluated according to OECD Method 301/302 or equivalent.


The score for the overall ecological toxicity S(ETOX) is calculated according to the following equation (3):

S(ETOX)=⅔*MAX(Ma;Pa)+⅓*((Mb*Cb)+ . . . (Mz*Cz))  (3)

wherein P stands for the Product Eco Tox Score and S stands for Supplier Performance Score on condition that the formulation contains a to z compounds.


The score for the overall human toxicity S(HTOX) is calculated according to the following equation (4):

S(HTOX)=⅔*MAX(Ma;Pa)+⅓*(Mb*Cb)+ . . . (Mz*Cz)  (4)

wherein P stands for the Product Human Tox Score and S stands for Supplier Performance Score on condition that the formulation contains a to z compounds.


The score for the overall land use S(LU) is calculated according to the following equation (5):










S


(
LU
)


=





(


M
a

*

D
a


)

+


M
b

*

D
b



)

+

(


M
c

*

D
c


)

+








(


M
z

*

D
z


)





M
a

+

M
b

+

M
c

+








M
z








(
5
)








wherein M stands for the molar mass of a specific compound and D stands for its Land Use on condition that the formulation contains a to z compounds.


The score for the overall renewability S(REN) is calculated according to the following equation (6):










S


(
REN
)


=





(


M
a

*

D
a


)

+


M
b

*

D
b



)

+

(


M
c

*

D
c


)

+








(


M
z

*

D
z


)




R
a






(
6
)








wherein M stands for the count of C atoms of a specific compound, D stands for its Renewability and P stands for C atoms of product of the synthesis on condition that the formulation contains a to z compounds.


The score for the overall traceability S(TRA) is calculated according to the following equation (7):










S


(
TRA
)


=





(


M
a

*

D
a


)

+


M
b

*

D
b



)

+

(


M
c

*

D
c


)

+








(


M
z

*

D
z


)





M
a

+

M
b

+

M
c

+








M
z








(
7
)








wherein M stands for the molar mass of a specific compound and D stands for its Traceability on condition that the formulation contains a to z compounds.


The score for the overall waste generation S(WAS) is calculated according to the following equation (8):










A





1

=





(


M
a

*

C
a


)

+


M
b

*

C
b



)

+

(


M
c

*

C
c


)

+








(


M
z

*

C
z


)




P
a






(

8

a

)







A





2

=



(


M
a

+

M
b

+

M
c

+








M
z



)

-

P
a



P
a






(

8

b

)






B
=



(


A





1

+

A





2


)

*

(

100
+
L

)


100





(

8

c

)







S


(
WAS
)


=


(

10
-
B

)

*
10





(

8

d

)








wherein:

  • M stands for the molar mass of a specific compound and
  • C stands for its e-Factor
    • on condition that the formulation contains a to z compounds
  • P stands for molar mass of product of the synthesis
  • A1 means the reactant based e-factor
  • A2 means the loss of molar mass during synthesis
  • L stands for the losses of compounds during processing
  • B represents the overall e-factor.


The score for the overall water consumption S(WAT) is calculated according to the following equation (9):










S


(
WAT
)


=





(


M
a

*

D
a


)

+


M
b

*

D
b



)

+

(


M
c

*

D
c


)

+








(


M
z

*

D
z


)





M
a

+

M
b

+

M
c

+








M
z








(
9
)








wherein M stands for the molar mass of a specific compound and D stands for its Traceability on condition that the formulation contains a to z compounds.


In the following the present invention is illustrated by working examples without limiting the invention to them.


EXAMPLES

Method Description


Fragrance Raw Material Scoring




  • (I) For each fragrance raw material, a product sheet is set up in a tailor-made IT system
    • (a) Evaluation of synthesis route: The common synthesis route of each raw material is identified by a senior chemist with advanced knowledge of the Symrise raw material portfolio and material flows
      • Handling of data gaps. The main challenge of the scorecard evaluation is to identify the most common route of synthesis due to lack of information from suppliers. For some ingredients, well-known and robust processes are established which can be found in the literature or patents. However, in some cases there are several possibilities to produce the same chemical depending on availability of raw materials and/or technologies available on site. It is assumed that the environmental impact between several possibilities is not that high, because raw material costs on the global spot market are usually comparable and therefore environmental costs and resource consumption should also be on a similar level.
    • (b) Collection of data: Raw material information including sustainability data are collected:
      • (b1) Suppliers are ask to deliver data to clarify uncertainties, e.g. renewable source, palm oil derivatives
      • (b2) Public databases like Probas, Gestis or REACH are reviewed for relevant data
      • (b3) If no relevant data is available, desk research is conducted. Studies and literature are used as reference.
      • (b4) Data gaps are filled with generic data from defined sources (see reference in each parameter)
      • The overall data is consolidated in one table which is exportable to Excel
    • (c) Definition of ID: The raw material data is assigned to Symrise product codes for further processing

  • (II) For each ingredient/reactant a product sheet is maintained.

  • (III) The fragrance raw materials are evaluated according to all 10 scorecard criteria. The fragrance raw material score is calculated automatically based on the synthesis route and all collected data.

  • (IV) Analysis and comparison: The objective of the product sustainability scorecard is to increase transparency and knowledge about raw material used for fragrance composition. Different raw materials can be compared according to their scores.


    Product Scoring

  • (I) The recipe/fragrance formula of a Symrise product is set up

  • (II) Based on a recipe/fragrance formula, a product score is calculated automatically by consolidating all involved fragrance raw material scores


    The results are consolidated as shown in FIG. 2a and can be exported as radar diagram as shown in FIG. 2b.

    The user will receive information about the ratio covered as depicted in Table 5.










TABLE 5







User information









Calculation
Figure
Information












Quantity
26.288
Total production volume in kg


Quantity covered
22.006
Share of total volume that is covered




by scoring methodology in kg


Ratio covered
83.4%
Minimum of 80% is exceeded


Result/Quality
67.6
Final product score










A route cause analysis for each scorecard criteria can be conducted via an automatic analysis tool in each product sheet directly as shown in FIG. 3.


Example 1

44_Dihydro Myrcenol (44DHM)


As a first step the synthesis route of 44DHM is evaluated (FIG. 4) and information concerning the raw materials including sustainability data (e.g. molar mass, processing, C-atoms, GHS hazard statements etc.) are collected. In the present example 44DHM was used in a composition comprising also dipropylene glycol (DPG) and alpha-hexyl cinnamic aldehyde (HCA). For each component a product data sheet was prepared.


44DHM was evaluated according to all 10 scorecard criteria. The score was calculated automatically based on the data inserted. Finally, the overall data was consolidated. The results are shown in Table 6:









TABLE 6







Consolidated score of 44DHM










Parameter
Result














Carbon dioxide
34.8



Renewability
100.0



Product Tox
80.38



Product EcoTox
87.73



E-Factor
92.90



Water
100.00



Biodiversity
100.00



Land use
100.00



Traceability
11.68



Biodegradability
100.00



RESULT (AVERAGE)
80.7











The details of the evaluation are shown in FIGS. 5A to 5J. The recipe/fragrance formula consisting of 44DHM, DPG and HCA was set up as depicted in FIG. 6; all scores were above 70. The total score for the formulation resulted to 82.2

Claims
  • 1. A method for identifying fragrance compounds with low environmental impact and high degree of sustainability encompassing the following steps: (a) providing a fragrance compound or a fragrance composition of interest;(b) measuring performance of the fragrance compound or fragrance composition for each of the following parameters followed by normalizing to a scale from 0 to 100 without dimension to identify fragrance compounds with low environmental impact and high degree of sustainability, based on calculating scores for each of the following parameters: (b1) biodegradability;(b2) biodiversity;(b3) carbon dioxide emission;(b4) process safety with regard to ecological toxicity;(b5) process safety with regard to human toxicity;(b6) land use;(b7) renewability;(b8) traceability;(b9) waste generation; and(b10) water consumption and/or pollution,(c) summing up all scores and calculating the average product sustainability score (PSC); and(d) proceeding with those candidates showing a PSC of at least 70, wherein(i) the score for biodegradability of the compound or the composition is calculated according to OECD Method 301/302;(ii) the score for the overall biodiversity S(BIO) is calculated according to the following equation (1):
PCT Information
Filing Document Filing Date Country Kind
PCT/EP2016/052434 2/4/2016 WO 00
Publishing Document Publishing Date Country Kind
WO2017/133779 8/10/2017 WO A
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number Name Date Kind
20040254742 Long Dec 2004 A1
20060004474 Long et al. Jan 2006 A1
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry
“Improving Product Sustainability” In: Anonymous: “Colgate Sustainability Report 2013: Giving the World Reasons to Smile”, 2013, p. 25, XP002760369.
Schwartz, “Ikea Creates a Sustainability Scorecard for Its Products,” Fastcompany.com, Mar. 3, 2011, pp. 1-2, XP002760370.
Related Publications (1)
Number Date Country
20190331655 A1 Oct 2019 US