Croda bags Certified Sustainable Palm Oil for its global manufacturing facilities

The ingredients supplier says the facilities have all been certified to handle Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) derivatives, enabling it to comply with demands from both cosmetic and personal care manufacturers and their consumers.

All of Croda’s eleven manufacturing sites have gained the CSPO seal as part of efforts initiated by the Roundtable on Sustainable Pail Oil (RSPO) to ensure that sustainable palm oil becomes an industry standard throughout the supply chain.

Initiative is part of aims to shape up the entire supply chain​ 

According to Croda, this means that over 99% of its palm derivative volumes are now Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil Supply Chain Certified (RSPO SCC) for physical supply chains.

Indeed, Croda’s compliance falls in line with member’s requirements ‘to have RSPO certification of all our relevant supply chains by the end of 2015’.

Croda’s main palm oil processing facilities is strategically placed in Singapore, in close proximity to the palm oil plantations of southeast Asia, specifically in Indonesia and Malaysia.

All Croda facilities now make the mark​

The facility, on the island state’s Jurong island, was the first to be certified in 2012, followed by the final five other facilities in Gouda, the Netherlands, facilities in both Hull and Leek, in the UK and Chocques, France, which were all certified in the course of 2015.

Chris Sayner, VP of global accounts, emphasized how the certification process for the facilities has been crucial for the company to comply with future industry standards, as well as the company’s own ambitions to reduce its environmental impact:

“Beyond necessary support for RSPO and sustainable palm, Croda is committed to reducing its contribution to deforestation and any resultant impacts on climate change and biodiversity by working with organisations such as the RSPO and suppliers and customers to ensure traceability of critical raw materials back to suitably accredited sources.” ​

Bottom line is ensuring palm oil is eco-friendly​

Other big ingredients suppliers have been making similar steps towards securing CSPO, and earlier this year BASF confirmed it is committing to sourcing only RSPO-certified sustainable raw materials with upstream traceability for palm oil and palm kernel oil fractions and edible oil esters by 2025.

Palm oil, palm kernel oil and its derivatives are used in approximately 70% of personal care and cosmetics products, so ensuring this mainstay raw material is sourced sustainably is crucial.

Environmentalists have focused their criticisms on palm plantation developments worldwide, but particularly in Indonesia, where virgin jungle continues to be cleared in an effort to keep up with palm oil demand, something that is threatening the habitats of many endangered animals, as well as causing environmental hazards.