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emissions, reduced risk (through proper usage of products and less harmful
chemicals), and better data for reporting (CSP, 2004). For example SAFECHEM, a
German-based service provider of closed loop chlorine solvent services
(SAFECHEM Europe GmbH, ND b) reports from 40 up to 80 per cent reductions in
solvent usage. This is in line with Vachon and Klassen’s (2006) findings on supply
chain management. Their (ibid.) study shows that when the customer’s chemical
supply base is diminished and when the collaboration with primary supplier is
deepened, there are increasing environmental benefits.
Chemical management services are formed when other business innovations such as
3 rd party logistics, ICT-innovations on purchasing, warehousing, etc. are connected
with environmental, health and safety issues with a goal to reduce the usage of
chemicals in general and particularly the use of hazardous chemicals.
CMS have been studied in the connection of so called servicing – research discussion
(Anttonen 2008; Halme, Anttonen, Kuisma, Kontoniemi 2006, Mont 2006, etc.) and
in connection to the ideas of cleaner production (Schawager 2008). This broader
discussion concentrates on the possibilities of services to decouple (to some extent)
our western society’s development from the use of natural resources. The servicing is
perceived differently by different authors (for example Jänicke et al., 1989, Lovins &
Lovins 1999). And it has rarely been explicitly connected to corporate responsibility
strand of academic discussion and business development alike Halme and Laurila
(2009) form one exception to this.
BASF Success - Increasing Customer’s Eco-Efficiency and Social Responsibility
as Business
BASF as a case company of CR Innovation has its somewhat dark history, though it
has considered being a responsible employer towards its employees by providing
vocational training, community and family help in kind of a philanthropic approach.
BASF has been and still is one of the largest if not the largest chemical manufacturer
and truly global actor in the chemical industry. Besides the main production and
flagship site in Ludwigshafen in Southern Germany it has subsidiaries and major
production facilities in China, Korea, Mexico, Spain, etc. (International Directory of
Company Histories 2003). It has a long history far over a century 19 starting with
artificial dyes manufactured out of coal tar 20 (for example indigo).
As CMS provider BASF success business unit differ other chemical management
service companies that it both states clearly sustainable development and ecoefficiency
as desirable aim and it also promises to deliver services enhancing these
goals. This business unit has developed both tools for analyzing eco-efficiency and
social-efficiency or impacts of their customers manufacturing processes. Success
also utilizes other capabilities that BASF group can offer. Most of these services are
19 BASF was founded in 1865 as Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik AG, nowadays known as BASF
Acktiengesellschaft (International Directory of Company Histories 2003).
20 In a broad sense this already kind of a material efficiency business. Coal tar was a messy byproduct of gas
distillation, which BASF transformed into product that was inexpensive and more reliable compared to
similar organic substance (International Directory of Company Histories 2003