Environmental Impact
Biodiversity & Critical Habitats
Chase Corporation’s operation locations are not adjacent to designated protected areas, critical habitats, or other areas with recognized high-biodiversity value.
Transportation
Chase Corporation does not have nor maintain its own transportation fleet, and relies on outside supply chain providers.
Safe transportation of goods is very important to us. We use a standard process to select logistics service providers for transportation. Our aim is to minimize risk at all stages, from unit loading through delivery.
We analyze the transportation risks of products that have an elevated risk potential and identify and evaluate the safety and environmental risks and introduce measures to minimize any risks.
In order to be considered by our supply chain staff for transportation, all logistics service providers must recognize our requirements. These specify that, as well as ensuring safety, the transportation of goods must be ecologically sustainable, and the provider must meet its social responsibilities and comply with all statutory provisions. We have also defined the minimum requirements for customers who collect goods themselves or use their own logistics service providers.
Chase Corporation employees having a direct impact on transportation safety receive periodic training and certification in multi-modal hazardous materials packaging and transportation. Employees also receive training on procedures to properly secure product packagings for transportation, in coordination with customer requirements.
Disturbed Lands
Chase Corporation does not engage in any mining activities, underground injection, waste piles/ponds at its locations, nor do its operations participate in any land-disturbing activity.
Significant Air Emissions
Chase Corporation locations primarily use natural gas for fuel. Natural gas is consumed primarily for the heating of building units, and in Thermal Oxidizers to control VOC emissions. Some Chase Corporation locations engage in VOC solvent blending and particulate handling operations, where emissions are controlled by a variety of permitted air pollution control devices.
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Standard distinguishes between direct Scope 1 emissions (from production), and Scope 2 emissions (from the purchase of electricity).
Scope 1:
Applying applicable emissions factors to our natural gas usage indicates that GHG emissions (CO2, N2O, CH4, fluorinated hydrocarbons) from our locations are not considered significant. Company-wide emissions of Nitrous Oxides, Methane, and Fluorinated Hydrocarbons are well below 1 metric ton/year. CO2 emissions are primarily from natural gas usage, and are well below 10,000 metric tons/year.
In addition, other emissions including PM, NOx, SOx, CO, non-methane VOC, and HAPs from certain locations are controlled, and are also well below major source thresholds and are not considered significant. Company-wide Scope 1 emissions of NOx and Sox are below 10 metric tons/year combined. Company-wide VOC emissions, from natural gas consumption and solvent-based product operations are well below 50 metric tons/year and are minimized through the use of a variety of pollution control devices. Emissions of other compounds are below 5 metric tons/year and considered negligible.
Scope 2:
Company-wide Scope 2 emissions of CO2 due to grid electricity consumption are below 20,000 metric tons/year, calculated from USEPA regional grid emission factors for CO2e/kWh.
>Download Calendar 2019 Matrix
>Download Calendar 2020 Matrix
>Download Calendar 2021 Matrix
Significant Waterway & Ground Releases
Chase Corporation maintains spill response plans at all locations, as well as emergency response agreements with spill response contractors. Periodic location-specific training and drills are conducted to ensure a state of employee readiness.
Chemical raw material storage areas and chemical product storage areas at all locations are equipped with secondary containment features that are routinely monitored for integrity.
Stormwater discharges at company locations are regulated by stormwater permits or have obtained No Exposure Certifications.
Chase Corporation defines significant spills as chemical releases that reach the environment, and/or as defined by local or national regulatory entities.
Chase Corporation locations have not had a Significant Release to the Environment in more than 10 years.
Environmental Management System
Chase Corporation currently has 2 out of 15 manufacturing locations certified to ISO14001:2015 (Winnersh, UK & Zeta Drive, Pittsburgh)
As of 2021, 60% of our largest raw material suppliers (by annual expenditures) are ISO 14001 certified.
US manufacturing locations are subject to a comprehensive environmental compliance audit annually by our own corporate environmental, health, and safety team. The Environmental Health and Safety team verify compliance with all applicable environmental regulatory requirements and agency permit requirements. This annual audit is documented with corrective actions and communicated quarterly to upper management.
Apart from the energy use reduction targets posted separately, our annual facility environmental compliance audits target a 95% or greater compliance rate, starting with FY20 audits.
Upper management supports a continuous improvement process regarding environmental performance, and a goal of 100% annual audit compliance for all locations is set for the FY25 audit year.
Climate Change
Chase Corporation locations primarily use natural gas for fuel. Natural gas is consumed primarily for the heating of building units. Some of our locations engage in volatile solvent blending and particulate handling operations, where emissions are controlled by permitted air pollution control devices. Applying applicable emissions factors to our natural gas usages indicate that GHG emissions from our locations are well below Major Source thresholds, and in many cases negligible, and are not considered Significant.
In addition, other emissions including PM, CO, NOx, SOx, non-methane VOC, and HAPs from certain locations are controlled, and also are well below major source thresholds and are not considered significant.
Considering that Chase Corporation’s company-wide emissions are not substantial, we believe that our impact on climate change is not significant.
Management of Wastes
Chase Corporation understands the importance of waste management and its effect on the environment. We are committed to minimizing waste production by employing reduction, re-use, and recycling techniques at every stage of our process and operations. We ensure that all operations and activities are fully compliant with all current waste management legislation to minimize waste production throughout the company and to operate within full compliance with environmental law.
Our waste management objectives are:
1. Identify areas of waste production throughout the company.
2. Employ effective waste management practices to identify the most efficient methods to reduce the production of waste and to maximize the reuse or recycling of waste material.
3. Manage the process to ensure compliance with best practices.
4. Through training and support, ensure that all staff is aware of their responsibilities under environmental law and how compliance can be achieved and maintained.
>Download Calendar 2019 Matrix
>Download Calendar 2020 Matrix
>Download Calendar 2021 Matrix
Hazardous Chemical Wastes/Production Wastes
The vast majority of chemical/production Hazardous Wastes from our facilities are classified as Ignitable and sent to regional contractor disposal or recycling facilities for thermal destruction, or solvent reclamation/ fuels blending. All facilities used for disposal or recycling are confirmed to be in compliance with their applicable operating permits. Paperwork is retained to verify the appropriate destruction or treatment of wastes. None of our Hazardous Wastes are landfilled.
Materials that are segregated for licensed disposal include,
- Hazardous Wastes
- Universal Wastes
- Medical wastes
Non-Hazardous Chemical/Production Wastes
Non-Hazardous Wastes from chemical processes are also sent to Regional disposal facilities for thermal incineration or solidification/stabilization. All facilities used for disposal or recycling are confirmed to be in compliance with their applicable operating permits. Paperwork is retained to verify the appropriate destruction or treatment of wastes.
Materials that are segregated for licensed disposal include,
- Non-Hazardous liquid raw material/chemical product wastes
- Non-Hazardous solid raw material/chemical product wastes
Business Wastes
Non-Hazardous waste materials from production and maintenance operations, office areas, and facility maintenance are collected and segregated at each facility for disposal or recycling.
Business Wastes that are not suitable for recycling, include,
- Employee waste
- Certain unusable Non-Hazardous raw material solid article wastes
- Unusable production article scrap or Non-Hazardous product articles
- Materials which are segregated for recycling include,
- Electronic equipment, fluorescent/incandescent lamps, batteries
- Cardboard, office paper, pallets, polyethylene / aluminum / glass consumer containers
- Scrap metals
- Yard waste
- Empty raw material drums and IBC containers
Referring to 2019 as our baseline year, Chase Corporation recycles 60% of its total waste stream.
Quick Links
Human Rights
EHS Sustainability
Corporate Governance