Soy-based raw materials in chemical products and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)

For the end of 2024, the European Union has laid down stricter rules for the protection of forests in the international supply chain. This means producers of bio-based raw materials will need to make some adjustments. Our supply partner Hobum has a head start in this respect since they have been following stricter guidelines with two initiatives for quite some time now, and with their “new environmental option” they have opted for soy grown in Germany as the basis for their Merginol and Merginat products.

Deforestation-free supply chains will be mandatory in the EU from the end of 2024

On 30 December 2024, the EU Deforestation Regulation 2023/1115 will come into force. This regulation obliges market participants to make their entire supply chain deforestation-free and to be able to provide documentation to prove it. 

The conversion of forest areas releases immense amounts of greenhouse gases. To make things worse, shrinking forest areas means less CO₂ can be stored. The consumption of beef, palm oil, cocoa, and coffee in the European Union and other industrialized countries is an especially strong factor driving deforestation and forest degradation worldwide. The European Union wants to curb deforestation by forbidding the marketing of raw materials and products that contribute to deforestation.

Existing solutions are already available

Our supply partner Hobum already offers deforestation-free polyols, epoxidized oils, and their esters. These are based on soybean oil that is processed into Merginol and Merginat products. The Merginols are used in all conceivable polyurethane application areas and, depending on the type, can influence properties such as higher gloss, better water and chemical resistance, greater flexibility, and better hydrophobicity. The Merginats can be used as co-stabilizers or plasticizers in coatings as well as in plastics.

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The “Round Table on Responsible Soy” Association regulates farming in South America

For more than 60 years, our supplier has taken extra care to obtain sustainable products from biobased raw materials. An important aspect for processed soybean oil, for example, is certification by the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) Association. This ensures that the soy plants are grown on land that has not been cleared since December 2020 and in observance of responsible farming and labour practices along the value chain. In this instance, the soy growing countries are Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay.

The new environmental option is based on purchasing and processing in Germany

Hobum has also introduced a “new environmental option” (neo) quality for all soybean oil-based products. This neo quality keeps the purchasing and processing more regional. The Merginat neo and Merginol neo products are made in a batch process using soybean oil produced in Germany. 

The seed used comes from Europe. Combined with shorter transport routes, the emissions are reduced so far that European soybean oil produces only one third the CO₂ emissions compared to soybean oil of non-certified, international origin.