BDO and GBL Voluntary Product Stewardship Code

The substances 1,4-butanediol (BDO) and gamma butyrolactone (GBL) are high-volume industrial chemicals used largely as intermediates in the manufacture of other economically significant industrial chemicals.

Several companies producing BDO and GBL have taken social responsibility and developed a voluntary product stewardship code to prevent the diversion of BDO and GBL for unlawful purposes and misuse.

Companies who developed and signed the code are committed to putting it into practice. It was formally endorsed as a global responsible care initiative by the ICCA Steering Committee in 2017.

Via national chemical associations, a call has been launched to other companies producing BDO and / or GBL to follow the best practices described in this voluntary code. In 2020, a process was started to ask senior management of BDO/GBL producing companies to formally sign this code to demonstrate their full commitment. The current list of signatories can be found here.

Other BDO/GBL producers are hereby invited to sign this document as a sign of their commitment to prevent the diversion of BDO and GBL for illicit purposes. Downstream users and suppliers of BDO/GBL are also welcomed to sign this voluntary code. While several of the practices listed in the code, might not be directly applicable, the signatory of this document would show having put adequate measures in place to ensure that part of the BDO/GBL they use as feedstock in their plant is not diverted to illicit purposes.

The BDO & Derivatives sector group of Cefic, as the leading actor on this voluntary code, will provide additional information and support on request.

For more information, contact:
Philip de Smedt
Director Petrochemicals Europe
Cefic
Email: pds@cefic.be