Stepan’s Colombia Plant Gas Return Project Reduces Plant Water Consumption by 40%

December 12, 2022

Thanks to a new method for returning unused exhaust gas steam from Stepan Company’s manufacturing site in Manizales, Colombia, back to our local raw materials supplier, the site has been able to eliminate contaminants from the wastewater and decrease water consumption since fully implementing the system in 2020. Over the last two years, the plant has:

• Reduced its total water consumption by 40%;
• Reduced the water used in the exhaust gas cleaning process by 92%;
• Reduced the usage of caustic soda in the gas cleaning process by 90%; and
• Decreased the content of sulfates in the effluent by 87%, exceeding the local regulation.

This Gas Return Project is part of our sustainability efforts in the areas of circularity, water usage, safety and wastewater reduction. As a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact, it also supports Stepan’s specific targets within the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including clean water and sanitation; responsible consumption and production; and climate action.

Click here to learn more about sustainability at Stepan.