Pioneering Sustainable LAB: Moeve´s Vision for a Greener Chemical Industry
Interview with Juan Manuel Reina
VP Global Surfactants Head at Moeve Chemicals
Last year Moeve presented at SEPAWA Congress in Berlin, NextLab-R Low Carbon, the first LAB (raw material used in the production of detergents) capable of achieving a reduced carbon footprint from raw material origin to the LAB manufacture (“cradle-to-gate”). How was the response from the customers and do you have any updates?
Customers have responded extraordinarily well to our new NextLab-R-Low Carbon. We have received very positive feedback and are observing a clear trend: customers are increasingly seeking decarbonized raw materials to support their decarbonization goals. Although many of these targets are set for the coming years, most customers have already established a roadmap and are actively implementing it.
This means the carbon footprint of the products they purchase is becoming a critical factor, and we are being asked more frequently to provide this information. Today, Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) and Life Cycle Assessement (LCA) are emerging as a key purchasing criterion—an additional dimension of product quality.
In this context, NextLab-R Low Carbon is perfectly aligned with our customers’ decarbonization needs. Following its successful launch in Europe. Moeve has expanded production to our plant in Becancour, Canada, to supply the North American market. We are leveraging our global leadership to deliver these solutions to customers worldwide, ensuring consistent value and impact across all markets. Many detergents nowadays use LAB. How will NextLab-R Low Carbon allow detergent manufacturers reduce their carbon footprint without reformulating their products?
Moeve's Nextlab-R-Low Carbon is already helping our customers reduce the carbon footprint of their biodegradable products.
Specifically, according to some internal estimations based in available customer public information, it enables a reduction of up to 30% in the carbon footprint of their final products (excluding consumer use).
This reduction is achieved without the need for additional reformulation, as NextLab-R-Low Carbon is chemically identical to traditional LAB. The only difference lies in the renewable origin of the raw materials and the energy used in its production.
As a result, detergent manufacturers can seamlessly integrate NextLab-R Low Carbon into their existing formulations, contributing significantly to the production of detergents with lower greenhouse gas emissions.
NextLab-R Low Carbon has been ISCC Plus certified and verified by AENOR. How important is third-party certification in ensuring transparency and building trust with your customers and the wider market?
Certification by independent bodies, with extensive experience and proven reliability as ISCC or Aenor, guarantee that Moeve’s products comply with the sustainability standards we have set for ourselves and that our customers expect across the value chain.
Certifications play a crucial role in creating strategic value for companies by reinforcing their reputation and environmental commitment. They provide credibility and transparency, ensuring that sustainability claims are verified by recognized standards. Certified products help businesses demonstrate compliance with global sustainability goals, build customer trust, and stand out in a competitive market. In addition, they support corporate ESG objectives, reduce reputational risk, and often unlock access to new markets and partnerships where sustainability is a key purchasing criterion. Ultimately, certifications serve as a powerful signal of transparency, responsibility, and innovation.
Thanks to the implementation of certification systems together with using a standard methodology for Life Cycle Assessment of products, we can offer our customers a range of sustainable products, such as NextLab-R Low Carbon, capable of reducing the carbon footprint of end products by up to 30% (excluding consumer use and according to our own estimations), helping them achieve their decarbonization goals.
The launch at SEPAWA aligns with Moeve´s Positive Motion strategy and the goal of reaching net zero by 2050 in scopes 1 and 2. How does NextLab-R Low Carbon fit into the broader roadmap for innovation and sustainability within your global operations?
Moeve has always been at the forefront of environmental compliance and respect for the environment. We were the first to adopt, together with UOP, the Detal technology now used in all new LAB production plants. We were also the first to produce a more sustainable LAB from renewable raw materials, and we were pioneer in developing our own certification system that certifies and traces the production based in renewable energy.
Now, with NextLab-R Low Carbon, we lead once again by offering the first product with the same performance as the traditional one, but with a reduced cradle-to-gate carbon footprint, according to a mass balance approach. NextLab-R Low Carbon is, in this sense, a clear example of our commitment to R&D as a driving force for developing new low-carbon products and advancing our decarbonization.
These objectives are reflected in the Positive Motion strategy, through which we are developing a more sustainable chemistry and paving the way for Moeve to achieve its climate and sustainability goals.
