Serving the Earth, from a purpose to a cause for action : Oleochemistry and sustainability

Here at Avril, we are actively committed on a daily basis to innovating and developing solutions to help address the challenges of agricultural, food, and environmental transitions. This drive for innovation is reflected in all our activities.  

In the early 2000s, pursuant to its mission to identify new outlets for French oilseed production, the Group made green chemistry one of its strategic axes. This is a field that is very special to me as an alumnus of Chimie ParisTech. 

Since 2008, year in which Avril acquired European oleochemistry leader, Oleon, the Group has been offering innovating, high-performance solutions made from vegetable oil and protein raw materials. These solutions meet the needs of a wide range of industries where they are used in consumer food products, cosmetics, lubricants, crop protection, coatings, polymers, to name but a few.  

The aim: to meet consumers and industrial groups’ growing expectations for biosourced, renewable, and biodegradable products through innovating, high-performance solutions made from renewable raw materials. 

Renewable chemistry is a ‘must’ for tomorrow. With this in mind, the Group inaugurated Europe’s most innovative facility, neat Antwerp, in Belgium, in 2023. This facility has rolled out a one-of-a-kind process to manufacture esters from plant enzymes, mainly from rapeseed and sunflower. This groundbreaking process, which is in particular supported by EU INCITE project funds, produces 100% natural emulsifiers and emollients and, at the same time, reduces CO2 emissions by around 40%, and on-site waste production by 60%. 

Renewable chemistry is also used to improve indoor air quality. 77% of French people are concerned about this according to an OpinionWay survey carried out in May 2022. And, with good reason, as building materials, furniture, decorating products, etc. emit volatile toxic pollutants which come from the chemical components they contain. Through its Evertree business unit, Avril offers plant-based adhesive solutions made from rapeseed and sunflower, which replace resins produced by the petrochemical industry and which are just as technically high-performing.  

Tangible achievements: in 2022, hand-in-hand with CAMIF, Evertree launched the first 100% eco-responsible children’s bed made in France with formaldehyde-free, biosourced boards. In 2023, in collaboration with Séripanneaux, established in the South-West of France, Evertree introduced the first 100% French, biosourced wood particleboard, graded A+ for indoor air quality. 

Renewable chemistry is able to address decarbonization and public health challenges by reducing CO2 emissions, and by increasing the environmental performance of solutions and processes.  

Avril teams develop practical solutions for tomorrow’s chemistry. I urge you to find out more about them in our latest Integrated Annual Report : Combining chemistry & plant-based ingredients – Avril