After packing up all our bags this morning, we hopped on a bus to visit Nouryon, a chemical manufacturing company. We heard from a variety of Nouryon employees about their roles in the company and their sustainability goals. We learned about safety testing, biodegradability, and polymer recycling. I was interested in the biodegradability and eco-toxicity labs, where scientists test if new chemicals will persist in the environment and cause harm to organisms.

Today, I learned a lot about the issues that the chemical industry faces. They must follow strict regulatory guidelines set by European agencies, that sometimes do not consider scientific reasoning. Because of this, they spend a lot of time lobbying and answering scientific inquiries from government agencies. This made me think more about the intersection of government and industry. The government wants strict guidelines so that chemical companies can’t harm humans or the environment, but Nouryon believes their chemicals are safe and practical and that the government is exercising unnecessary control.

After our tour of Nouryon, we headed to the next city we are visiting in the Netherlands, Rotterdam. Rotterdam is an interesting place, as it is highly modern compared to the traditional Dutch buildings of Amsterdam.  This is because Rotterdam was destroyed by bombs in World War II, so they had to rebuild post 1940s. This gives Rotterdam a distinctly different feel than Amsterdam, with larger car-centric roads, flashy bridges, and tall buildings. Despite these changes, public transportation and bicycle infrastructure remain a strong component in Rotterdam. I am excited to explore it more in the following days.

Friday 5/16/2025