Today we packed our bags and left Amsterdam to start our travels in Rotterdam. We had a company visit at Nouryon, which is a chemical company. They are focused on polymer specifications as well as personal life products used in common things like shampoo. We got a couple presentations on the company and its history founded in Deventer in the 1800s used for grounding flour in the mill. They also presented on their sustainability efforts and their safety regulations that are compliant with European regulations. They are showing efforts for mechanical recycling and working to introduce and develop chemical recycling which will especially benefit food products for better recycling efforts.

The next part of the tour was different labs. We started out with a safety one. Here we learned more of the history and would normally see some experiments done but they do not do those on Fridays. We saw, however, videos of experiments like the flammability of acetone vs butane. These tests of reactivity are performed in a total containment vault where we were taken to next to see how big it is and how the door opens and closes. The next was shown how they tested the mobility of algae to test the products as a sort of animal testing but using better methods. They test on algae, crustaceans, and fish embryos, but only if very needed. This helps to test whether the product is safe and fit for living organisms. The last was a biodegradation lab that tested bacteria in the water to see its reproductivity to tell how degradable it is. This is taken into account to use for expiration dates for at home products that aren’t food. Sadly, we weren’t able to take any pictures at Nouryon, so this blog isn’t as visually pleasing, but I took in a lot of information and learned a lot. After that tour we tour our bus to Rotterdam and I’m very excited to see what awaits me there!