Solvents Facts and Figures

• The solvents industry employs more than 10,000 people throughout Europe.
• All of us use and rely on solvents every day to perform a wide variety of tasks.
• Solvents manufacturers across Europe have an estimated combined turnover of €2.5-3bn and sell a total volume of approximately 5 million tonnes a year.
• More than half a million European companies, ranging from pharmaceutical to agrochemical and paint producers, are solvent users. These companies have a combined turnover of €20bn, and employ more than 10 million people.
• The European solvents industry is committed to meeting the highest safety standards and environmental protection. It spends more than €20m per year on research and development.
• The solvent producing industry is composed of both small and medium-sized enterprises as well as multinationals. Downstream users generally tend to be SME's and micro-SMEs.