SIA News

“So, you think you know about Solvents…?”

Our colleagues at the UK-based Solvents Industry Association (SIA) have been busy with the production of their latest information film, ‘So, you think you know about solvents?’.

This short film highlights the importance of solvents to our everyday lives, illustrating the use of solvents in the manufacture of essential products such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, personal care and sanitisers.

SIA General Secretary, Andrew Norman said, “We are delighted with the result of this latest film. Right at the start of the project, our research showed that when people hear the word solvent, there is a perception that these are products which are harmful to human health and the environment and are usually confined to the garden shed or garage. They are also associated with the negative activity of solvent abuse which was highly publicised in the 1980s and 1990s”.

Fortunately, due to improvements in safety and regulation, subsequent changes to retail product formulations have ensured that solvent abuse of this type is very rare and modern applications of solvents should be viewed more positively as being essential components of the things that are often taken for granted.

Andrew added, “The idea of the film was to focus on the applications where people would never guess that solvents were used, and to highlight the items that are vital to today’s society which would not be able to be manufactured without solvents’.

‘So, you think you know about solvents?’ is available to view or download via the SIA website

If you require further information, contact Andrew Norman, SIA General Secretary