The rating awarded by agency 'oekom research AG' analyzes sustainability performance at the world’s 101 largest chemical companies and assigns them a grade according to a twelve-part scale from A+ (the highest grade) to D-.
According to a company spokesperson, the sandalwood supplier received the prestigious rating due to its extensive efforts to reduce water consumption (drip instead of flood irrigation and a wastewater treatment plant), the installation of a waste wood fired boiler in its Mt Romance distillation facility instead of oil-fed boiler systems and its contribution to biodiversity in regions previously used as farm land now being used as sandalwood plantations.
Sustainable sandalwood
Indian sandalwood has long been used as an ingredient in the perfume industry; TFS, expecting its first harvest in late 2013, cultivates the ingredient in plantations in Western Australia, which it argues makes the commodity sustainable and will ultimately protect the plant from over harvesting in its natural environment.
In August 2008, TFS acquired Mt Romance, the 'world's largest state of the art' distiller of Sandalwood oil with a 1,200 tonnes per annum processing capacity and established supply relationships with some of the world's leading perfume and cosmetic producers, including Givaudan, Aveda and Estée Lauder.
That facility also retails Australian Sandalwood aromatherapy, cosmetics and beauty products in three regional tourist locations and currently processes between 600 and 700 tonnes of Australian Sandalwood and is set to process more following the first harvest.
Recent ventures
The supplier recently established a partnership with Viroxis Corporation, a bio-pharmaceutical company to create a joint venture company, Santalis to develop acne treatment formulas featuring sandalwood to promote clear, balanced skin.
"Sandalwood has been prized for centuries for its cleansing and healing properties and this project is focused on developing and commercializing proprietary botanical products that provide consumers and patients with the healthcare benefits of sustainably harvested of this ingredient," the company spokesperson concluded.