The biggest lever in the industry lies in the product range: Distributors have the freedom to design their own product range and can gradually transform it towards green materials or solutions for sustainable applications for customers. A broad field is therefore the search for alternative chemicals and materials that support climate-neutral cycles for customers. Wholesale acts as an important source of inspiration here. Data and transparency are crucial here: Product Carbon Footprints Cradle-to-Gate, transparently displayed online per product, are just as important as information on material composition and recyclability, which enables customers themselves to develop circular applications. In times of supply chain law, distributors are the direct suppliers who are responsible to customers for analyzing and ensuring compliance with human rights in the supply chain.

The industry includes, for example, wholesale of chemicals and materials including metal, wood, building materials, old materials and fossil raw materials. Manufacturers of chemicals, metal and wood are assigned to the sectors 36 “chemical industry”, 39 “metal industry” and 2 “forestry”. Mining companies are assigned to sector 31 “raw materials industry”.