H.C. Starck's Tungsten Supply Chain Declared Compliant with Conflict Free Smelter Program

MUNICH, July 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

H.C. Starck, one of the world's leading manufacturers of technology metals and advanced ceramics, has received confirmation for processing "conflict-free" tungsten raw materials. The corresponding audit was performed by an independent certification company on behalf of the Conflict Free Smelter Initiative (CFSi), a joint effort by the Electronics Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC) and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI). For its tantalum processing, H.C. Starck has already declared Conflict-Free Smelter several times since 2010. Tantalum and tungsten, along with tin and gold, are defined as "conflict minerals" in the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which was passed in 2010.

"Since H.C. Starck does not process any tungsten raw materials from conflict areas, we are not obligated to undergo this kind of audit. Still, we subjected our tungsten processing to the CFSi audit on a voluntary basis since procurement and processing of raw materials from conflict-free sources is the basis for our raw materials strategy," explained Andreas Meier, CEO of H.C. Starck. "We are proud of the certification for our raw materials purchasing, since it is a seal of approval for our efforts toward sustainability," he said.

Read the full version of the press release at http://www.hcstarck.com/en/hc_starck_group/press/press_releases.html

Contact:
Ulrike Reich
Director, Group Communications
Tel.: +49-89-500-942-155
[email protected]

SOURCE H.C. Starck GmbH