Introduction

Solvay appreciates your interest in its products and services and your visit to our websites. The Solvay Group (“we”) is strongly committed to maintaining your privacy when you visit our websites and we want you to feel comfortable visiting while you visit them. The protection of your privacy and the processing of your personal data is an important concern to which we pay special attention during our business processes. We will do everything possible to guarantee that the data you provide us will remain confidential and that it is used only for the purposes outlined here. The personal data that we collect is processed by us according to the legal provisions valid for the countries in which the websites are maintained. In addition, this privacy policy also covers the processing of customers' and partners' data which is applicable company-wide for Solvay. Solvay’s website may include, however, links to other websites which are not covered by this privacy policy. On our end, we strive for the respect of your privacy and your personal data.

This privacy policy (below referred to as “policy”) describes the personal data collected or generated and processed when you use Solvay’s websites (below referred to as “websites”). Some examples of such websites might be our corporate website solvay.com, or our local ones solvay.fr and solvay.de. This policy describes the types of personal data collected when you use our websites and how your personal data is used, shared, and protected. It also explains the choices you can make with regards to your personal data and how you can contact us in case of questions, requests, or complaints.

 

Who is responsible for the processing of your personal data?

The Solvay entity primarily responsible for the processing of your personal data collected on the website(s) is Solvay S.A.
Solvay S.A. may share your request with the relevant Solvay affiliate(s) of the Solvay Group, who will obey the principles described in this policy and inform you of their identity in due course. 

 

Which information do we collect and when?

We ask you for certain personal data to provide you with the products or services you request. For example, when you renew an order, request to receive information, create an account, subscribe to our newsletters, or interact with our websites. This personal data includes your:

  • Contact details, including your first name, last name, email address, organization, role, telephone number, and physical address;
  • Login and account information (if any);
  • Other necessary personal details;

You are responsible for ensuring that the personal data you provide is truthful, correct, non-ambiguous, and up-to-date.

When interacting with our websites, the data is automatically collected and shared with Solvay by the technology platforms that provide the browsing experience. For example, your web browser or mobile device may share certain data with Solvay as those devices interact with Solvay’s websites. More information about these practices is included in our cookie policy. This data includes:

  • Device IDs, network access, operating system;
  • Cookies, IP addresses, reference headers, data identifying your web browser and version, and web beacons and tags.

 

Why and how do we process your personal data?

We use the personal data we collect from you in the following ways:

To provide the features of the websites you request 

When you use our websites, we will use your data to provide the product or service you have selected. For example, if you make a query on solvay.com, we will use the contact information you give us to communicate with you about your request. This processing of your personal data will be based on your consent to receive our communications, or on the basis of it being necessary in order to take steps at your request prior to and when entering into a contract with you, as the case may be. 

In many cases, to use particular features within our websites, you may need to provide Solvay with additional data or additional consent to use particular data in a certain way. We will be unable to provide these features if you do not allow us to process your personal data.

 

To communicate information about our products, services, events, and for other promotional purposes

When you create a Solvay user account, we may use the information you provide as well as information from other Solvay sources, such as your use of Solvay’s websites, your visits, and your participation in Solvay events (possibly through other Solvay affiliates) to send you personalized communications on products and services that may be interesting for you. This processing of your personal data will be based on your consent to the use of behavioral and advertising cookies, and your consent to receiving our communications.

 

To operate, improve and maintain our business, products, and services

We may use the data you provide to us to operate our business. For example, when you renew an order, we may use that information for accounting, auditing, and other internal functions. As another example, when you apply for a position at Solvay, we may use data for human resources statistics. This processing of your personal data is performed on the basis of our legitimate interest to operate and improve our business, products, and services.

 

For general research and analysis purposes

We use data about how our visitors move around our websites and services to understand the users' behavior and their preferences. For example, we may use information about how visitors on solvay.com search for and find products. We do this to better understand what is the best way to organize such products and showcase our offerings. This processing of your personal data will be based on your consent to the use of the behavioral cookies, as well as on our legitimate interest in analyzing the use of our website where non-cookie technology is used.

 

Other purposes

We may also use your personal data in other ways and will provide specific notice at the time of collection and obtain your consent where necessary.

 

Who do we disclose your personal data to?

We may share your personal data with Solvay affiliates for the purposes outlined above in accordance with the information provided at the time of collection of your personal data. 

Third-party service providers may also process personal data on Solvay’s behalf. For example, to process job applications, for shipments and deliveries, to manage our data, distribute emails, for research and analysis, to manage customer relationships, to manage brand and product promotions as well as to administer certain services and features.

 

How do we protect and manage your personal data?

At Solvay, we take the security of your data seriously. The organization has put in place internal policies and controls to ensure that your data is not lost, accidentally destroyed, misused or disclosed, and is not accessed except by its employees in the performance of their duties. Please read Solvay's data protection policy for more details on how Solvay generally manages personal data. Access to databases or systems holding data about you is restricted to authorized users.

We take appropriate measures to maintain the confidentiality of your personal details. We use a variety of methods to help us to ensure the security of your data and to prevent third parties from viewing them, such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption, and firewalls.

Where we engage third parties to process personal data, they do so on the basis of written instructions. In fact, they are under a duty of confidentiality and they are obliged to implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure the security of data in order to accomplish their respective missions.

We may disclose your data to third parties (1) To comply with the law requiring such disclosure; (2) to protect the personal safety of the public and the users; (3) to protect national security; (4) to enforce our rights in litigations or investigations; (5) to prevent a crime.

 

International data transfers 

The personal data we collect or generate in the context of our websites will essentially be stored in the EU. However, some of the data recipients with whom Solvay shares your personal data may be located in countries other than the country in which your personal data originally was collected. The laws in those countries may not provide the same level of data protection compared to the country in which you initially provided your data. Nevertheless, when we transfer your personal data to recipients in other countries, including the USA, we will protect that information as described in this policy and in compliance with the applicable laws.

If you are located in the European Economic Area (“EEA”) or Switzerland, we take measures to comply with applicable legal requirements and ensure adequate protection for the transfer of personal data to recipients in countries outside of the EEA or Switzerland, for instance through data transfer agreements based on the EU Commission’s model clauses, or a Privacy-Shield certification.

 

Retention of your data

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which we collect it, except if required otherwise by law. Depending on the purpose, the period for which we retain your personal data may vary. To provide the features of the websites you request, we may keep your personal data for as long as needed to provide the service you requested, and for no longer than the applicable statute of limitations thereafter. We will retain your personal data until you withdraw your consent or for a maximum duration of three years after our last contact with you or the end of our contract with you for the purpose of communicating information about our products, services, events, and for other promotional purposes. Personal data used to operate, improve and maintain our business, products and services may be retained for the duration of the provision of the products or services, and for no longer than the applicable statute of limitations thereafter. We will retain your personal data for no longer than three years starting from the date of its collection for general research and analysis purposes.

 

Are you allowed to access, modify or erase your personal data? 

You have the right to access, modify, erase, request the restriction or oppose the processing of your personal information or request the portability of the personal data you contributed, without any expenses and at any moment, and you may request from us to erase your personal data on your behalf. Where the collection and processing of your personal data are based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent with respect to our use of your personal data. 

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a competent supervisory authority.
We are not responsible for third parties who have had access to your data from any other source other than our database, including if they do not suppress your details from their databases.

We do not guarantee that our services will be available continuously. In case of an interruption of service, we are not responsible for the possible loss of your personal data.
We reserve the right to erase your details without your consent and we are not responsible for the possible loss or suppression of your personal data.

To opt out from receiving Solvay's communication, please click on “unsubscribe” at the bottom of one of our emails. 

You can contact us to exercise your rights via the contact details in the “Questions and feedback” section below or by sending an email to privacy@solvay.com.

 

Email marketing program

Solvay uses Pardot, the marketing automation platform provided by Salesforce.com Inc., which scores visitors' and potential clients' activities on landing pages and on the website by setting advertising cookies on their browsers. When you give your consent to join our marketing program, Pardot adds data to your user profile, based on the preferences and tastes you have shown while browsing our websites, reading emails, and downloading educational materials. In this way, we are able to better support the product selection process.

Pardot tracks visitor and prospect activities on solvay.com and Pardot landing pages by setting cookies on your browser upon your prior consent. These cookies are set to remember preferences (like form field values) when you return to our site. Pardot also sets a cookie for logged-in users to maintain the session and remember table filters. For additional information regarding cookies, please consult our cookie policy.

You may opt out of this marketing program at any time by visiting this unsubscribe page and submitting your email address.

 

Using Solvay websites with third-parties

Our websites allow you to interact with a wide variety of other digital products and services. For example, our websites can integrate with third-party platforms to improve your overall digital experience. Your privacy rights on third-party platforms will be governed by their respective policies. The policies of those platforms govern the data that resides there.

Our websites may provide links to other (third-party) websites and apps for your convenience or information. Linked sites and apps have their own privacy notices or policies, which we strongly encourage you to review. To the extent any linked websites or apps are not owned or controlled by us, we are not responsible for their content, any use of the websites, or the privacy practices of the websites.

 

Children

Solvay does not knowingly collect personal data from children without insisting that they seek prior parental consent if required by applicable law.

 

Changes to Solvay’s privacy policy

Applicable law and our practices change over time. If we decide to update our Policy, we will post the newest version on our websites. We strongly encourage you to read our Policy and regularly check for any changes.

 

Questions and feedback

If you have any questions, remarks, or suggestions about this privacy statement and the practices of our websites, please contact Solvay’s Data Protection and Privacy Office who will redirect you, if applicable according to local legal requirements, to the Data Protection Officer in your country. To do so, you can send us an email at privacy@solvay.com.