Around 250'000 tons of VOC are used annually in the production processes of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry as starting materials or as solvents. Through appropriate measures only a small part escapes into the environment. Between 1993 and 2010 the VOC emissions could be lowered from 3500 to 860 tons annually corresponding to a reduction by more than 75 % and thus equivalent to less than 1% of the total amount of VOC actually used.