The chemical industry creates an immense variety of products which impact virtually every aspect of our lives. While many of the products from the industry, such as detergents, soaps and perfumes, are purchased directly by the consumer others are used as intermediates to make other products. For example, in Europe, 70% of chemicals manufactured are used to make products by other industries, including other branches of the chemical industry itself. The industry uses a wide range of raw materials, from air and minerals to oil.