substitution 1.0

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Substitution 1.0 – the art of delivering toxic-free products Also introducing – REACH SIN* LIST (*SUBSTITUTE IT NOW!)

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DESCRIPTION

As new information emerges on the potential dangers of hazardous chemicals, and as consumer awareness grows, individual companies are waking up to the implications for their brand image and overall competitiveness. This report takes a closer look at various aspects of substitution and describes the substitution efforts of progressive businesses, some of them in the ChemSec Business Group.

TRANSCRIPT

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Substitution 1.0 – the art of delivering toxic-free products

Also introducing– REACH SIN* lISt (*SubStItutE It Now!)

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ChemSec promotes dialogue and collaboration between

NGOs and industry. Companies highlighted in this report have

kindly contributed with articles about their substitution work.

ChemSec is solely responsible for all other texts.

Published in September 2008

Authors: Per Rosander, Nardono Nimpuno

Contributing authors: • Anders Finnson• Zoran Gavric• Daniel Paska• Mattias Bodin• Erik Arnberg• Göran Gerth• Laura Degallaix• Emma Sjögren• Danielle Freilich

Printed by Billes Tryckeri, Sept 2009

on Munken Pure 200 and 120 g

Layout by formera reklam

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indexPreface 2

Understandingtheproblem 4

Whichsubstancesshouldbesubstituted? 5

TheReACHSin*List(*Substituteitnow!) 8

Findingasuitablesubstitute 11

Substitutionthroughoutthesupplychain 12

Substitutionmakesbusinesssense 14

Collaborationforsubstitution 16

–eureau 18

–SaraLee 22

–Sonyericsson 24

–H&M 26

–FredButler 28

–nCC 30

–BeUC 32

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PReFACe

Ourbodiescontaintracesofupto200industrialchemicalsdevelopedduring

thepast75years.Somewidelyusedchemicalslastfordecades,travellong

distancesfromtheirpointoforigin,andincreaseinconcentrationasthey

moveupthefoodchain.Manyofthemcanalsocauseserioushealthproblems

forhumansandanimals,suchascancerandreproductivedisorders.The

presenceofthesechemicalsinhumantissue,umbilicalcordblood,breast

milk,foodandhouseholddustgivesaclearsignalthatcompaniesmust

changethewaytheyviewtheirmanufacturingprocessesandtheingredients

thatgointotheirproducts.

Asnewinformationemergesonthepotentialdangersofhazardous

chemicals,andasconsumerawarenessgrows,individualcompaniesare

wakinguptotheimplicationsfortheirbrandimageandoverallcompetitive­

ness.Agrowingnumberofcorporationsarethereforetakingacloserlook

atthechemicalstatusoftheirproductsandreappraisingtheirproduction

processes.Thegoalisclear:totakecontroloverthechemicalsthatentertheir

operations.

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the power of substitution

Thelogicalandmosteffectivesolutionistoeliminatethiswidespreadtoxicproblematthesource.Thiscanbeachievedbysubstitutingchemicalsofhighconcernwithlessdangerouschemicalsorwithnewtechnologies.Thestrategyofeliminat­inghazardsthroughsubstitutionhasalonghistorywithinthechemicalindustry.intheaftermathofseveralseriouschemi­calaccidentsinthe1970s,chemicalcompaniesdevelopedan“inherentsafety”strategy,whichbasicallymeantavoidinghazardousmaterialsandchemicalsratherthanattemptingavirtuallyimpossibledamagecontroleffortthroughoutsociety.Substitutionisalsoaprovendriverforinnovation,leadingtothedevelopmentofproductsthataremoreproductiveandnolongerbasedondubiouschemicalsandoutdatedprocesses.

Legislatorsarestrivinginthesamedirection.Thenewchemi­calslegislationintheeuropeanUnion–ReACH–isagoodexample.itspreambleclearlystatesthattheobjectiveis“toencourageandincertaincasestoensurethatsubstancesofhighconcernareeventuallyreplacedbylessdangeroussubstancesoftechnologieswheresuitableeconomicallyandtechnicallyviablealternativesareavailable”.Asakeypartofthiseffort,theeUisnowintheprocessofestablishingalistofsubstancesofveryhighconcern,whichwillbesubjecttostrictregulation,includingnewmeasuresimposedonindustry.

the challenges of substitution

Switchingtosaferchemicalsisnotalwaysaneasytask.Asub­stitutionstrategyraisesanumberofchallengesforcompanies,including:

Whichofthechemicalspresentinourproductsandmanu­facturingprocessesareunacceptableandneedtobesub­stituted?

Whatcanbeusedinstead?Howdoweavoidreplacingoneproblematicsubstancewithanother?

Howcansubstitutionbesupportedthroughmanagementsystemsandhowshoulditbecommunicatedinternallyandexternally?

infinancialterms:Howcanweaffordtoperformsubstitu­tioninacompetitiveenvironment?Howcanasubstitutioneffortbeturnedintobusinessopportunities?Whatisthecostofnotreplacingadoubtfulchemical?

the reach sin list – why wait?

Thisreportgivesexamplesofhowsomecompaniesarealreadyintegratingsubstitutionintotheirsustainabilitystrategy.italsodescribeshowadvocacygroupsarecomingtogethertosendastrongmessagetobusinessthatthetimeforefficientsubstitutionhascome.Topromotethespeedyreplacementofanumberofhazardouschemicals,thesegroupshavedevelopedtheReACHSinlist,basedonReACHcriteria.

Theuseoftoxicchemicalsrepresentsaserious,long­termthreattomankindandwildlife.Byconsciouslyandambitiouslydrivingsubstitutionforward,legislatorsandbusinesscanmakegreatcontributionstowardsatoxic­freeenvironment.Solet’sallgetengagedandbecomeexpertsintheartofdeliveringtoxicfreeproducts!

Brussels,September17,2008

PerRosander,director,ChemSec

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UndeRSTAndingTHePROBLeM

Whenitcomestothecomplexuniverseofdanger­ouschemicals,ourknowledgeisminimalatbest.Onlyabouttenpercentofthechemicalsinusetodayhavebeentestedtoadegreethatmightbeconsideredsufficient.evenmoredisturbingisourlackofunderstandingoftheenvironmentalfateofthesechemicals.Perhapsachemicalisusedinonecountry,whereitposesahealthriskforwork­ersintheplantwhereitisused.Thechemicalisthenincorporatedintotheproduct,transmittedthroughtheproductchain,andperhapsendsupasapollutantintheArcticorinthehomesofconsumersinothercountries.Thisintricateweboftransportsandexposuresmakesitextremelydif­ficulttoaccuratelydetectandmonitortheeffectsofachemical.insomecases,theonlyinforma­tionavailableisbio­monitoringdata–whichtellusonlythatasubstanceispresentinthebloodstreamortissueofhumansorwildlife.

Anotherwaytolearnmoreabouttheimpactofchemicalsistoexaminewhatcomesoutofsocietyintheformofsolidwasteandsewage.Somesubstancesofconcerntoeureau,theasso­ciationofeuropeandrinkingwaterandwastewatertreatmentoperators,aresilver,nonylphenols,mercuryandtriclosan.Silver,atoxicheavymetal,leaksfromx­rayclinicsandphotographiclaboratories.Althoughtheamountreleasedfromthesesourc­eshasdecreasedinrecentyears,silverisstillhighlypresent

iswastewater.Theuseofsilverinconsumerproducts,suchaswashingmachines,sportsclothing,andswimmingpools,isrising.nonylphenoletoxylates,whichareoftenusedintextilesandarangeofotherproducts,degradetotoxicnonylphenolthatbio­accumulateintheenvironment–threateningaquaticenvi­ronmentsinparticular.Mercuryhastraditionallybeenusedindentalcarebutisnowincreasinglyreplacedbysaferalternatives.Triclosanisfoundintoothpastesandcosmetics,plastics,textilesandfoodpackaging,andisknowntobeharmfultohumansandtotheenvironment.Readeureau’sarticleonpage18.

the answer lies upstream

nodoubtanaccuratelistofknownandcurrentlyunknowntoxicpollutantswouldbeverylong.Thecomplexityofthechemicaluniversedemandsthatwegotothesourceofpro­blemsandfindsafersolutions.Thismeanstravellingupstreamthetoxicpathway,wherewecanshutthetapsoftoxicchemi­calsthatarepouringintooursociety.Solet’stakeacloserlook

atwhatneedstobedonetoachievethisgoal.

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WHiCHSUBSTAnCeSSHOULdBeSUBSTiTUTed?

Thisisreallythefirstquestiontoask.inasocietywithtensofthousandsofchemicalsindailyuse,whichonesshouldwefocusonandfindalterna­tivesfor?Thedebateoverwhichchemicalstoprioritizehasbeengoingonfordecades.

Justlookattheplethoraofverydiversechemicalregulations,rules,policies,phase­outlists,restrictedmaterialslists,avoidancelists,etc,thathavebeenintroducedovertheyears.Theyhavebeendevelopedandusedbycompaniesandauthoritiesorpresentedinprocurementguide­linesandngOcampaigns,forexample.Allofthisrepresentsthevariousapproachesofdifferentstakeholderstodealingwiththeseriousproblemofdangerouschemicalsinproductsandprocesses.

Whatweneedarereliableandeffectiveinstru­mentstosafeguardthefuturefromharmcausedbydangerouschemicals.Havingtherightsysteminplace,includinganhonestandaccuratelistofchemicalsforthepurposeofsubstitution,isthereforevitalforanycompanystrivingformorepredictabilityandfewerunpleasantsurprises.Thisistruenotonlyforcompaniesthatusechemicalsassuch,butalsoforvirtuallyeverycompanythatbuysandsellsproductsonthemarket.Afterall,almostallproductscontainchemicalsinsomeform.

insuring the future with an effective chemicals policy

Sowhatisthebestapproachtodevelopingamoreefficientsystemfordealingwithpresentandfuturedangersarisingfromhazardouschemicals?

Obviously,weshouldfirstidentifythechemicalswiththemosthazardousproperties–andthendoeverythingpossibletoreplacethem.Legalrequirementshavebeendevelopingwiththisapproachinmind.WhentheeUdecidedabouttenyearsagotooverhaulexistingchemicalcontrolpolicies,theconceptofsubstitutionbecameacornerstone.Thiseffortresultedinaradicallynewapproachtocontrollingchemicals,andwasfor­mallyadoptedin2007astheReACHregulation.

inlinewiththis,theeUdecidedtodefinealistofsubstancesofhighconcern.Thesesubstanceswillbescrutinizedinordertoreducenegativeeffectsonhealthandtheenvironment.Thecontinueduseofthesechemicalswillonlybeallowedbyobtainingalicenceor“Authorisation”.Theselicencesarelimit­edintimeandtodefineduses.

Morespecifically,Authorisationwillonlybegivenifthesub­stanceinquestionisdeemednecessary.inotherwords,alicencewillbegivenonlyifthebenefitsofthecontinueduseofadangerouschemicaloutweightherisksorifthepotentialrisksareconsideredtobelimitedorare“adequatelycontrolled”inthelanguageoftheregulation.Theresponsibilityforseekingauthorisationliessolelywiththeproducerorimporterofasub­stance.Theprocessincludesacomprehensiveinvestigationandrequiresthoroughdocumentationofthechemical’shazardsandriskstohealthandtheenvironment.

Theauthorisationprocesswillbecumbersomeandcostly.inaddition,therearenoguaranteesthatauthorisationwillbeawarded–evenafteracompanyhasinvestedhugeamountsofresourcesandtimetodefenditsuse.Whatismore,competitors

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andotherthirdpartieswillbeabletochallengeanyattempttogetapermitbypresentingasolutionthatinvolveslessdanger­oussubstances.TheeuropeanUnionisobligedbyReACHtoconsideravailableinformationaboutalternativeswhenmakingjudgementsaboutwhetherornottograntauthorisationforasubstance.

what makes a substance a high concern?

ReACHhasbroughtaboutaunifiedsystemfordefiningthecriteriathatdeterminewhichchemicalsarehazardousandthereforeunwanted.ithasalsoinstalledaproceduretopublic­izethislistofchemicals,andhasdevelopedaprocessforthegradualphasingoutoftheseso­calledSubstancesofVeryHighConcern(SVHCs)fromthemarketplace.

ReACHstatesthatanSVHCshouldhaveatleastoneofthefollowingcharacteristics:

• CMRs:Carcinogenic,MutagenicortoxictoReproduction• PBTs:Persistent,BioaccumulativeandToxic• vPvBs:VeryPersistentorVeryBioaccumulative• Substances of equivalent level of concern:Thesearechemi­

calsthatdonotnecessarilyfallintoanyoftheabovecate­gories,buthavenonethelessproventocausesimilaralevelofharmtohumanhealthortheenvironment.Hormonedis­ruptingchemicals,so­calledendocrinedisruptors,areexamplesfromthiscategory.

ThesecharacteristicsareclearlydefinedinReACH,withtheexceptionof“substancesofequivalentlevelofconcern”,whichiscurrentlythesubjectofheateddebate.estimatessuggestthatthereareroughly2000knownSVHCscurrentlyinuseineurope.However,severalofthesesubstances,suchaspesticid­es,areexemptfromReACHsincetheyarecoveredbyotherlegislationorforotherreasons.Therefore,thenumberofSVHCsthatqualifyfortheauthorisationisactuallylower.

ThelistingofSVHCsfollowsabasicprocess.MemberstatesoreUauthoritiesnominatedangerouschemicalstobeplacedonaCandidatelist.SubstancesontheCandidatelistwillbegraduallytransferredtoanofficialAuthorisationList.ChemicalsontheAuthorisationListaresubjecttotheAuthorisationpro­

cedure,whichmeansthatcompaniesthatwishtousethesub­stancemustfirstrequestanauthorisationfromeUauthorities

foritscontinueduse.

a step forward – but a very slow one

ThefactthateUauthorities,withthebackingofits27memberstates,andwithinputfromindustry,civilsocietyandthescientificcommunity,haveestablishedcriteriafordefininghighconcernchemicalsisamajorstepforwardinmodernchemicalsmanagement.italsogivesclearguidancetoconsumersandindustryconcerningchemicalsthatshouldbeavoided,whileopeningopportunitiestointroducehomogenousrules,predict­abilityandcertaintyonthemarketplace.

inreality,however,listingofSVHCsforauthorisationisseverelyhamperedbytheanticipatedworkloadforeuropeanauthori­ties.Authorisationprocedureswillnotonlybeanexhaustiveprocessforcompanies,butwillalsoplaceahugeburdenontheeuropeanChemicalsAgency(eCHA)andnationalauthoritiestoinvestigatealloftheusesforwhichcompanieswantpermits.infearofoverloadingthesystem,eUofficialshavethereforeaskedmemberstatestonominateonlyahandfulofsubstanc­estotheofficialCandidatelist,whichwillbeissuedbyeCHAbeforeJune2009.eCHApredictsthatitwillonlybepossibletohandleabout10­20substanceseachyearintheauthorisa­tionprocess.Asaconsequence,the27eUcountrieshaveonlynominatedatotalof16substancesascandidateSVHCs,asofSeptember2008.

Thisbottleneckcreatesadiresituation,inwhichsubstancesthatclearlymeettheSVHCcriteriamightnotentertheautho­risationprocessfordecades.Thismeansunacceptabledelaysincleaningupthestreamofhazardoussubstances.italsomain­tainstheambiguityforcompaniesregardingwhatsubstancesregulatorswillrestrictinthefuture–asituationthatReACHwasmeanttochange.

TheinclusionofasubstanceontheCandidatelistpreparesthewayforinclusionintheauthorisationsystem.italsohasimportantconsequencesintermsofthegatheringanddispers­ingofinformationabouttherelevantchemical,suchaswhatinformationmustbeprovidedtoconsumers.

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THeReACHSin*LiST*(SUBSTiTUTeiTnOW!)

Awell­functioningchemicalsmanagementsystemrequiresamanageablelistofsubstancesthatmanufacturers,distributors,retailersandconsumerscanrefertowhensearchingforbetteralternatives.Agoodbasisforthelistwouldbethecriteriaforsubstancesofveryhighconcernthat27europeangovernmentshavealreadyagreedon.Thislistwouldthenalsobeanexcellenttooltouseinacorporatesustainabilitystrategy.Bycom­plyingwiththelistearlyon,acompanyisabletoavoidbeingtrappedinaburdensomepermitprocesslateron.

AbroadrangeofadvocacygroupshavebeenmovingforwardwiththisstrategybyresearchingwhichsubstancesonthemarketactuallyfulfiltheReACHcriteria.Theyincludeleadingenvironmental,Humanhealth,Consumer,Women’sandLabourgroups,whichhavepooledtheirresourcesandfocustogatherinformationonpotentialSVHCs,basedontheofficialReACHcriteria.Thesubstancesthatthiscollaborativeprojecthasidentifiedmakeupthepublicinterestadvocacylist,orthe

ReACHSinList,whereSinstandsforSubstituteitnow.

aim of the project

Theprojecthasbeendevelopedtofast­trackurgenthigh­concernsubstancesonthemarketforsubstitution.Theaimisto:

influencetheofficialAuthorisation“workinglist”thatwillbedraftedbytheeuropeanChemicalsAgencyin2009,andtoprovideeuropeanauthoritieswithinfor­mationonassessmentsmadeandexpertknowledgeonthesesubstances.

encouragetheauthoritiestoproposeandprioritizetheSin*Listsubstancesintheauthorisationpro­cedure.

Provideadvancedguidancerelatingtohighconcernchemicalsforcompanies(mainlydownstreamusers),consumersandregulators.

the reach sin list

TheSinList,launchedinSeptember2008,isacomprehensiblelistofsubstancesidentifiedbyChemSecasfulfillingthecriteriafor“substanceofveryhighconcern”aslaiddowninReACH.

ThesubstancesontheSinListhavebeenselectedonthebasisofindependent,publiclyavailablescientificresearchconfirm­ingthattheyfulfiltheofficialcriteriaforSVHCdesignation.Toxicological,eco­toxicologicaleffects,biomonitoringandepidemiologicalstudies,aswellasdatabasesonusepatterns(e.g.ifthesubstanceispresentinconsumerproducts,etc),havebeenusedasthebasisforinclusionofsubstances.

Fromtheextensivelistofaround2000substancesthatfulfilthecriteria,aselectionwasmadethatexcludedsubstancesthatareexemptedfromauthorisation,suchaspesticides,certainintermediatesduringmanufacture,etc.Theprojectfocusesparticularlyonchemicalsthatconsumersmightbeexposedto.Thisincludeschemicalsusedeverywhereinourdailylife,suchasindetergentsandpaints,inelectronics,inresidentialbuildings,toys,apparelandclothes.Manyofthesesubstancesarehighlyhazardousandarepresentinhighlevelsinarticlesaroundus.Still,consumershavelittleornoinforma­tionaboutthesechemicalsandarethereforeunabletoprotectthemselvesfromthehazard.

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“”

“”

[The REACH SIN list] is a prime source of information

about substances of concern that B&Q will use to ensure

that it protects its customers, employees and

the environment. In addition, it will provide

an early warning system for substances that are likely to

appear on the official REACH ‘candidate list’,

enabling B&Q to move towards elimination/substitution of

these chemicals in advance of legislation.

Roy Miller, Chemicals Advisor, B&Q Social Responsibility Team

Fromtheoriginallist,about270substanceshavebeenincludedonthefirstReACHSinlist(version1.0).Thecriteriaforchemi­calsdefinedascarcinogenic,mutagenicortoxictoreproduc­tion(CMR),orarepersistent,bioaccumulativeand/ortoxic(PBT,vPvB).Additionalsubstanceswereincludedbasedonthecriteriaof“equivalentconcern”.

TheSinListisaliving,ongoingprojectthatwillreactandevolveaccordingtonewdevelopmentsandfindings.Asaresult,theSinListwillbecontinuouslyupdatedasnewinformationondangerouschemicalsbecomesavailable.

AdviSoRy CoMMiTTee

TheReACHSinListhasbeendevelopedbyChemSec,theinternationalChemicalSecretariat,throughthecollaboration

ofanAdvisoryCommitteeconsistingofthefollowingorgani­sations:

•BeUC,theeuropeanConsumer’sOrganisation

•CieL,CenterforinternationalenvironmentalLaw,U.S.

•eeB,europeanenvironmentalBureau

•Friendsoftheeartheurope

•ThegreenpeaceeuropeanUnit

•HeAL,theHealthandenvironmentAlliance

•iSTAS,UnioninstituteofWork,environmentandHealth,Spain

•WeCF,Womenineuropeforacommonfuture

•WWF’seuropeanPolicyOffice

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TheReACHSinlistisavailableonwww.sinlist.org

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FindingASUiTABLeSUBSTiTUTe

itisonethingtodeterminewhatshouldbephasedout,andanothertofindasubstitutethatisacceptablefromenvironmental,healthandperformanceperspectives.Choosinganenviron­mentallysoundandcommerciallyviablealterna­tivecanbeaformidablechallenge.

OfcourseanSVHCshouldneverbereplacedwithanotherSVHC.itisthereforeimportanttofirstcheckthatpotentialsubstitutesdonothaveanypropertiesthatwouldqualifythemasSVHCs.

itisalsoimportanttorememberthatnewsolu­tionsdonotalwayshavetoinvolvereplacingonesubstancewithasafersubstance.Perhapsthedesiredfunctionorservicecanbeachievedbyapplyingalternativetechniques,makingchangesinthemanufacturingprocessorredesigningtheproduct.

Forexample,brominatedflame­retardantisusuallyaddedtotheplasticcasesoflaptopstomakethemfireproof.emergingevidenceishoweverprovingthattheuseofandexposuretobrominatedflame­retardantshasasevereimpactonhumanhealth.Amajorglobalcomputermanufacturerdecidedtodealwiththepotentialproblemnotbyreplacingtheflame­retard­antwithanotherchemicalwiththesamespecificfunction,butbymakingthecasesinaluminiuminsteadofplastic.Theresult­ingproducteliminatedtheproblembyeliminatingtheneed(topreventtheplasticcasefromburstingintoflames).nottomentiontheadditionalbenefitofofferingaproductthatstoodoutfromthecompetitionintermsofbothsafetyanddesign.

AnotherexampleofprovidinganalternativetechnologicalsolutionisthegermanLindegroup,ownerofthegarmentcleaningchainFredButler®.in2007,thecompanyannounced

afurther50millioneuroinvestmentinoutletsandcleaningfacilitiesbasedonaCO2­cleaningtechnique,analternativetoconventionalperchloroethylene­baseddrycleaning.Accordingtothecompany’sCeO,theinvestment“willmakeasustainablecontributiontoprotectingtheenvironment–andtocreatingnewjobs.”Readmoreonpage28.

Whenitcomestosimplyreplacingadangeroussubstancewithalessdangerousalternative,ReACHwillactuallyprovidemethodsforsearchinginformationaboutalternatives.WhenasubstancegetsontheofficialCandidatelistforauthorisation,interestedpartiesareformallyinvitedtocontributewithinfor­mationaboutalternatives.TheeuropeanChemicalsAgency(eCHA)willpostabroadrangeofinformationonuses,includ­ingdeadlines“bywhichinformationonalternativesubstancesortechnologiesmaybesubmittedbyinterestedthirdparties.”Followupinformationwillalsobeposted,andwillbetakenintoaccountbytheauthoritieswhenjudgingwhetherornotasuitablealternativeisavailable.

dependingonthetypeofproduct,companiesusevariousmethodstofindsuitablealternatives.SaraLeeisoneexample.FragrancesareanimportantpartoftheSaraLeebrand.Toremovetoxicsubstances,thecompanyaskedtherelevantfragrancehousestodevelopnewrawmaterialsforfragrancesthatcomplywithCiPrequirements.inparallel,thecompany’sR&ddepartmentsbeganre­formulatingtheproductsaffect­edandperformedextensivetesting,likestabilityofthenewformulations,biophysicalandsensoryevaluations.Afragranceexpertpanelalsoensuredthatthesmellsensationofthenewfragrancesmatchedtherelevantproductsperfectly.

AnotherexamplefromSaraLeeinvolvedfindingasubstituteforTriclosanusedinitsanti­bacterialliquidhandsoaps.ithadtobeatleastaseffectiveandoffercomparableperformanceandcompatibilityintheformulation.Thesolutionwaslacticacid,whichhasverylowtoxicityandoccursnaturallyinthehumanbody.SaraLee’sinnovativeapproachtosubstitutionis

describedindetailintheirarticleonpage22.

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SUBSTiTUTiOnTHROUgHOUTTHeSUPPLyCHAin

Onceadecisionhasbeentakentoreplaceasubstancewithabetteralternative,anewchallengeappears,particularlyforcompanieswithawideproductrangeandnumeroussuppliersspreadoutovertheglobe.Thenewchallengeishowtomakesurethechangeisimplementedthroughoutthecompanyproductcyclewhensomanysuppliersanddistributorsareinvolved?

WhenSustainabilityManagersdiscusstheircompany’schemicalspoliciestheyoftenexpressfrustrationoverthefactthateventhoughthecompanyhasdoneitsinternalhomework,suchasanalyzeditspro­ductsandprocesses,identifiedthechemicalsitwantstoremoveandestablishedinternalroutinestodoit,thecompanyisoftenhamperedinachievingitschemicalsambitionsduetonon­compliancebyitssuppliers.

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Sony eRiCSSon MoBile CoMMuniCATionSisaglobalproviderofmobilemultimediadevices.itsmobilehandsetsandaccessoriesareproducedinAsia,andcanbepurchasedtheworldover.Tobeabletoreachenvironmentaltargets,Sonyericssonworkstogetherwithsuppliersofcomponentstoidentifycomponentswheresubstancesofconcernareusedandtophaseoutthesesubstancesfromtheirproducts.Toinformandhelpsupplierstounderstandthecompany’srequirements,thecompanyarrangesworkshopsandtrainingsessionsonenvironmentalissuesregardingsubstances.Sonyericssonwritesintheirarticleinthisreport:“Thesesessionsareheldwithindividualsuppliers,onsitewhenneeded,whereweindetailcandiscusschallengesandpotentialsolutionstothem.Thesefacetofacemeetingsresultinmutualconfidenceandtrust,andhelpbothusasaglobalproviderofmobiledevicesandoursupplierstodevelopandincreaseourknowledgeoftheproductsweareproducing.”

Sonyericssonhasalsointroducedafullyautomatedsystemtoobtainmaterialdeclarationsforallcomponentsandparts.Thesystemgivescontrolofsubstancesinproductsandhelpsthecompanytophaseoutunwantedsubstances.Readmoreonpage24.

H&M iS AnoTHeR good exAMPle. Thesupplychainofaconsumerproductlikeagarmentisoftenverylongandcom­plicatedwithvarioussubcontractorsspreadoutgeographically.Foratypicalgarment,thesesubcontractorscouldincludefar­mers,traders,spinners,weaver,dyemills,printers,accessoriesproducersandchemicalmanufacturers.Togettherightinfor­mationthroughtoallinvolvedpeopleisprobablythebiggestchallengeingettingcompliantproducts.Therefore,H&Mhaschemistsemployedattheirofficesintheproductionmarketswhofrequentlyvisitsuppliersandtheirsubcontractors.ThepurposeoftheirworkistomakesurethatH&M’srequirementsarewellknownandunderstoodthroughoutthesupplychain,andthatsuppliershaveasuitablechemicalmanagementsysteminordertopreventandavoidanynon­compliance.Readthecompletearticleonpage26.

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PHOTOgRAPHeRPetergehrke

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SUBSTiTUTiOnMAkeSBUSineSSSenSe

Toagrowingextent,companiesaretakinggreatercontroloversocialandsustainabilityaspectsoftheirproduction.Communicationtowardscustomers,clientsandconsumersaboutgreeningchoicesandpoliciesarebecominganintegralpartofnotonlytheplanningsessionsofPRdepartments,butalsopartofeverystepintheoperationsofsuccessfulfirms.Brandimageanddispersionofinformationarekeyfactorsinthisprocess.

Formanymulti­nationalsbrandimageisasessentialasensuringthequalityoftheproductsprovided.inanincreasinglycompetitivemarket,thereputationofabrandcanmakeorbreakacompany.Thebrand,withthecorevalues,assurancesandinspirationitcommunicatestotargetgroups,hasagrowingimpactonthemarketvalueofthecompanyitself.

Proactivechemicalspolicieswillplayanincreasinglyimportantroleinacompany’sfinancialstabilityandlong­termcompetitiveness.inthewordsoftheSustainabilityManagerofalargemultinational,chemi­calspolicyisreallyallabout“future­proofingourprojects”.14

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gRowing ConSuMeR AwAReneSS

Advancementsincommunicationtechnology,havemadetheworldmuchsmaller.Thismeansthatdifferentactors,fromregulatorstoconsumers,havebecomemoreawareofdifferentaspectsofthemanufactureofaproduct,evenwhenthispro­ductiontakesplaceindistantpartsoftheworld.Childlabour,whichwascommonplaceintheproductionofavastrangeofconsumergoodsnotmanyyearsago,isnowdeemedunac­ceptablebymultinationalsandconsumersalike.environmentalconsiderationsaredevelopinginthesamedirection.Consumerswanttoknowhow,andunderwhatcircumstances,thepro­ductstheybuyaremade.

informationismorerapidlyandwidelydispersedthaneverbefore.Unforeseenaccidents,scandalsandevenscares,well­foundedornot,haveimmediateimpactsonmarketsharesandbrandreputations.Whatismore,theintroductionofReACHwillhavefar­reachingconsequencesforcompaniesbothinsideandoutsidetheeuropeanUnion.Forthecompanythatdoesnothavethestructuresinplacetooverviewandcontrolitspro­ductsandproductionprocesses,revelationsonthepresenceofhazardoussubstancescanhavefar­reachingconsequences.

BeUC,theeuropeanConsumersOrganisation,keepstrackofregulatorsandindividualcompaniesaliketoensurethatcon­sumersareprotected.BeUCwantsmanufacturersofconsumergoodstoshouldertheircorporateresponsibilitybyactivelyshiftingawayfromproducts,processesandmaterialscontain­ingpotentialhighconcernchemicals.intheirarticleonpage32,BeUCsaysthat“hazardous substances, such as substan-ces of very high concern, hormonal disrupters, sensitizers and neuro toxics, should be replaced with safer chemicals whenever

possible, in particular when contained in products with which consumers are in close and/or regular contact”.

investorsarepickinguponthisawarenessaswell.Toensurethatinvestmentsgointo“future­proof”productsandmarkets,considerationsthatinthepastbelongedtotherealmofpublicinterestorganizations,arebecomingadailyrealityinlong­termfinancialstrategies.Aspectsofcorporatesocialresponsibilityandsustainabilityandarebecomingkeyconsiderationsinlong­termstrategicthinking.Thisincludesavoidanceofhigh­riskchemicals,whicharelikelytocomeunderfutureregulatorypressure.

Aglimpseintothisbold,newfuturecanbefoundintheupcomingreportREACH Benchmark: Financial Implications of the Authorization Phase of REACHissuedbytheinternationalStrategicinvestmentAdvisoryfirminnovest.ByanalyzingtheReACHregulationcurrentlyunderimplementation,whiletakingintoaccountthesubstancesidentifiedintheReACHSinList,innovestdevelopsanalysisoffutureliabilitiesandrisksforthecompaniesincontactwithrelevanthighconcernchemicals.www.innovestgroup.com

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Asmanycompaniesambitiouslypursuingachemicalspolicy(beita“Restrictedmaterialsprogram”,compliancewithdifferinglegalrequirements,oraphase­outplanondangeroussubstances)havediscovered,thesuccessofsuchapolicy,attheendoftheday,islargelydependentonaconstructiveresponsefromthedifferentactorsinthecompany’ssupply­chain.evenrela­tivelylargecompaniesoftenencounterproblemsininfluencingsuppliersinfar­awayplacesthatarealsotryingtoaccommodatealargerangeofclients.

Communicationinthesupply­chainiskeytoimplementinganambitiouschemicalspolicy.inaddition,increasedleverageisoftenachiev­edbycoordinatingandaligningthedemandsplacedonsuppliers.Onewaytoachievethisissimplythroughregulation.Minimumcompliancemovesstakeholderstointroducethesamesetofdemandsonthesuppliersofproductsandserviceswithinacertainsector.

Asdescribed,thiswillbeacorebenefitofReACH.Withamark­etof492millionconsumers,companieswillhavetorequirethesameminimumlevelsofchemicalsinformationandsafetyfromtheirsuppliersoutsidetheeuropeanUnion.

inaddition,ambitiouscompanieswithinthesamesector,dealingwiththesamesuppliers,canaligntheirpoliciesandrequirementsvis­à­vistheirsuppliersinordertoensurefacilitatedsuppliercompliance.

Thesuccessofthistypeofcollaborationistrulyremarkable,andincludescaseswheredirectcompetitorscommunicateandcooperatetoinfluencethesupply­chain.

Further,companiestakingpartinsuchcoordinatingeffortsoftendiscoverthatwhilestillrespectingbusinesssensitivitiesandconfidentialinformationonoperations,afruitfulcommu­nicationonsolutionsandcommoninterestisfacilitatedtothebenefitofthecompaniesinvolved.

Anaddedvalueofaligningthedemandsonchemicaluseisthatitactuallyhelpssuppliers:insteadofhavingtoadapttoseveraldifferentsetsofcriteria,supplierscanofferproductsaccordingtoaunifiedsetofdemands.

ThiswasthecasewhennCCandotherconstructionindustriesdevelopedtheBASTA­systeminSweden.inordertogainbettercontroloveranextremelyheterogeneousmarketofbuildingproducts,thesecompaniesdevelopedcriteriaforchemicalscontrolinbuildingproductsonthemarket.Theongoingpro­gramgivessuppliersandclientsalikeanoverviewofproductsthatliveuptothestandardsoftheconstructionindustry.Seethearticleonpage30.

AnotherexcellentexampleistheAFiRMcollaborationdescribedinthisreportinthearticlebymultinationalretailerH&M.ForH&M,thebenefitsofjoiningthisgroupoftenmajorretailersareclear.Apartfromtheobviousadvantageoffacilitatedsupp­liercompliancetothecompany’schemicalspolicy,thegroupprovidesauniqueforumforexchangingexperiences–andoffersatangibleexampleofthecompany’scommitmenttoCorporateSocialResponsibility.Readmoreonpage26.

COLLABORATiOnFORSUBSTiTUTiOn

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Chemicals used in modern-day society enter the sewer systems from households and consumer products, from consumer services, industrial discharges, or simply through urban rain-water. To be able to work for a sustainable water environment with respect to European drinking water abstraction and wastewater treatment, it is necessary to have a sustainable use of chemical substances within the urban water cycle.

AS wASTewATeR TReATMenT PlAnTS (wwTP)cannottreatallkindsofdischarges,restrictionsonwastewaterdischargehavetobebackedbyadditionaleuropeanrestrictionsonmarketauthorisation.Often,itisnotpossibletotreatnon­biodegrad­ablechemicalsubstancescomingtoWWTPfromcities.Thesesubstancesmaydestroytheimportantnitrogenremovalpro­cessanddecreasesludgequality,therebyreducingthepossibi­lityofrecyclingvaluablephosphorousforagriculturalland.

drinkingwateroperatorshavesimilarconcerns.non­biode­gradablechemicalsubstancesinwatercatchmentareaswillalsoreducethequalityofeuropeandrinkingwatersources.drinkingwatercatchmentareasmustbeprotectedagainstcontaminationby(hazardous)substanceswhoseremovalwouldrequireadditionalpurificationtreatment(seearticle7ofWaterFrameworkdirective(WFd)).

TakingintoaccountwaterandsludgequalityrequirementsintheeU,operatorsofWWTPmayinthefuturebeplacedinadifficultposition,astheycanhardlycontrolthequalityofincomingurbanwastewater(inparticular,thepriorityhazard­oussubstances)whilsthavingtomeetrequirementsforsludgeanddischargeintotheaquaticenvironment.

ReACH iS iMPoRTAnT foR wATeR oPeRAToRSasitcreatesthepossibilityifhavingabetterproductcontrolstrategy.Forthewaterindustry,thereisneedforastrongimplementationofReACHinorderto:

•havewell­functioningtreatmentprocessesineuropeanWWTP

•obtainaqualityoftheinfluentstoWWTPandeffluentsfromstormwater,makingitpossibletofulfiltherequirementsof

theWaterFrameworkdirectiveofPrioritySubstances(eQS)inthereceivingwatersandthetoaquaticenvironment

•minimisetheenergyuseofthetreatmentprocesses

•improvethequalityofsludgetoincreaseitsuseasanagriculturefertiliserandsoilconditioner.

THeRe iS A CleAR needtohaveimprovedeuropeancontrolofchemicalsubstancesatsource,bothforsustainablewastewatertreatmentandforsustainabledrinkingwaterproduction.Thiscanbeachievedthroughan“upstreamapproach”.

WiththepresentweakproposaloftheWFdonPrioritySubstances,ReACHturnsouttobewaterandwastewateroperators’mostimportantinstrumenttocontrolchemicalsatthesource.Withoutastrong,implementedReACH,itisunlikelythatwateroperatorswillseelesshazardouschemicalsdischargedfromtheurbanwatercatchmentareaintowaste­watertreatmentplants.AeuropeanUnionwithoutthepossi­bilitytobettercontrolchemicalsatsourcewillmakeitdifficultformanywaterandwastewateroperatorstofulfilrelevantdirectivessuchastheeQSinWFd,thedrinkingWaterdirectiveandafutureSludgedirective.

THe uPSTReAM APPRoACH in PRACTiCe: exAMPleS of SilveR, no nylPHenolS, MeRCuRy And TRiCloSAn SilveRcontentinsludgeisaverygoodindicatoroftheuseofsilverwithintheurbanwatercatchmentarea.Thewastewatersectorhasformanyyearsworkedtogetherwithphotographiclaboratories,x­rayclinicsandamateurphotodeveloperstoreducethesilverdischargedintowastewater.Therecentdigitalrevolutionhasdramaticallydecreasedsilverleakageintothewastewatertreatmentworks.

Swedishfarmershaveunderlinedthatnotallimpactsofsilveronthemicrobiologicalsoilactivityareknown,andtheythere­foreputhighpressureonthewastewatersectortodecreasesilverinsludge.

Overtheyears,silveremissionshavedecreased,however,todaythereisagainanemergingpressuretousesilverinseveralproducts.

THeURBAnWATeRCyCLe,ReACH,AndTHeneedFORAn“UPSTReAMAPPROACH”

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inthelastfiveyears,productsemittingsilverintowastewaterhaveagainbecomemorecommononthemarket.examplesincludewashingmachinesthatusesilverionsasbactericide,theuseofsilverasabactericideinswimmingpools,andinsportsclothingandapparel.ifalltheseproductsenterthemarketthroughtheseproducts,itwillbedifficulttomaintainthenecessarytrendofreducingsilverinwastewaterandsludge.

Afteraone­yeardebateinnorwayandSwedenontheenviron­mentaldisadvantagesofsellingandusinghouseholdwashingmachinesthatemitsilverintothewastewater,itseemsthatretailershavestartedtowithdrawthesilver­emittingwashingmachinesfromthemarket.

nonylPHenolethoxylateeasilybreaksdownintheenvironmentintononylphenol.nonylphenolisdifficulttobreakdown,anditbio­accumulatesintheenvironment.itishighlytoxictoaquaticorganismsandcancauseadverselong­termeffectsintheaqua­ticenvironment.nonylphenolalsohasoestrogeneffects,causing,amongotherthings,thefeminisationofmalefish.

nonylphenolisincludedintheWFd(directive2000/60/eC)listofsubstancesandsubstancegroupsthatmustbeprioritisedinworktoachievegoodsurfacewaterstatus.

nonylphenolethoxylatesandnonylphenolshave,untiltheeU­restrictionsin2005,beenusedinplasticsandpaints,asten­sidesincleaningagents,incuttinganddrillingfluids,andusedingluesandemulsifiers.TheyarestillusedoutsidetheeU,andnonylphenolscanthereforeeasilybedetectedinmanyarticlesimportedtotheeU.

despitethe2005restrictions,therearestilltoomanynonyl­phenolsinurbanwastewater.ThemainsourceinSwedishwaste­waters,sludgesandinthereceivingwatersisnowestimatedtobenonylphenolsfromimportedclothes.inseveralinvestigations,nonylphenolsarefoundinhighconcentrationsinmanydifferenttextilessuchaschildrenclothes,towels,andclothesimportedtotheSweden.nonylphenolwasidentifiedasbeingofprimarycon­cerninSwedenwithregardstotheWaterFrameworkdirective.nonylphenolisprobablythemostwidespreadofallprioritysub­stances,anditislikelythatthisisthecaseallovereurope.

Thereisnowanacuteneedforpressureoneuropeantextile

supplierstophaseoutandcontroltheuseofnonylphenolsamongtheirsuppliers.

MeRCuRyisoneofthemosthazardousenvironmentaltoxinsandisathreattohumanhealthandtheenvironment.Mercurycannotbebrokendownbutaccumulatesinsoil,waterandlivingorganisms.Themoremercurythatissuppliedtosociety,thehigheritslevelsintheenvironment.itisthereforeofgreatimportancethattheuseandreleaseofmercuryshouldbeeliminated,particularlyindentalcare.

Themercuryusedindentalamalgamsiscurrentlyanimportantsourceofpollutionineurope.Mercurycanenterthewaterindustry’ssewagesystemsasadiffusepollutant.Studieshaveindicatedthattheuseofamalgamhasbeenidentifiedasthesinglelargestsourceofmercuryinsewagesludge,andcremato­riaarealargesourceofemissionstoairintheUk.Thedischargeofdentalamalgamtosewersshouldberegulatedtoensurethatinthelong­termsuchdiffusesourcesbeeliminatedasasourceofmercurytotheaquaticenvironment.

TodayinSweden,only2­5%ofnewdentalfillingsareofamal­gam.Asaconsequence,themercuryinthewastewaterhasstart­edtodecrease.ThejudgementofthenationalBoardofHealthandWelfareisthatthereisnojustificationforusingamalgaminthecaseofchildrenandyoungpeople.Foradultstheremaybesituationswhereforspecialmedicalreasons,theuseofamalgamonpatientsinhospitalsistheonlyoption.

Ceasingtheuseofusingamalgamineuropeandentalcarewouldhavealargeeffectonmercuryintheeuropeanwaters.

TRiCloSAnisawidelyusedbiocide.itisincludedinmanycon­temporaryconsumerandprofessionalhealth­careproducts,particularlyoralanddermalproducts,butalsoinhouseholditemsincludingplastics,textilesandfoodpackagingmaterials.Concernshavebeenraisedregardingthewidespreaduseoftriclosan,bothasregardsthepotentialforselectionofresist­antbacterialstrainsthatmayconfercross­resistancetootherantimicrobialagents,andasregardsthepotentialharmtotheenvironment.Triclosanisclassifiedas“verytoxictoaquaticorganisms”and“maycauselong­termadverseeffectstotheenvironment”bytheeuropeanCommission.

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TheconclusionsbythenorwegianScientificCommitteeforFoodSafetyare:

“Widespread use of triclosan, including use in cosmetic products, selects for development of triclosan resistance. Since this may contribute to the development and spread of concomitant resistance to clinically important antimicrobial agents, such use represents a public health risk. Therefore, the use of triclosan should be restricted. The current regulation of use of triclosan in cosmetic pro-ducts is, from a toxicological point of view, a matter of concern and it is recommended that human exposure to triclosan be reduced. Moreover, triclosan is classified as an agent that may cause adverse environmental effects and hence the use should be restricted also from an ecotoxicological standpoint.”

Manyeuropeanwatercompaniesareworkingtoinformcon­sumersandretailersaboutavoidinguseofarticlescontainingtriclosan.

nexT STeP – THe need foR A STRong CAndidATe liST And STRiCT AuTHoRiSATion PRoCeSSeUReAUwelcomesReACHasanexcellentopportunityfortheeUtofurthersustainability.indeed,weneedastrongmanaged

ReACHtofacilitatethesustainableprovisionoftheessentialservicesweoffertoseveralhundredmillioneuropeancitizens.ReACHisimportantforeuropeanwaterandwastewateropera­tors,asitpresentsthepotentialtohaveabetterproductcon­trolstrategyforchemicals,throughbetterinformation,saferuseandstricterauthorisationsandrestrictionsforchemicalsinproducts.Thispotential,however,requiresclearprovisionsthatfacilitateastricterauthorisationprocesswhichwillbenefitdownstreamusersaswellasconsumers.

TheauthorisationprocessunderReACHfortheuseofthemosthazardouschemicalsshouldonlybegrantedifnosaferalter­nativesareavailable,andwheresocio­economicadvantagesoutweightherisk.Thisreportisindeedanimportantsteptoshowthewayforward.

AstrongReACHwillbeofgreatimportanceforthesustain­abilityofourbusinessesandalsomuchbetterinlinewiththeobjectivesofarticle174oftheeCTreaty;the principles of pre-ventive action, the principle that environmental damage should as a priority be rectified at source, and that the polluters should pay.

EUREAU is the voice of Europe’s drinking water and waste water operators. The members of EUREAU collectively provide vital water and waste water services to more than 400 million European citizens. We are committed to sustainability in all aspects of our business operations and particularly in the provision of drinking water and waste water services. PHOTOgRAPHeRChatarinaOhlsson

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eU R eAU

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CHALLengeSAndOPPORTUniTieSTOSUBSTiTUTeCHeMiCALSWiTHinSARALee

At Sara Lee, as one of the leading FMCG companies worldwide, we take great pride in ensuring that consumers can trust the quality and safety of our products. That commitment is visible in our ongoing dialogue with regulators, legislators, advocates, experts and others to ensure we collectively identify, communicate and address opportunities for the industry to continuously/further improve their products.

inlinewithourcorporatesocialresponsibility(CSR)commit­ments,wearemanagingaCriticalingredientsProgram(CiP)acrossallhouseholdandbodycareproductcategories.Theprograminvolvesconstantandsystematicreviewsofvariousingredientsandcombinationsofingredientsusedinthemanu­facturingprocessofourproducts.ecosystem,humanhealth,andotherrelatedpotentialeffectsareconsidered.Thereviewsassesshazardousproperties,(legal)regulations,newdevelop­mentsbasedonscientificresearch,newfoundconsumerinsightsanddesiresaswellasexpectationsfrominterestgroupsresultinginarankingofchemicalsinthesocalledCiPList.

eachyear,anactionplanisdeterminedbasedontheCiPList.Aplanforreducingusage/phasing­outand/orhaltinguseofingredientsontheCiPListissharedwithallrelevantprojectmanagers,andtheyarerequiredtoimplementtheirrespectiveaspects.Thisapproachhasproveneffective,withnumerouschemicalshavingbeenremovedfromorsubstitutedinproductformulasinthelastfewyears.

How do we MAke iT woRk?Astrongmotivationtomakethingsworkisasharedbeliefamongemployeesindoingtherightthing,andCiPisaclearexample.Managementkeepsrecognizingtheprogram’simportancebycontinuouslygivingittoppriority.Anotherkeyistoprovidethepeoplethroughoutthecompanytheinfor­mationandtoolsnecessarytomonitortheprogressoftheCiPandthestatusofthechemicalsweuseinourproducts.inthatrespectwemanageacentralChemicalinformationSystemwhichisaccessibletoallSaraLeeemployeesandwhichprovid­esinformationaboutthepropertiesandtheCiPstatusforallchemicalsused(orexpectedtobeused)inourproducts.The“CiPcheck”isalsomadeanintegralpartofstandardactivitieslikenewproductdevelopmentorproductmaintenance.inthiswaywemaintaintheawareness,continuityandtheintegrityoftheprocess.

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exAMPleS of CHAllenging SuBSTiTuTionS in SARA lee PRoduCTSinthepasttwoyears,ourCiPaddressedanumberof(categoriesof)chemicals,including:

•Phthalates(o.a.deP,didP,dinP,dnOP,deHPdBP,BBP)•nitro­Musksandpolycyclic­Musks(PCMs)•Triclosan•PVC

OneoftheverychallengingCiPprojectswastheremovalofPCMsfromourproducts.SincePCMsareanimportantpartofthefra­grancesforwhichmanyofourproductsandbrandsareknown,thiswasregardedasbusiness­sensitiveandhighrisk.

Weorganizedanextensiveprojectincooperationwiththeinvolvedfragrancehouses,fromwhichwerequestednewrawmaterials(i.e.,fragrances)accordingtothenewCiPrequirements.inparallel,allrelevantSaraLeeR&ddepartmentsstartedneces­saryre­formulatingtheproductsaffected.Therequiredtests,likestabilityofthenewformulations,bio­physicalandsensory

evaluationswereallperformedbyourownR&dgroup.Moreoveraninternalfragranceexpertpanelwastrainedfortheimportanttaskofmatchingthesmellsensationrelatedtotheproducts,afeaturethatiswellknown,recognizableandveryimportantforthebrands.

Anotherexamplewasremovingfromallourliquidhandsoapstheingredientwhichsupportedthe“anti­bacterial”claim,Triclosan.itssubstitutehadtobeatleastaseffectiveandhavecomparableperformanceandcompatibilityintheformulation.inthisparticularcase,ourmicrobiologydepartmentworkedincooperationwithproductdevelopersfrominvolvedcategoriestoprovidethenecessarysupport.Performancedataderivedfromnumeroustestswerecombinedwithsafetyandenvironmentalprofileinformationresultinginarankingofthedifferentalterna­tivesbasedonbestperformancewiththeleastimpactonhealthandenvironment.

Thesubstituteofchoicewaslacticacid,whichiseffective,hasverylowtoxicity,agoodenvironmentalprofileand–aboveallalsonaturallyoccursinthehumanbodyandtheskinasoneofthenaturalSkinMoisturizers.

ThesuccessofthisandotherchemicalsubstitutionprojectswithinSaraLeeisaresultofastronginvolvementandcoopera­tionbetweendepartments(R&d,marketing,procurementandoperations)coordinatedbyaCSRsteeringteamandinspiredbyamanagementteamwithastrongvisionforbetterandmoreresponsibleproducts.

Today,theCiPisimbeddedinourwayofdoingbusinessandtheChemSec’ssubstitutioninitiativerepresentsanaturalfitthathelpstheprogramgrow.Weinviteallstakeholdersinvolvedinbringingthebestpossibleproductstosocietytoconsiderembracingthisworthyinitiative.Withtransparency,consensusandaclearvisionforacleaner,saferandbrighterfuture.

SaraLee

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innOVATiVedeSignAndTeCHnOLOgieSinTUneWiTHenViROnMenTALPROgReSS

Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications is a global provider of mobile multimedia devices, including feature-rich phones, accessories and PC cards. The products combine powerful technology with innovative applications for mobile imaging, music, communications and enter tainment.

Thecompanywasestablishedin2001andisajointventurebetweenSonyCorporationandTelefonaktiebolagetLMericsson.SonyericssonislocatedatdifferentplacesaroundtheglobewithmanagementbasedinLondonandR&dinSweden,Uk,France,netherlands,india,Japan,ChinaandtheUS.MostoftheproductionislocatedtoAsia,bothwithinSonyericssonandforoursuppliers.

differentcomponents,madebyavarietyofsuppliersindiversepartsoftheworld,makeupourhandsetsandaccessories.Weactonaglobalmarketwhereourproductscanbefoundinmostpartsoftheworld.

AtSonyericsson,webelievethatsustainabledevelopmentandproductionisoneofthemostimportantchallengesforthefutureandthatitisachallengethatrequiresimmediateactionfromtheindustry.Ourmissionistoreducetheuseofharmfulsubstancesinourproductsandtherebyprovideourcustomersandenduserswiththemostenvironmentallyfriendlyproductsonthemarket.inordertofulfilourmission,westrivetoidenti­fyandeliminatethosesubstancesthatmayconstituteariskforhumanhealthandtheenvironment,andreplacethemwithsaferalternatives.

Someexamplesinworkingproactively,istheworkwehavebeendoinginphasingoutsubstancesofconcern.

Oneofthesubstancecategoriesthathavebeenhighlightedinmedia,byauthoritiesandbyenvironmentalorganisationsisbrominatedflameretardants.Thesecompoundsareusedto,amongall,tomakearticlesflameproofandpreventfirestobreakout.Thisisofcourseaveryimportantaspecttoelectronicproducts,butsomeofthebrominatedflameretardantshavebeenidentifiedashazardousforhealthandtheenvironment,whileothersaresuspectedtohaveharmfulproperties.When

theeU­RoHSdirectivewentintoeffect,someflameretardantswherebannedtobeusedinelectronicproducts,butatSonyericssonwedidnotwantsubstancesinourproductsthatcouldconstituteariskfortheenvironmentorourconsumers.

Wehavethereforecontinuouslybeenphasingouthalogenat­edflameretardantsinourproducts.Wheretherehavebeenreadilyavailablealternatives,wehavephasedouttheseflameretardantsandreplacedthemwithsaferalternatives.Togetherwithsuppliers,wehaveconstantlybeenworkingonfindingalternativestohalogenatedflameretardantsforallapplica­tionsinmobilephonesandaccessories.Thishasresultedinthatfromthe1January2008,wewillbetotallyfreefromallhalogenatedflameretardantsinallournewproductsplacedonthemarketglobally.

Furtheron,wehavetakenactionsregardingPolyvinylChloride(PVC)thathavebeendiscussedduetoitschemicalproperties.WhenPVCisburning,itleadstothecreationofhydrochloricacid,butalsodioxins.dioxinsareoneofthemosttoxicsubstan­cesknown,andisreadilyaccumulatedinthefatofanimals,especiallyfattyfishessuchasSalmon.dioxinsareknownmutagensandcarcinogensandalsocauseseriousskindiseases.

duetoitsproperties,wehaveworkedhardtofindalternativestoPVCandnowmostSonyericssonproductsarefreefromPVC.Theonlyexemptionissomeearlymodelchargersandacces­soriesthatstillhavesomePVCincables,butwearestrivingtophaseouttheseassoonaspossible.

AtSonyericssonwearemonitoringnewinformationregardingthepropertiesofthesubstancesusedinourproducts.Tobeabletoreachourenvironmentaltargets,weworktogetherwithoursuppliersofcomponents,toidentifycomponentswheresubstancesofconcernareusedandtophaseoutthesesub­stancesfromourproducts.Webelieve,thattomakeagoodjob,wehavetoworkinclosecooperationwithpartnersandsuppli­ersandtogivethesethesupport,informationandeducationinmattersrelatedtochemicalsmanagementandenvironmenttoreachthegoalswehaveset.

Toinformandhelpoursupplierstounderstandourrequire­ments,wearrangeworkshopsandtrainingsessionsonenviron­mentalissuesregardingsubstances.Thesesessionsareheld

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withindividualsuppliers,onsitewhenneeded,whereweindetailcandiscusschallengesandpotentialsolutionstothem.Thesefacetofacemeetingsresultinmutualconfidenceandtrust,andhelpbothusasaglobalproviderofmobiledevicesandoursupplierstodevelopandincreaseourknowledgeofthepro­ductsweareproducing.

Tobeabletohavefulldisclosureofthematerialcontentofourproducts,wehaveintroducedasystemtoobtainmaterialdeclar­ationsforallcomponentsandpartsinourproducts.Thesystemweareusingisfullyautomatedandgivesusthebenefittohavetotalcontrolofthesubstancesusedinourproducts.Bythis,wearefurtherstrengtheningourobjectivetoreducephaseoutunwantedsubstancesinourproducts.

TheSonyericssonenvironmentalteamisalwayspreparedtoanswerquestionsfromsuppliersandtogivesupporttojointlysolveissuesrelatedtodevelopmentandproductionofthemostenvironmentallyfriendlymobilephones.

Futurechallengesforourcompanyare,amongstothers,tophaseoutberylliumanditscompounds,antimonyanditscompoundsandphthalates.

Ourexperienceshowsthatinnovativedesignandtechnologiesisnotincontradictionwithenvironmentalprogressandawareness.Webelieveweallhavetoactpreventativelytoreachasustain­ableuseofnaturalresourcesandasoundenvironment.

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CHeMiCALSMAnAgeMenTinReTAiL:CHALLengeSAndOPPORTUniTieS

H&M was established in Sweden 1947 and sells clothes and cosmetics through our more than 1500 stores in over 28 countries, employing more than 68,000 people. With Germany still our biggest market, H&M continues to expand to new markets and during 2007, the net increase of stores was 177. In 2007 H&M expanded into China, Slovakia, Greece and Qatar, and the turnover exceeded SEK 92 billion.

In REACH terms, H&M is a ’downstream user’ and ’import-er of articles’. H&M does not own or run manufacturing plants ourselves, but is a major purchasing power, con-tinuously working with over 700 suppliers worldwide.

PHASing ouT HARMful CHeMiCAlS fRoM TexTileSManyprocessesinvolvedinmakinggarments,suchasspinning,knitting,bleaching,printing,dyeingetc.requiretheuseofvariouschemicals.itcouldbeknittingoils,bleachingagents,

dyestuff,softenersetc.Thosechemicalsareessentialforproducinggarmentsthatmeetconsumers’demands.Somechemicalssuchasdyestuffsareintendedtostayinthefabricafterprocessingtoaddvaluetotheproduct.Otherchemicalsareusedonlytofacilitatetheprocessingofthefabricbutevenafterrinsingtheymayremainasunavoidableimpurities.

H&M’squalityconceptrequiresthegarmentstobemanu­facturedwithouttheuseofenvironmentallyhazardouschemi­calsorharmfulsubstancesandtobeproducedundergoodworkingconditions.AsatooltoachievethisH&Mpublished,forthefirsttimealreadyin1995,asetofstandardsknownasH&MChemicalRestrictions,whichisalistofchemicalsthatH&Mbanorrestrictfromourproducts.Thelistcoverslegisla­tionswithinH&M’ssalescountries,butthemainpartofthelistisbasedontheprecautionaryprinciple.H&Mcontinuouslymonitorsnewchemicalrelatedinformationthatbecomesavailablefromauthorities,ngO’setc.andupdatestherestric­tionsasneededinordertocontinuetomakeitrepresentthatprinciple.Thelatestupdatewasmadeindecember2007.Afewexamplesofsubstancesthathavebeenphasedoutinfavourofsubstitutesarebrominatedflameretardants,phthalates,nonylphenolethoxylatesandPVC.eachsuppliertoH&Mneedstosignacommitmenttocomplywiththerestrictions.H&Meducatesandsupportssuppliersregardingtherestrictionsandalsoperformsteststomakesureproductscomply.

SuPPly CHAin CHAllengeSThesupplychainofaconsumerproductlikeagarmentisoftenverylongandcomplicatedwithvarioussubcontractorsspreadoutgeographically.Foratypicalgarment,thesesubcontractorscouldincludefarmers,traders,spinners,weavers,dyemills,printers,accessoriesproducersandchemicalmanufacturers.Togettherightinformationthroughtoallinvolvedpeopleisprobablythebiggestchallengeingettingcompliantproducts.Therefore,H&Mhaschemistsemployedatourofficesintheproductionmarketswhofrequentlyvisitsuppliersandtheirsubcontractors.ThepurposeoftheirworkistomakesurethatH&M’srequirementsarewellknownandunderstoodthrough­outthesupplychain,andthatsuppliershaveasuitablechemi­calmanagementsysteminordertopreventandavoidanynon­compliance.

PHOTOgRAPHeRPetergehrke

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WebelievethatReACHwillbeofgreathelpinthisworkasitwillfacilitateandimprovetheinformationflowfromchemicalmanufacturerstousers.ReACHwillalsofillinformationgapsandestablishclearcriteriaforidentifyingunacceptablesubstances,forallretailerstouse.Havingthesameobligationsinplaceforallactorsontheeuropeanmarketwillcreateleverageinthesupplychainsothatweallcangetsaferproductsmorecost­effective.

CooPeRATion foR BeTTeR CoMPliAnCeMoreandmoreretailersaresettinguprequirementsforthechemicalcontentoftheproductstheybuy.Thespecificdemandsmightdifferbetweencompaniesdependingonwheretheymark­ettheirproducts,buttheobjectiveisoftenthesame;topurchaseandsellsaferproducts.in2005,H&MjoinedtheApparelandFootwearinternationalRSLManagementWorkinggroup(AFiRM),withover10majorretailersasitsmembers.AFiRM’smissionistoreducetheuseandimpactofharmfulsubstancesintheapparelandfootwearsupplychain.Thisispartlyachievedbyorganis­ingseminarsforthesupplychaintospreadinformationaboutrestrictedchemicalsandhowtocontrolthem.nextsuchseminarwilltakeplaceinnewdelhi,india,seewww.afirm­group.comformoreinformation.

Withmanyretailerssharingsuppliers,cooperationlikethisisaperfectwaytoincreasesuppliers’knowledgeandalsotoshareinformationandbenefitfromeachothers’experiences.

PRePARATionS foR ReACHArticles6and7ofReACHestablishobligationstoregisterandnotifysubstancesinpreparationsandarticlesthatareproducedinorimportedintotheeuropeanUnion.H&Mwill,forrelevantproductsaccordingtoarticle6suchascosmeticscarryoutthenecessarypre­registrations.AccordingtoArticle7.2ofReACH,eachimporterofarticles(e.g.garment)intotheeUshallnotifytheeuropeanChemicalsAgency(eCHA)ifthosearticlescontainsubstancesofveryhighconcern(SVHC)aboveacertainconcen­trationandtheirtotalamountexceeds1tonperyear.SinceanofficialSVHC­listdoesnotyetexist,H&Mhascreateditsownwithinformationretrievedfromvariouspublicdatabases,usingthecriteriainarticle57ofReACH.AnysubstancesonthatlistdeemedrelevantforourproductrangehavebeenaddedtoH&MChemicalRestrictionswhichworksasanindustryspecificSHVC­list.H&M’sintentionistonotpurchasearticlesthatrequirenoti­fication.AllinordertomakesurewecontinuetoworkaccordingtooneofReACH’smainprinciples;theprecautionary.

ConCluSionAstrongReACHwithstrictandclearguidelineswillfacilitateH&M’sworktoensurethatallproductsweofferourcustomersarefreefromsubstancesthatare,orcouldpotentiallybe,harmfulforhealthandenvironment.Safeproductscanonlybeachievedthroughpartnershipamongretailers,suppliersandmanufactu­rers.

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FRedBUTLeR®–ASUSTAinABLeSUCCeSS

BACkgRound – enviRonMenTAl effeCTS of TRAdiTionAl dRy CleAningintheeU,approximately60.000drycleaningshopsclean2,2milliontonnesoftextileseachyear,utilizing75.000cleaningmachines.Around95%,ofthesedrycleaningshopsusethechlorinatedhydrocarbonperchloroethylene(tetrachloroethylene,“perc”),asolventhazardoustobothpeopleandtheenvironment.intheeURiskAssessmentReport,thesolventindustryassocia­tionestimateannualemissionsof8000to50000tonnesofpercfromdrycleaningintotheeuropeanenvironment,depend­ingontheefficiencyoftheimplementationoftheSolventemissiondirective.

Percisknowntohavetoxiceffects(skineffects,neuro­toxicologicalimpairment,liverandkidneydamage),severalstudieshaveindi­catedthatitmayalsobeteratogenicforpregnantwomen.ThesolventisclassifiedasapossibleorprobablecarcinogenbytheresponsibleauthoritiesintheeU,theUSandwithintheWHO.

Percisalsotoxictoourenvironment.itcauseslong­termdamagetoplantsandaquaticorganisms,hastoxicbreak­downproductsandisdifficultfornaturetodecompose.Today,oneineverytenwellsinCaliforniaispollutedwithperc,asarewellsfromnewyorktoTelAvivtoMalmö.

CHAllenge – innovATing To find eCo-fRiendly AlTeRnATiveSinthe1980’s,theUSaircraftindustrydevelopedprocedurestocleansensitiveelectronicswithcarbondioxide(CO2).in1996,Hughesallowedagroupofmanufacturerstousethepatentstotrytodeveloptextilecleaning.industrialenterpriseAgAwasabletojoinasthesolegascompany.inlate2000AgA,nowownedbyLindeAg,startedtolookintothedevelopmentofadditives.AdevelopmentprogramforCO2­cleaningwasformedbasedonresearchfrombothcompanies.

TheLindegroupisaworldleadingindustrialgasesandengine­eringcompanywithmorethan50,000employeesworkinginaround100countriesworldwide.in2005,theCeOofTheLindegroup,ProfessordrWolfgangReitzlechosetointroducetheCO2­methodastheexampleforthefuture–anenvironmentallyfriendlyB2B­andB2C­productofferingthechancetorevolutio­niseandrevitaliseastagnantindustry.inAugust2005,LindeAglaunchedtheFredButler®franchiseconceptfortheCO2­drycleaningofgarments,textiles,leatherandfur.

Whiledevelopingadditives,TheLindegroupalsostartedthedevelopmentofanewcleaningmachinetogetherwithelectrolux.FredButler®anditsfranchiseesnowhaveexclusiveaccesstoelectroluxequipmentincludingtheworld’smosteco­friendlyCO2­machineaswellaswetcleaningandfinishingsystems.

SuCCeSS – CleAn Co2 dRy CleAningWhenCO2iscompresseditturnsintoaliquidwithverylowviscosityandsurfacetension,enablingittopenetrateandcleaneventhesmallestporesinthefabric.

Comparingthecleaningperformance­stainremoval,fabriceffects,energyuse,safetyandprice­ofFredButler®CO2­cleaningwithfouralternativesincludingperc,the2005eUdeTeCTiVe­studyconcludedthatCO2cleaningwasthebestintheoverallcomparison,followedbywetcleaning.FredButler®offeringboththesemethodsasrequiredenablesthecleaningofawidespectrumofsoilingandtextiles.Thecleaningmethodwasfoundtobemoregentletosensitivefabricssuchaslinenandwoolthanthealternativemethods.StudyexpertsnotedthatasCO2­cleaningavoidshighspin­cyclesandheat,garmentlifeislengthenedby30to40percent.

SuCCeSS – THe only eCo-lABelled dRy CleAning AlTeRnATiveCarbondioxide,CO2,isnon­toxic,non­flammablegas.CO2­drycleaningenablestheefficientuseofthegasgeneratedasaby­productinmanyotherindustrialprocessesthatcouldotherwisehavebeenemitteddirectly.UsingonlyexistingCO2,themethoddoesnotcontributetoglobalwarming.98,5percentofthegasispurifiedandrecycledaftereachcleaningprocedure.

CO2replacesnon­renewableresourcessuchasperchloroethy­leneandhydrocarbons,eliminatingfurtherairandgroundwatercontaminationbyperc.italsoimprovesworkingconditionsandeliminatesanyriskstopregnantdrycleaners.Furthermore,theFredButler®CO2cleaningprocessusesonlyafractionoftheelectricityandwaterusedbypercdrycleaners.

The only Swan-labelled dry cleaner

Fred Butler® is today the only dry cleaner to meet the definite

requirements of Europe’s biggest and oldest eco-labels: the Nordic

Swan and the German Blue Angel. Source: Fred Butler®

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TheFredButler®Washpoint™detergentsusedforCO2cleaning,aswellasthoseusedforwetcleaning,arebiodegradable.Possiblehazardouswastefromtheclothes(nonylphenoletoxylatesetc.)isseparatedfordisposalinanenvironmentallysafeway.CO2­cleanedtextilescomeoutofthemachinedryandfreeofirritatingchemi­calsorodours.

TheFredButler®drycleaningmethodhasbeenawardedtwoofthebestknowneco­labelsineurope–thegermanBlueAngelandthenordicSwan.Usingindependenttests,theeco­labelsconsidertheenvironmentalimpactthroughouttheproductlifecycle,aswellasproductperformance.Theproductmustofferfeaturesthatareatleastasgoodasothersimilarproductsandthecriteriaareregularlyrevised.

Today,onlyCO2andwetcleaningdonotusevolatileorganicsol­vents.Sincewetcleaningisnotanalternative,butacomplement­arymethodtothevariousdry­cleaningprocesses,theeco­labelshavebothidentifiedCO2­cleaningastheonlydry­cleaningalterna­tivemeetingtheircriteria.

in2005theeULiFe­committeeappointedCO2­drycleaningasthesecondbestoutof500newenvironmentaltechnologyprojects,notingthat“Thistechnologycouldreplaceperccompletelywithinthenexttwodecades.itsuptakewilldependontheobsolescenceofcurrentpercmachines,thepriceandcontrolofthetraditio­nalsolvent,availableinvestmentfunds,knowledgetransferandgovernmentalregulations”.

fuTuRe – TowARdS HigHeR STAndARdSinnorthAmerica,theauthoritieshavestartedtotakeactioninfavourofsustainablealternatives.intheUS,newperc­cleanerswerebannedfromresidentialbuildingsin2006,withatotalbaninsuchbuildingsby2020.in2007,Californiaannouncedatotal

phase­outofperc­drycleaningby2023,offeringcleanersgrantsandrecommendingCO2andwetcleaning.Today,therearepro­posalstorestrictorphase­outpercinMassachusetts,newJersey,newyork,PhiladelphiaandToronto.

in2008,denmarkmadeitsbanonnewperccleanersinresident­ialbuildingspermanent.Otherthanthat,europeannationalandinternationalauthoritieshavenotyettakeninitiativestofurthertheintroductionofthenewsustainabledrycleaningtechnologiesintermsofpublicpurchasingpriorities,residentialbuildingregulations,initiativesforaphase­outorother.Consequently,thedemandforsustainabletechniquesmotivatingpossiblenewmarketentrantsiscurrentlymuchhigherintheUSthanineurope.Whileothermarketentrantswaitforeuropeanregulatoryinitia­tivestocatchupwiththeUS,FredButler®doesnot.in2007,thecompanycleanedonemilliongarmentsaccordingtothehighestenvironmentalstandardsandthesameyearProfessordrReitzle,CeOofTheLindegroupannouncedthat”Wearecommittedtodevelopingthisbusinessmodel,investingaround50millioneurosinoutletsandcleaningfacilitiesby2011.ThroughFredButler®,wewillmakeasustainablecontributiontoprotectingtheenviron­ment–andtocreatingnewjobs.”AtTheLindegroupandFredButler®,webelieveinsubstitution–asub­stitutionthatisbetterforyou,bet­terforyourtextilesandbetterforourenvironment–andweinviteall–politicians,cleaners,companies,consumersandothers–tojoinusinhelpingtocreateacleanerfuture.

Clean dry cleaningClean dry cleaning

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Fred Butler® and The Linde Group hope to offer one of the world’s most efficient uses of CO2, enabling the reuse of an industrial by-product and a further puri-fication and recycling of 98,5 percent of the gas each wash cycle. Fred Butler®

soon hope to be able to offer 99,5 percent recycling every wash cycle. Source: The Linde Group

FR ed BUTLeR

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SUBSTiTUTiOnOFHAzARdOUSSUBSTAnCeSinCOnSTRUCTiOnMATeRiALS

THe BASTA SySTeMTheSwedishbuildingandpropertysectorhashighlightedtheuseofparticularlyhazardoussubstancesasoneofthesector’skeyenvironmentalaspectsinits2010actionplan.Theplanincludesreachingagreementonadefinitionofthosesubstancepropertieswhichshouldformthebasisforphasingout.ThepropertiescriteriacontainedintheBASTAsystemhavebeenadoptedasthesector’scommondefinition.Anumberoflargerbusinessesandorganisationswithinthesectorhavepreviouslydrawnupphase­outlists,avoidancelists,etc.,whichhavebeenusedtotrytostoptheuseofproductswhichcon­tainanyofthesehighlightedsubstances.Thewiderangeofsuchsubstancelistsandthedifferencesbetweenthemhavebeenasourceofconfusionwithinthesector,andhavecreatedadditionalworkforthosewhohavehadtoassesswhetherornotaproductcanbeaccepted.

Thebuildingandpropertysectorhasalsoagreedonasystemforvoluntaryself­declarations–“buildingproductdeclarations”–whichmustincludethesupplier’sdescriptionoftheproducts’chemicalcomposition.However,theworkisprogressingslowlyand10yearsaftertheintroductionofbuildingproductdeclara­tions,theseonlyexistforasmallproportionofallconstructionproducts.Theabilitytodecidewhetherornotaproductisfreefromspecifichazardoussubstancesisthusseriouslylimited.Suchdeclarationsalsoplacesignificantrequirementsintermsofchemicalexpertiseonthosewhousethemasabasisforphasingout.

Asameansofsupportforprioritisingconstructionproductswhichdonotcontainhazardoussubstances,avarietyofdif­ferentsystemsanddatabasesareavailablewhichmaterialsexpertscanusetoassessproductsbasedontheinformationwhichthesuppliersprovideinbuildingproductdeclarationsoronsafetydatasheets.Here,BASTA’spositionistostateclearlywhichsubstancepropertiesshouldactasabasisforassess­ment,andthattheresponsibilityforthisassessmentlieswiththesupplier

BASTA: A ConCReTe APPliCATion of ReACHConstructioncompanies,projectmanagersandotherswhodealwithselectingproductscanuseBASTAtoprioritisetheuseofproductswhichhavebeenqualityassuredtoconfirmthat

theydonotcontainanysubstanceswithparticularlyhazardousproperties.BASTAalsoaimstoencouragethedevelopmentofnewproductstoreplacethosewhichcontainhazardoussub­stances.Theinitiativewastakenin2002bythemajorconstruc­tioncompaniestogetherwiththeirindustrybody,theSwedishConstructionFederation,todevelopacommonindustrysystemforphasingouthazardoussubstances.Thestartingpointforthedevelopmentworkwastoadopttheprinciplesatanearlystageoftheplannedeuropeanchemicallegislation,ReACH.Thiswasdonebyworkingunequivocallyandjointlyacrosstheentiresec­tortodefineanumberofundesirablesubstancepropertiesandbyshiftingtheburdenofprooftothesupplier,whichistaskedwithcertifyingthatitsproductsdonotcontainanysubstanceswhichhavethehighlightedhazardousproperties.

Thepropertiescriteriaarebasedonthe“substancesofveryhighconcern”highlightedinReACH:CMR,vPvBandPBT,plussubstancessuchaslead,mercuryandcadmium.Byreplacingtheavoidancelists,etc.,whichhadbeendrawnuppreviouslywithanumberofsubstanceproperties,BASTAhasarrivedataphasing­outsystemwhichalsoincludesnewsubstanceswithhazardouspropertieswhichhavenotyetbeenidentifiedbytheusersofmaterials.TheBASTAsystemhasalsochosenonlytopermitsuchproductswhichhaveacontentthatisknowntothesupplier,andwherethecomponentsubstanceshavebeeninvestigatedintermsofimpactonhealthandtheenvironment.Thisfollowsthe“nodata,nomarket”principle.

Thedevelopmentofthesystemwascompletedinnovember2006.BASTAhasbeendevelopedinclosecollaborationbetweenthevariousplayerswithinthesector,andhasthereforebeenwellreceivedrightfromthestart.Today,theBASTAsystemcontainsmorethan10,000articlesfromaround100suppliers,wherebythesuppliershaveconfirmedthattheymeetthesystem’spro­pertiescriteria,andwherebythesuppliershavealsoconfirmedthattheymeetanumberofqualificationrequirementsintermsoftheircompetenceandtheirassessmentproceduresfortheirproducts.Thedatabaseisfullyaccessibleviathesystem’sweb­site:www.bastaonline.se

ReSulTS And exPeRienCe TheoverallaimofBASTAistoprovidesupportforphasingouthazardoussubstances,andthissubstitutiontakesplaceatdif­ferentlevels.

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Akeystartingpointintermsoftheopportunitiesforphasingouthazardoussubstancesfromconstrutionproductsisthatrequire­mentsforthisareincludedinprocurementdocumentation.Theearlierinthechain(buildingcontractor–contractor–supplier–manufacturer)suchrequirementsareintroduced,thegreatertheopportunitiesforthistoactuallyhaveanimpactwhenappliedinpractice.

OneexampleistheCityofMalmö,whichplacedrequirementsinlinewithBASTAonthethirteenbuildingcontractorsinvolvedintheWesternHarbourdevelopment.Anevaluationofthebuild­ingcontractorstakingpartinthisdialogueshowsthatallthebuildingcontractorshadundergoneBASTAtraining,butthattheyencounteredanumberofproblemswhenitcametotheactualapplicationofthesystem.Forexample,onlyaroundhalfofthebuildingcontractorshadaskedtheirsupplierstoregistertheirconstructionproductsinBASTA.noneofthebuildingcontractorsconsideredmakingconstructionchangesasaresultofmaterialsnotbeinglistedinBASTA.

BASTA And nCCnCCConstructionSwedenusestheBASTAsystemasamaintoolforsubstitutinghazardoussubstances.nCCputthesystemintopracticealmostthreeyearsago,inJanuary2006.Sincethen,nCChasputagreatdealofworkandeffortintopersuadingitssuppli­erstojoinBASTA.nCCworkscontinuallywitheducation,informa­tionandcompanyrulesonsubstitutionandtheuseofBASTA

externally,nCCworkswiththeSwedishConstructionFederationandotherkeyorganisationstoimplementBASTAwithintheSwedishconstructionindustryasawhole.OneimportantstepthathasbeentakenistheinclusionofBASTAinformationaboutarticlesinatradingsystem,Finfo,andco­operationbetweennCCandtheFinfoorganisationtogetthisinformationincludedinnCC’selectronictradingtool.ThismeansthatnCC’spurchasersgetup­to­dateinformationaboutarticlesandaneasy­to­usesubstitutiontool.

SincenCCisaninternationalcompany,thesuppliersarenotonlybasedinSwedenbutalsoinothercountries.inthesecasesthesuppliermaynotfeelthatjoiningBASTAisrelevant.ifso,nCCstillappliestheBASTAcriteriatothesupplier’sproductsanddemandsthatthearticlesmeetthecriteria.

itisstilltooearlytohighlightspecificexampleswheresystema­ticsubstitutionhastakenplacethankstoBASTA.However,thepiecesarefallingintoplaceonebyone,andnCCbelievesthatBASTAhasabrightfuture.

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PHOTOgRAPHeRStenJansin

nCC

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BeUCSTATeMenTOnCOnSUMeRSAFeTy

Today,wearesurroundedbytensofthousandsofchemicalsubstancesthataddtoourcomfort,convenienceandqualityoflife.Wecanhardlydowithoutthem.

Unfortunatelywedonotknowenoughabouttheeffectsonourhealthandtheenvironmentofexposuretosomanydif­ferentchemicalsubstancesfromsomanydifferentsources.Avastmajorityofthechemicalsinusehaveindeedneverbeenfullyandadequatelyassessedintermsoftheirpotentialimpactsonhumanhealthandtheenvironment.

Mostofthesechemicalsmayposenoriskforconsumersandtheenvironmentbutwedonotknowforsure.inaddition,evenwhentheexposuretoonespecificchemicalfromanyonesourceislowand,onitsown,carrylittleornorisk,itmayaddtotheoverall“chemicalcocktail”andgivescauseforconcern.

indecember2006,ReACHwasformallyadoptedbytheeUinstitutions.inoverall,theRegulationisamajorstepforwardtoaddresschemicalrisksforconsumersandtheenvironmentbutmuchmorewasandisstillneededtoensureahighofpro­tectionforconsumersandtheenvironment.Thechallengenowistotakewhathasbeenagreed,tomakesurethatthenewregimeworksinpracticewhilecontinuingtopressstronglyforprecautionarymeasurestobetakentoreduceourtotalexposuretochemicalsfromallsources.ifReACHistowork,theassessmentauthoritiesmustalsohavefullaccesstoindustryinformationonchemicals.

Unfortunately,withReACH,thevastbulkofchemicalsweareexposedtowillnotbeassessedastheyshouldbe.UnderReACH,manyhazardoussubstanceswillbeauthorisediftheriskstheyposeare‘adequatelycontrolled’andotherswillsimplybeallowedontheeUmarket,inparticularinconsu­merproducts,withouthavingtoundergoasafetyevaluation.Finally,regardingaccesstoinformation,consumerswillonlybeallowedtorequestinformationaboutthepresenceofalimitednumberofhazardouschemicalsinproducts(thoseofveryhighconcern).intheimplementationofReACH,BeUCadvocatesforconsumerandenvironmentalexposuretochemicalstobeloweredbyavoidingorreducingtheuseofhazardouschemicals,inparti­cularinconsumerproductsthatareusedonadailybasis.

WeencourageeuropeanAuthoritiestocontinuetoplayaleadingroleinternationally,byensuringthattheReACHAuthorisationprocesslivesuptotheambitionofreducingconsumers’exposuretopotentiallydangerouschemicals.

inthiscontext,wecallforaprecautionaryapproachtobefavouredbylegislatorswhenassessingwhichchemicalstocontrolundertheAuthorisationregime.

notwithstandingtheregulatoryprocess,wealsoencouragemanufacturersofconsumergoodstoshouldertheircorporateresponsibility,byactivelyshiftingawayfromproducts,proces­sesandmaterialscontainingpotentialhighconcernchemicals.Hazardoussubstances,suchassubstancesofveryhighconcern,hormonaldisrupters,sensitizersandneurotoxics,shouldbereplacedwithsaferchemicalswheneverpossible,inparticularwhencontainedinproductswithwhichconsumersareincloseand/orregularcontact.

Unlessanduntilweknowmoreabouttherisksthatchemicalspresentforconsumersandtheenvironment,wetrusttherearegoodreasonstotrytoreduceourexposuretohazardouschemicals.

Laura DegallaixSenior Policy Officer, Environment and Safety, BEUC

The European Consumers’ Organisation Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs

B eUC

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International Chemical Secretariat

box 7005, SE-402 31 Göteborg, SwedenPhone: +46(0)31-711 04 95 E-mail: [email protected]

www.chemsec.org

ChemSec (The international Chemical Secretariat) is a non-profit

organisation founded in 2002 by four leading environmental

organisations in northern europe. The overall objective of

ChemSec is an environment free from toxic chemicals. we are

striving to reach broad acceptance and participation in society

for Precaution, Substitution, Polluter Pays and Right-to-know as

leading principles towards the goal. our work spans seminars,

workshops, booklets and lectures, all geared towards informing

and enlightening public debate on the necessary steps towards

a toxic-free environment.

2011

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