Could this promote a greener economy?

NGO’s, companies and governmental organizations are moving towards developing and implementing chemical management programs that result in the use of safer chemicals in products and supply chains. Before you begin to implement a process, it is a good idea to identify some key principles about how you use, choose and manage chemicals.

I like BizNGO’s Principles for Safer Chemicals. It is based on four principles and if followed, provides a roadmap towards implementing safer chemicals. These principles are applicable to any industry as well as to chemical companies, manufacturers, brands and retailers.

1. Know and disclose the chemicals in your products
A good starting point is to make sure a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) accompanies each chemical formulation. This will disclose required hazardous chemicals above a certain concentration.
Moving towards greater transparency and full material disclosure is more difficult given the intellectual property that surrounds many chemical formulations. However, there are tools available and examples of how companies have developed procedures that result in more disclosure and these will be discussed at a later date.

2. Assess and avoid hazards
It is important to understand the hazard characteristics of chemical substances present in formulations and products. Once the hazard characteristics are identified, the user can make informed decisions about how to move forward. This may involve a risk assessment and exposure scenarios, or perhaps prioritizing the most hazardous chemicals for phase out or elimination.

3. Commit to continuous improvement
Regulations are constantly changing and new data continues to surface. It is important to create and implement policies and practices to review chemicals and products regularly to promote the use of chemicals, processes and products with the lowest hazard profile.

4. Support public policies and industry standards to implement the above principles
Join industry groups working together to reduce hazardous chemicals in products and supply chains.
If hazard data is publicly available and if companies know how to act on this data they will be able to encourage the efforts towards a greener economy.

Source: http://www.bizngo.org/safer-chemicals/principles-for-safer-chemicals

What are the implications for your business?

Questions to consider:

• Do you have guiding principles that explain how you use, manage and choose chemicals?
• If so, do you plan to share them with external stakeholders?
• Are you working with industry groups focused on solutions to chemicals of concern?

For help with any issue associated with chemicals, contact Amanda Cattermole at (415) 412 8406 or Amanda@cattermoleconsulting.com. We can help you develop powerful solutions to protect your company and brand reputation and result in safer products manufactured in cleaner supply chains.

Tips and Insights is published bi-monthly and contains information to help you make informed chemical management decisions. Each post highlights a particular topic and includes questions you may want to consider for your business.