Chemical field
Your industry, our focus
Index:
- Assessment
- REACH & RoHS
- SCIP - Substances of Concern In Products
- Other Regulations
- GPM: REACH Compliance & Chemical Assessment Tool
- Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
- Toxicological Profile of Raw Materials
- Chem-MAP®️ Programme (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals - ZDHC)
Assessment
In a globalized world, consumers can easily be made aware of issues related to poor conditions of production for a particular favourite brand and are demanding transparent information as an important element of decision-making when choosing a product.
In response to lobbying from responsible investors and consumers, buyers and distributors are steadily being encouraged to put in place their own solutions to evaluate the compliance of their products to the increasingly stringent local and international regulations and standards.
REACH & RoHS
REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) is a regulation of the European Union, adopted to improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals.
The REACH Regulation places responsibility on all consumer products producers and distributors to manage the risks from chemicals and to provide safety information on the substances.
In principle, REACH applies to all chemical substances; not only those used in industrial processes but also in our day-to-day lives, for example in cleaning products, paints as well as in articles such as clothes, furniture and electrical appliances. Therefore, the regulation has an impact on most companies across the EU.
To comply with the regulation, companies must identify and manage the risks linked to the substances they manufacture and market in the EU. They have to demonstrate the ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) in Helsinki how the substance can be safely used, and they must communicate the risk management measures to the users. If the risks cannot be managed, authorities can restrict the use of substances in different ways. In the long run, the most hazardous substances should be substituted with less dangerous ones.
Companies need to register their substances and to do this they need to work together with other companies who are registering the same substance.
ECHA receives and evaluates individual registrations for their compliance, and the EU Member States evaluate selected substances to clarify initial concerns for human health or for the environment. Authorities and ECHA's scientific committees assess whether the risks of substances can be managed.
Read more on the website of the European Commission
The key Provisions of the REACH Regulation include:
- Registration: Substances manufactured/imported over 1ton per year need to be registered with the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) by EU manufacturers and importers;
- Evaluation: Registration dossiers submitted will be examined by ECHA for its environment/public health impact;
- Authorization: Listed Substances of Very High Concern(SVHC) in Annex XIV are to be assessed and specifically allowed;
- Restriction: Restricted substances in Annex XVII to be assessed for restriction or even banned;
- Communication in the supply chain: Information about the safe use of chemicals should be communicated up- and downstream throughout the supply chain in the format of Safety Data Sheets, also called Chemical Safety Report or assessment.
RoHS
Electrical and Electronic Equipment are subject to additional chemical requirements and regulations under the Directive 2011/65/EU on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. The main aim of this Directive is to restrict the use of certain hazardous substances that poses in danger environment and human health and aims to the different stakeholders to substitute the chemicals used by safer alternatives. The Chemicals restricted on the EEE are mainly heavy metals, Flame retardants and Phthalates that could be incorporated in any of the components of the EEE.
Other Regulations
The legislative framework worldwide in what refer to Chemical restrictions and standards is increasing with the aim of providing safer products and alternatives on the manufacture. Some of the most important regulations worldwide are:
- EU Persistent Organic Pollutants Regulation (850/2004/EC – POP Regulation). The regulation prohibit and restrict certain substances that due to their resistance to photolytic, biological and chemical degradation can exist for centuries in our environment. Halogenated properties, low water solubility, high lipid solubility ,and semi-volatility, allow POPs to bio accumulate and bio magnify.
- EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (Directive 94/62/EC). The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive harmonized member state legislation regarding packaging material composition and the management of packaging waste. Composition of packaging material is addressed in a series of EU-wide standards. For the management of packaging waste through recycling targets and collection and recycling systems, member states have adopted voluntary marking. The directive also restricts the presence of certain heavy metals in the packaging.
- EU Batteries Directive (Directive 2006/66/EC). The Directive intends to contribute to the protection, preservation and improvement of the quality of the environment by minimizing the negative impact of batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators. It also ensures the smooth functioning of the internal market by harmonizing requirements as regards the placing on the market of batteries and accumulators. With some exceptions, it applies to all batteries and accumulators, no matter their chemical nature, size or design.
- US Toxics in Packaging Clearing House. The Model Toxics in Packaging Legislation was developed in 1989 to reduce the amount of four heavy metals in packaging and packaging components sold or distributed throughout the states. Legislation based on this Model has been adopted by 19 states. The legislation restrict the use of certain hazardous substances and requires that manufacturer, supplier and distributor to the purchaser must submit a certificate of compliance stating that a package or packaging component is in compliance with the requirements of the law.
- California Proposition 65. The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (known as “Proposition 65”), was enacted as a ballot initiative in November 1986. The Proposition was intended by its authors to protect California citizens and the State's drinking water sources from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and to inform citizens about exposures to such chemicals.
Businesses are required to provide a "clear and reasonable" warning before knowingly and intentionally exposing anyone to a listed chemical. This warning can be given by a variety of means, such as by labeling a consumer product, posting signs at the workplace, distributing notices at a rental housing complex, or publishing notices in a newspaper. Once a chemical is listed, businesses have 12 months to comply with warning requirements.
Proposition 65 also prohibits companies that do business within California from knowingly discharging listed chemicals into sources of drinking water. Once a chemical is listed, businesses have 20 months to comply with the discharge prohibition.
Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
Development of Safety Data Sheets for customers from scratch according to EU regulation (REACH and CLP)
Review of Safety Data Sheet (SDS) contents are correct and according to EU regulation (REACH and CLP)
- This service can be provided in different languages - Contact with your appointed lab to confirm availability of languages
Toxicological Profile of Raw Materials
Materials in contact with drinking water:
Eurofins companies provide toxicological assessments of raw materials which have to be tested according to the Danish regulation for building components to come into contact with drinking water (GDV regulation). These toxicological assessments can also be performed according to the German UBA guidelines for materials and components to come into contact with drinking water.
For all products that have to come into contact with drinking water (e.g. hoses, water taps etc.) there is a requirement that the composition of the raw materials (e.g. plastic rubber etc.) has to be evaluated and subsequently substances with specific migration limit in these materials have to be tested by migration testing into water.
Cosmetics Regulatory & Toxicology support
Review of available safety data from the literature and the supplier’s data (each endpoint is analyzed: skin and eye irritation, sensitization, mutagenicity, systemic toxicity). Determination of the pivotal study and the reference value/NOAEL.
Chem-MAP®️ Programme (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals - ZDHC)
Chem-MAP®️ is a ZDHC approved MRSL verification system which is fully aligned with ZDHC objectives and can provide ZDHC Conformance Level 3. Chem-MAP®️ prevents harmful chemicals from entering the leather, textile and synthetic materials supply chain, protecting workers, consumers, and the environment.
Chemical companies, materials manufacturers, brands and retailers achieve an internationally recognised award through one of three programmes in the Chem-MAP®️ family. Achieving a Chem-MAP®️ award signifies the use of responsible chemicals in the production of consumer goods.
Chem-MAP®️ is the future of chemical management in leather, textile and synthetic materials supply chains.
Product Compliance & Expert Services
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