Unfolding the EU´s SCIP database to help manage hazardous chemicals in the product lifecycle OK

Registration in the SCIP Database, developed by the European Union under the Waste Framework Directive (WFD), has been in effect since 5 January 2021. If you are supplying articles to retailers in the EU, and your articles contain SVHCs over a certain amount, registration in the SCIP Database is mandatory for you.

What is the SCIP Database?

SCIP is the database for information on Substances of Concern In articles as such or in complex objects (Products) established under the Waste Framework Directive (WFD).

Companies supplying articles containing Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) on the Candidate List in a concentration above 0.1% weight by weight (w/w) on the EU market have to submit information on these articles to the European Chemical Agency (ECHA), starting from 5 January 2021.

Aimed at reducing hazardous substances in waste and ultimately driving better circularity, the SCIP database ensures that the information on articles containing substances on the SVHC Candidate List is available throughout the whole lifecycle of products and materials, including at the waste stage. The information in the database is made available to waste operators so as to facilitate them in the waste recycle management and practice. Information is also accessible to the public, allowing consumers to use the data to make more relevant and informed purchases.

In the first week of implementation alone, ECHA had already received five million data submissions.

Who is affected by this measure?

The main actors in the supply chain affected by this measure are:

• Producers of articles
• Assemblers of articles
• Importers of articles
• Distributors of articles

Retailers that only supply articles to end consumers are excluded from this new measure.

What do you need to do?

When your article contains SVHCs on ECHA´s candidate list in a concentration above 0.1% w/w, you need to submit the following information to the ECHA:

• Article identification
• Name, concentration range and location of the SVHC

Submission of data can be made on ECHA’s digital portal, with a dedicated submission format and tools. It is important to note that an unmatched format submission will be rejected by the portal.

Companies can also set up a system-to-system connection via API to automate the submission process and avoid manual mistakes.

What is an article?

The definition under the REACH Regulation is “an object which during production is given a special shape, surface or design which determines its function to a greater degree than its chemical composition”. In other words, an article refers to a final product such as a pair of shoes, a plastic toy and a chair, as well as a single component that is present in a final product, for instance, the buttons of a shirt, the fabric of a plush toy, the brakes, wheels and handles of a bicycle.

How can the Eurofins Softlines & Leather network support your SCIP database compliance?

From dossier preparation all the way down to submission and reporting, our expert teams provide you with a full assessment at every stage of the process, saving you from the heavy workload in a cost-effective way.

Apart from EU REACH chemical testing, we are able to deliver the System-to-System data submission to the ECHA portal automatically. Our services come with a supply chain survey, automated verification and risk assessment for new SVHCs.

Suppliers of articles in the EU can rely on our services to streamline their compliance process. Interested in learning more? Fill out a contact form now or email us anytime!