Forum Standing Committee Working Groups

Substitution and Alternatives
Tools

  • ChemSec: REACH SIN* List 1.0 (*Substitute It Now!)
    Over the last year, ChemSec has collaborated with public interest organisations to develop a list over high concern chemicals. The list, called the REACH SIN* List 1.0 (*Substitute It Now!), is based on the criteria for Substances of Very High Concern, or SVHCs, in REACH, which should be given the highest priority in the REACH Authorisation process.
  • CLEANTOOL database
    CLEANTOOL is a Europe wide database for parts cleaning, metal surface cleaning, component cleaning and degreasing, based on real processes in numerous European companies
  • PRIO
    A web-based risk reduction tool consisting of a guide and a database containing about 4000 dangerous substances.

    The aim of PRIO is to facilitate in the assessment of health and environmental risks of chemicals so that people who work as environmental managers, purchasers and product developers can identify the need for risk reduction. To achieve this PRIO provides a guide for decision-making that can be used in setting risk reduction priorities.

    The target groups for PRIO are primarily Swedish actors but also include chemical suppliers to Sweden in other countries. PRIO also provides a source of knowledge for environmental and health inspectors, environmental auditors, risk analysts and those who in some other way can influence the use and handling of chemicals.

    PRIO allows users to:
    • search for substances and obtain information on properties hazardous to the environment and health
    • obtain information on prioritised health and environmental properties
    • identify substances contained in chemically characterised substance groups and product types
    • obtain help in developing routines for purchasing, product development, risk management etc.

    PRIO a tool that facilitates for enterprises to practice precaution - presentation (IFCS Forum V, September 2006)
  • Abstract English
    pdf, 28kb
  • French
    pdf, 31kb
  • Spanish
    pdf, 31kb
  • Presentation - IFCS Forum V, September 2006
    pdf, 1.16Mb

International Chemical Control Toolkit (ICCT)
Submitted by ILO and WHO
The ICCT is a toolkit that enables workplaces to choose less hazardous chemicals. It is aimed particularly at developing countries. The toolkit employs the label information (GHS phrases) and local exposure information to select the appropriate workplace controls. Comparison of controls for different options enables the workplace to choose chemicals that need less exposure control, thereby substituting with less hazardous substances.

  • MIT - Green Alternative Wizard
    The Green Alternatives Wizard is a database designed to provide easy and quick access to information about available chemical alternative to hazardous solvents. It was designed with the understanding that finding the ideal, green drop-in replacement for hazardous solvents does not work for every situation. The alternatives provided, however, do present a starting point for researchers to consider alternative methods to their own research that would reduce, if not eliminate, the use of a particular hazardous solvent. In many instances, the alternative chemicals or processes provided still have their own disadvantages that need improvements—as such, information about the advantages and disadvantages of chemical alternatives are also provided.
  • Substitution of hazardous chemicals
    The Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT) drew up these guidelines explaining the substitution process step by step as a way of helping and encouraging enterprises to begin the evaluation of the chemicals they use
  • The Green Screen for Safer Chemicals
    Tool developed by Clean Production Action (CPA)
    CPA is preparing a dedicated Green Screen website for end of 2007

    The Green Screen for Safer Chemicals defines four benchmarks on the path to safer chemicals:

    . Benchmark 1:
    Avoid—Chemical of high concern
    . Benchmark 2:
    Use but search for safer substitutes
    . Benchmark 3:
    Use but still opportunity for improvement
    . Benchmark 4:
    Prefer—Safer chemical

    The criteria for each benchmark become progressively more demanding for environmental and human health and safety, with the hazard criteria of Benchmark 4 representing the most preferred chemicals.

    To test the Green Screen CPA evaluated three flame retardants that currently meet performance criteria for use in the external plastic housing of televisions (TVs):
    . decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE),
    . resorcinol bis(diphenylphosphate) (RDP), and
    . bisphenol A diphosphate (BAPP or BPADP)

    Of the three flame retardants, RDP was the only flame retardant to pass all criteria under Benchmark 1 of the Green Screen. Thus RDP, at Benchmark 2, is the most preferred of the three flame retardants. The results of this study helped US state officials to pass legislation that will phase out hazardous chemicals pending the availability of safer substitutes.
  • COSHH ESSENTIALS
    Health and Safety Executive, UK
    Easy steps to control health risks from chemicals COSHH Essentials provides advice on controlling the use of chemicals for a range of common tasks, eg mixing, or drying.
  • Greener Practices for Business, Site Development and Site Cleanups: A Toolkit
    Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (USA)

    More and more businesses, communities and developers are realizing direct and indirect benefits from embracing greener practices. A business may reduce its regulatory burden and operating costs by decreasing its environmental emissions or discharges through reduced quantity or toxicity of inputs and wastes. Communities may watch property values increase and quality of life improve with enhanced or restored greenspace and thoughtfully designed public buildings. Developers may realize higher rents and municipalities may realize lower overhead due to decreased costs in operating and maintaining a green or high-performance site and building. We hope you will be able to use this Internet site as an information reference as well as a tool for making decisions.
  • SAGE Solvent Alternatives Guide
    SAGE is a comprehensive guide designed to provide pollution prevention information on solvent and process alternatives for parts cleaning and degreasing. SAGE does not recommend any ozone depleting chemicals.
    SAGE was developed by the Contamination Control Program at RTI International in cooperation with the U.S. EPA Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division (APPCD).
  • Greenlist system
    SC Johnson and Son, Inc. has pioneered its patented (and licensable at no cost) Greenlist system for ranking chemicals and reducing the environmental footprint of its products.

    “The manufacturing and packaging of our many products requires literally thousands of raw materials. Our goal is a significant annual increase in the use of those that are environmentally preferred. While our facilities around the world already meet or exceed government requirements, we plan to measure ourselves against a much higher internal standard. Through Greenlist™, our own patent-applied-for process, we are using internationally recognized information sources such as the ECOTOX database to classify all the ingredients that go into our products according to their impact on the environment and human health. Each is evaluated as part of the Greenlist™ process and given a rating of 3 for "Best", 2 for "Better", 1 for "Acceptable" and 0 for "Restricted Use Material" (RUM). These are utilized to compute cumulative scores that managers are challenged to increase each year. We are currently conducting initial screenings for the six material categories that constitute 80% of what we buy and sell: surfactants (detergents), solvents, propellants, insecticides, resins and packaging.”
  • Waste Minimization Fact Sheet
    Hazardous Chemicals Alternatives
    The Ohio State University
    Environmental Health and Safety
    Future Solutions Now
    Table listing some possible alternatives to chemicals routinely used in the laboratory. The alternatives represent less toxic or non-hazardous materials that will help in reducing hazardous waste generation.
  • GREEN CHEMISTRY EXPERT SYSTEM - EPA
    The Green Chemistry Expert System (GCES) allows users to build a green chemical process, design a green chemical, or survey the field of green chemistry. The system is equally useful for new and existing chemicals and their synthetic processes. It includes extensive documentation.

    The GCES features are contained in five modules:
    • The Synthetic Methodology Assessment for Reduction Techniques (SMART) module quantifies and categorizes the hazardous substances used in or generated by a chemical reaction, based on information entered by the user. Reactions can be modified in the SMART module and re-evaluated to optimize their green nature.
    • The Green Synthetic Reactions module provides technical information on green synthetic methods.
    • The Designing Safer Chemicals module includes guidance on how chemical substances can be modified to make them safer; it is organized by chemical class, properties, and use.
    • The Green Solvents/Reaction Conditions module contains technical information on green alternatives to traditional solvent systems. This module also allows users to search for green substitute solvents based on physicochemical properties.
    • The Green Chemistry References module allows the user to obtain additional information using a number of search strategies. The user may also add references to this module
  • Ozone Layer Depletion – alternatives / SNAP
    US Environmental Protection Agency
    The SNAP program makes decisions on a particular substitute in a particular end-use within a larger sector.
    Lists including substitutes that are either acceptable , acceptable subject to narrowed use limits, or acceptable subject to use conditions.
  • PIGGs: a problem with a known solution
    PIGGs are Potent Industrial Greenhouse Gases which pose a threat to the climate. They are almost entirely man-made from industrial processes. Environmentally benign alternatives exist for them all.
  • The Hospitals for a Healthy Environment Project
    Search for documents and links on this website using either a simple or advanced library search.
    Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) is creating a national movement for environmental sustainability in health care. H2E was jointly founded by the American Hospital Association, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Health Care Without Harm, and the American Nurses Association. To achieve their vision, mission and goals, H2E is educating health care professionals about pollution prevention opportunities and providing a wealth of practical tools and resources to facilitate the industry’s movement toward environmental sustainability.