One big dream that I’ve had since I started working for ChemSec ten years ago, is to see a big chemical producer taking the lead in the transformation to sustainable chemistry. A couple of weeks ago, DSM announced that they aim to phase out all chemicals of high concern from their coating resins. I thought I’d share my thoughts on it.
It’s time to find out what’s in our daily chemical cocktail
It’s time to find out what’s in our daily chemical cocktail The world’s chemical production has increased more than 50-fold since the 1950s and several studies have shown that hazardous chemical exposure contributes substantially to diseases and affects human and...
Proposed restriction of 200 PFAS intended to prevent regrettable substitution
Germany and Sweden together propose a restriction under REACH to cover six perfluorinated and polyfluorinated substances, known as PFAS. As the restriction also covers any substance that can degrade into one of the six, the Swedish Chemicals Agency estimates that…
Four approaches to substitution your company should start considering
As the managing director of a SME with its own sustainable technology I spend a lot of time thinking about how to achieve successful green substitution and about what the constituents of this process are. I recently got a chance to bounce my own ideas off others when I took part in a Chemical Watch seminar in Copenhagen. During the seminar two things stood out for me.
Alternative providers need exposure if substitution is to become more than a buzzword
I think that dating sites manifest one of the best and most intrinsic qualities of the internet: to connect people. And of course, this quality can be used for more than dating and finding a new partner – it can also be used to speed up the transition from hazardous chemicals to safer alternatives.
ECHA authorisation process report shows many positives, but lacks a full societal analysis
This week the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) released a meta-analysis on the socio-economic impacts of REACH authorisation. According to ECHA, the way the authorisation process has been handled has led to increased control of use of the most problematic chemicals…
It’s smarter to look at groups of chemicals rather than individual substances
Substituting a problematic substance with one that is equally as bad is a common mistake within the world of chemicals. Hazardous chemicals are many times used because of their performance – like giving your textile fiber a water repellent quality…
Recognition of BPA as an EDC for human health will increase the protection of consumers
During last week’s vote in the ECHA Member State Committee, Bisphenol A (BPA) was officially identified as an SVHC substance due to its endocrine disrupting properties for human health. While BPA has already been added to this SVHC list for…
Is Europe on the way to clean up its citizen’s mouths?
Last week the Environmental Committee in the European Parliament voted in favor of adopting the Mercury Regulation article 10, which means mercury should be phased out from dental amalgam by 2022. The Parliament will now initiate discussions with the European…
The EU needs stronger and more coordinated efforts to boost substitution
A new ECHA report, written by representatives from the university of Massachusetts, investigates how institutions, industries and governments in the EU work to promote substitution of hazardous chemicals. Among other things, it recommends ECHA to build infrastructures to promote substitution,…