Safer chemicals within REACH

Safer chemicals within REACH Beverley Thorpe Clean Production Action Oct 1, 2009

The problem that REACH addresses: unregulated chemicals
50,000 to 100,000 chemicals in use today
Prior to 1981 no requirements for health and environmental impact data
Only 5% of total chemicals in use today have full health and environmental data
Burden of proof on regulators to show harm
No level playing field: Innovative safer chemicals not competitive with untested older hazardous chemicals

REACH into force June 2007
R egistration – E valuation – A uthorisation – Ch emicals
Any chemicals used or imported over 1 tonne or more per year per company into Europe must be registered and the supplier must now identify all risks
Chemical producers must produce safety data sheets for 30,000 large volume chemicals
Hazardous chemicals (substances of very high concern –SVHC) will have to be authorised if supplier wishes ongoing use in the market
REACH replaces 40 pieces of legislation with more streamlined regulation and creates new European Chemicals Agency
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/reach/reach_intro.htm

Scope of REACH
A substance
Used on its own
Used in a chemical mixture (formulation); or
Used in an article (used in another product than a chemical)
Shall not be
Manufactured;
Placed on the European market
(including import);
Or used
Unless it complies with restrictions of REACH

Substances of Very High Concern
What are they?
CMR: carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxins
PBT: persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic
Substances of equivalent concern:
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (to be assessed in future)
Nanotechnology (to be assessed in future)
SVHC must be authorised
Chemical producer must register all chemicals and have them evaluated. Chemicals that fit definition of ‘substances of high concern’ must be authorised

What does this mean for products?
European Chemicals Agency
More product information
All substances that are intended to be released in articles under normal or intended use must be registered
SVHC present in articles above 0.1% by weight and present above 1 tonne/yr must be notified to Agency
Manufacturers, importers, and customers must have access to information

Many downstream users supported substitution principle in REACH
Example: Water treatment industry
“ To minimise priority substances in the society and therefore also in the water cycle, it is necessary to use the product substitution principle. It should be clearly stated that where a safer alternative exists no, or time limited only, authorisation will be given.”
European Union of National Associations of Water Suppliers and Waste Water Services (EUREAU)
Case studies: www.chemsec.org

How REACH promotes substitution of hazardous chemicals “ My goal has been achieved: all dangerous substances will be dealt with in a way that can or will lead to substitution” – Guido Sacconi – negotiator for European Parliament position. Dec 1, 2006

Two routes to authorisation
PBT and vP vB
No adequate control allowed
Socio economic reasons and availability of alternatives govern possible granting of authorisation – or not.
ALL AUTHORISATIONS
ARE TIME LIMITED
CMR and P and B
an authorisation shall be granted if the risk to human health or the environment …is adequately controlled.
If no adequate control, “an authorisation may only be granted if it is shown that socio-economic benefits outweigh the risk to human health or the environment arising from the use of the substance and if there are no suitable alternative substances or technologies.”
10/05/09

How REACH promotes substitution
Reluctance of downstream users to use authorised chemicals
Chemical producers and users must prove safe thresholds and adequate control if they wish to continue using a chemical
Authorisation application will be transparent and web-based allowing interested third parties to submit info on safer substitutes.

Downstream companies supported REACH

Down stream users: Right to Know
Downstream users can now request Safety Data sheet for any authorised chemicals found in products at more than 0.1% by weight
Consumers can then ask retailer for information; companies required to respond within 45 days
All registered chemicals will be on publicly available database
10/05/09

REACH authorisation list begins:
Seven chemicals now defined in first batch for authorisation:
the fragrance musk xylene
short-chained chlorinated paraffins
flame retardant hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD)
the resin hardener 4,4’-Diamino diphenyl methane (MDA)
and three phthalate plasticisers DEHP, BBP and DBP.

Some Timelines
June 2007 REACH becomes operational
June 2008 European Chemicals Agency (Helsinki) becomes operational
June 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 Authorisation working lists published in timed batches
Nov 2010 Registration deadline for CMRs
June 2022 implementation finished
Clean Production Action 2007

Ex: REACH and leather
Leather has no chemicals that will
be ‘intentionally released’
BUT: Tanners operating from the EU or for the EU need to check with their suppliers to see if SVHC listed chemicals are purchased or used in their process
If so, and if the content is 0.1% then must comply with regulations

What needs to be done now by tanners operating from or for the European Market?
Step 1: Ensure all chemical products being used will be registered
Step 2: Confirm that no SVHC are present in chemicals used
Step 3: Ensure all end uses of chemicals are defined

Thank you for listening
Beverley Thorpe
International Director
Clean Production Action
[email_address]
+1 514 933 4596
www.cleanproduction.org

http://www.greenpeace.org.ar	56
http://www.supplychaintoday.com	55
http://www.slideshare.net	1

Safer chemicals within REACH

by Greenpeace Argentina on Oct 05, 2009

Accessibility

Categories

Upload Details

Usage Rights

3 Embeds 112

Statistics

Safer chemicals within REACH — Presentation Transcript