Moving towards safer alternatives
News
Stay up-to-date with news about substitution!
In the news section, we will highlight initiatives and strategies for substitution, events as well as relevant news on chemical regulation. News will be provided in English and in German.
Call for alternatives to in-can preservatives for paints, varnishes and adhesives
Are you a supplier/manufacturer or user of in-can preservatives for paints, varnishes and adhesives?
We are looking for drop-in/technical or functional alternatives to the typical biocides for Product-type (PT) 6 “Preservatives for products during storage” (Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR, Regulation (EU) 528/2012)).
If you want to share your information with us please contact subsportplus@baua.bund.de and luedeke.andreas@baua.bund.de.
You can also meet us to discuss alternatives and possibilities to reduce biocide application on our next substitution event:
“Perspectives of the substitution of isothiazolinones as preservatives (In-can preservatives) in paints, varnishes and adhesives”
Where and when? It takes place on 28th May 2020 at the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) in Dortmund.
Further information on the program and registration formalities are available here. Please be aware that the event will take place in German only.
Guidance on best available techniques (BAT) and best environmental practices (BEP) for the use of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and related chemicals listed under the Stockholm Convention, updated 2017
The Convention prohibits the production and use of PFOS and its related chemicals except in certain applications or as intermediate in the production of chemicals used in these applications. Producer and/or users of PFOS have to register with the Secretariat of the Convention and should take into account guidance on BAT and BEP. They were encouraged by the Conference of the Parties to implement recommendations on risk reduction for PFOS, its salts and PFOS-F that relate to the different stages in the life cycle of PFOS and processes and materials containing PFOS. This guidance has been developed to guide producers and users in adequately addressing the risks of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and its related substances.
Main target audience is staff responsible for developing management plans for the application of BAT and BEP for the production and use of PFOS and technical staff involved in their implementation.
Go to: Stockholm Convention
An overview of possible substitutes for PFOS is also provided in the publication of the German UBA „Verwendung von PFOS in der Galvanik – Kennzeichen eines geschlossenen Kreislaufs, Verwendung von Ersatzstoffen“ (Texte | 63/2016, in German).
Workshop on substituting problematic chemicals, 30-31 January 2020, Vienna
The workshop will introduce the latest developments in EU substitution policy and show what this can mean for businesses. Matchmaking slots and three thematic discussion groups will be arranged:
- Chromate in the surface coating
- Preservative in paints and detergents
- Detergents in textile care.
The workshop targets companies with experience in substitution processes willing to actively contribute to the workshop discussions and learn from other participants.
Presentations are available here: https://www.wko.at/service/umwelt-energie/workshop-problematische-chemikalien–2020.html
UBA: Guide on sustainable chemicals (Version 2017) and IT-Tool „SubSelect“
The German Federal Environment Agency UBA has developed criteria for the selection of sustainable chemicals to make it easier for chemical producers, developers and end users to select sustainable chemicals. The guide provides a tool for assessing the risks posed by substances step-by-step and for distinguishing non-sustainable chemicals from sustainable ones. The guide has been updated in 2017.
In addition, the assessment and selection of chemicals can be easily performed by the complementary IT-Tool „SubSelect“, based on the Windows Access program. Based on the criteria of the guide, SubSelect allows assessment of single substances or mixtures.
The guide and SubSelect are available for free:
Guide on sustainable chemicals
https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/guide-on-sustainable-chemicals
SubSelect – Guide for the Selection of Sustainable Chemicals
https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/document/subselect-guide-for-the-selection-of-sustainable
Online training on analysis of alternatives
The online course has been developed by the University of Massachusetts Lowell in cooperation with ECHA, and will provide information on emerging standards of practice and give examples of useful methods and tools for assessing alternatives. The training is not exclusive to the REACH authorisation context, but rather targets those working on sustainable chemicals management in a broader sense – whether in national authority, industry, or a non-governmental organisation.
During the online course, participants will learn how to make informed chemicals management decisions when substituting hazardous substances. The training is structured as follows:
Introduction
Session 1: Scoping the assessment
Session 2: Identifying and screening alternatives
Session 3: Hazard and exposure
Session 4: Cost and technical performance
Session 5: Making and implementing decisions
The course will be subscription based but free-of-charge, meaning that there is a limited number of participants who can take the course simultaneously. You can indicate your interest in taking the course by filling the expression of interest form. Participants will receive a time-limited subscription to the online learning platform once the training is published in January 2020.
More information here: https://newsletter.echa.europa.eu/home/-/newsletter/entry/improve-your-skills-on-assessing-alternatives
and here: https://echa.europa.eu/online-training-on-analysis-of-alternatives
“Stop cancer at the workplace”- Call for proposals for the 13th German Hazardous Substances Protection Award
In November 2020, the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs will award the 13th German Hazardous Substances Protection Award. The topic this time is: “Stop cancer at the workplace”.
The award recognizes new ideas and concepts for safe work with carcinogenic hazardous substances. From the introduction of alternative substances, products and processes, to employee training initiatives or the development of innovative solutions for the safe handling of carcinogenic hazardous substances – the approaches can be diverse.
The best submissions will be awarded a total of 10 000 euros by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. Applications can be submitted until March 31, 2020 under gefahrstoffschutzpreis@baua.bund.de. A letter and a short presentation of your activities are sufficient, for interesting projects you will be asked for additional information.
Flyer “13. Deutscher Gefahrstoffschutzpreis: STOP dem Krebs am Arbeitsplatz”
Further information can be found at www.gefahrstoffschutzpreis.de.
Preservation of Paints & Detergents – Workshop on innovation and industry challenges
The International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products (A.I.S.E) and the European Council of the Paint, Printing Ink and Artists‘ Colours Industry (CEPE) hosted a workshop about Preservation of Paints & Detergents on the 15th May 2019 in Brussels.
Last year the European Commission invited Member States, industry and NGOs to initiate actions towards finding alternatives to active substances in areas where innovation is needed. Preservation for products during storage was identified as one of the priority areas.
Current innovations in the fields, challenges faced by industry, and possible solutions under the Biocidal Products Regulation were discussed with all interested parties.
The proceedings and presentations of the workshop can be found here.
EU-OSHA: Healthy Workplaces Good Practice Awards highlight examples of managing dangerous substances in the workplace
In the framework of the 14th Good Practice Award competition, 6 organisations were awarded and 4 organisations were commended that take an innovative approach to successfully tackling the risks posed by hazardous substances.
The award recognises organisations with an outstanding commitment to occupational safety and health (OSH) and promote practices that protect workers and boost productivity. The 2018-2019 competition is a key part of EU-OSHA’s Healthy Workplaces Manage Dangerous Substances campaign https://healthy-workplaces.eu/.
The awarded examples include the use or substitution of hazardous substances from the hairdressing sector to the construction sector.
Learn more about the examples in the Good Practice Awards booklet: https://osha.europa.eu/en/tools-and-publications/publications/healthy-workplaces-good-practice-awards-2018-2019/view.
The award ceremony will take place at the Healthy Workplaces Summit in Bilbao in November 2019.
INERIS informs about applications and alternatives for alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs)
The French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks (INERIS) offers information provided by companies on the alternatives available for three families of substances: bisphenols, phthalates and alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs) on the information platform „Chemicals substitution“.
In the latest newsletter (September 2019), applications and alternatives for alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs) were summarized. APEOs are nonionic surfactants. The two most prominent subgroups are ethoxylated octylyphenols and ethoxylated nonylphenols. For the latter group of substances, alcohol ethoxylates can be used as substitute.
Read more about APEOs: https://substitution.ineris.fr/en/newsletters/archive
New label for textiles: Minister Gerd Müller presents a new national textile label “Grüner Knopf“
On 09.09.19, Federal Development Minister Dr. Gerd Müller presented a new national textile label “Grüner Knopf” (http://www.gruener-knopf.de/). 27 companies are taking part in the initial phase. They have all successfully passed the demanding requirements of social and ecological sustainability (e.g. free from SVHC) for the textile label. Details can be found in the press release of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Further, useful links:
- A survey on sustainability labels for different type of products, i.a. textiles, can be found on the website https://www.siegelklarheit.de.
- A starting point for chemical management of textiles, especially for small and middle-sized companies, can be found on the webpages of ChemSec: https://tool.textileguide.chemsec.org/