The German Environment Agency has launched an innovative tool, ChemSelect, to help companies conduct a quick and easy sustainability assessment of chemical substances and mixtures. This free online application offers a streamlined approach to identifying which chemicals are more sustainable and safer for human health and the environment.
ChemSelect:
New Sustainability Assessment Tool For Chemicals
What is ChemSelect?
ChemSelect enables you to:
- Generate a sustainability profile of your chemicals.
- Compare up to five substances or mixtures to determine which options are more sustainable.
The tool is based on the "Guide on Sustainable Chemicals," which remains an excellent introduction to the topic and is available here.
Why Seek Out More Sustainable Chemicals?
Sustainable chemical choices can bring a range of benefits:
- Reduce environmental and health impacts: Lower your company’s environmental footprint and protect workers, consumers, and ecosystems.
- Enhance your reputation: Choosing safer chemicals showcases responsibility and reduces corporate risks.
- Lower risk management costs: Safer chemicals often require fewer control measures.
- Ensure future compliance: Avoid the risk of using substances that may face future regulation.
Why Use ChemSelect?
ChemSelect makes sustainability assessments accessible for all companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Here’s why it stands out:
- Highlight problematic properties: Identify chemicals with hazards like carcinogenicity or environmental damage.
- Simplify assessments: Focus on key information such as hazard statements, which are readily available.
- Automate insights: Leverage lists of regulated substances and harmonized classifications using CAS numbers.
- Comprehensive scope: Address topics like human toxicity, global warming potential, and supply chain responsibility.
- User-friendly results: Assessments are presented via an easy-to-understand traffic light system (green, yellow, red).
- Future-ready: ChemSelect aligns with the EU’s "Safe and Sustainable by Design" framework and will support over 10 languages by late 2025.
Features of ChemSelect
- Substance and mixture assessments: Evaluate both individual chemicals and their combinations.
- Automated evaluations: Harness regulatory lists to streamline assessments.
- Broad coverage: Address key sustainability dimensions for a holistic evaluation.
- SME-friendly: Accessible for businesses without specialized sustainability teams.
Who Can Benefit?
ChemSelect is particularly valuable for:
- Mixture producers: e.g., paint manufacturers.
- Product manufacturers: e.g., toy or clothing makers using chemicals in production.
- Service providers: e.g., dry cleaning businesses.
If your company operates in one of these areas, ChemSelect can simplify your chemical management and improve your sustainability performance.
Ready to Get Started?
Take the first step toward more sustainable chemicals today! Explore ChemSelect and start your sustainability assessment here:
For additional details, feel free to reach out to:
- Christopher Blum, German Environment Agency: christopher.blum@uba.de
- Antonia Reihlen, Ökopol GmbH: reihlen@okopol.de
- Dirk Bunke, Öko-Institut e.V.: d.bunke@oeko.de