Substitution of hazardous chemicalsSUBSPORT – support in practice

Dr.-Ing. Isabella BanduchMario DobernowskyKoordinationsstelle Hamburg IFE GmbH

Dr. Roland WeberPOPs Environmental Consulting

Summer School on Sustainable Chemistry

in International Cooperation 12th September – 16th September 2016

at Leuphana University, Lüneburg

Lüneburg, 14 September 2015 Slide 2

Kooperationsstelle Hamburg IFE

Substitution: Trends, topics and areas of regulation in the EU

Substitution Tool: SUBSPORT - Substitution support portal

Case studies

Assessment steps of alternatives

“POPs phase out” initiative as an entry point for global substitution

Content

Kooperationsstelle Hamburg IFE Former public research institute, specialized on Occupational

Safety & health (OSH) and chemicals, private from 01/2010 on.

Practical substitution projects (metal and printing industry, construction)

Major national and EU-wide background studies on chemical management

Developer of CLEANTOOL - a database for innovative metal surface cleaning in four languages (www.cleantool.org)

Developer and coordinator of SUBSPORT - an international substitution portal (www.subsport.eu)

Lüneburg, 14 September 2015 Slide 3

There is no standard definition of substitution

”… the replacement or reduction of hazardous substances in products and processes by less hazardous or non-hazardous substances, or by achieving an equivalent functionality via technological or organisational measures.” - Lohse/Lissner (2003)

“The Principle of Substitution states that hazardous chemicals should be systematically substituted by less hazardous alternatives or preferably alternatives for which no hazards can be identified.” - Greenpeace

Substitution of chemicals: Definition

Lüneburg, 14 September 2015 Slide 4

Substitution is “...the replacement of one substance by another with the aim of achieving a lower level of risk.” - CEFIC

1. The employer shall ensure that the risk from a hazardous chemical agent to the safety and health of workers at work is eliminated or reduced to a minimum. 2. In applying paragraph 1, substitution shall by preference be undertaken, whereby the employer shall avoid the use of a hazardous chemical agent by replacing it with a chemical agent or process which, under its condition of use, is not hazardous or less hazardous to workers' safety and health, as the case may be. – Directive 98/24/EC -risks related to chemical agents at work

Substitution of chemicals: Definition

Lüneburg, 14 September 2015 Slide 5

Some examples of substitution Asbestos by bio-soluble mineral fibers

Nickel-cadmium batteries by lithium-ion batteries

Dichloromethane as paint stripper by esters

High volatile cleaner by low volatile cleaners

Laboratory solvent hexane by heptane

Lead-free soldering in the electronics industry

Lead, chromium, mercury & nickel in the automotive manufacturing

PFAS by less persistent chemicals in hydrophobing textiles

HBCDD by less persistent and toxic flame retardants

Lüneburg, 14 September 2015 Slide 6

Why is substitution necessary?

Legal requirements (occupational safety, environmental

protection, consumer protection)

For more favorable safety measures - handling and storage

For more environmentally sound disposal

Requirements within the supply chain

Green and innovative image as a competitive advantage

Lüneburg, 14 September 2015 Slide 7

Most areas of chemical regulation covered by EU- legislation between 1980 and 2005

REACH regulation: the largest and latest legislation (along with CLP regulation for "Classification, Labelling and Packaging")

Substitution of chemicals: Legislation

Lüneburg, 14 September 2015 Slide 8

End-of-life vehicles Directives (e.g. restriction and prohibition of mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium VI)

RoHS Directive (Electronic and electric products, restriction of lead, mer-cury, cadmium, chromium VI, PBB and PBDEs)

WEEE Directive (Waste phase of electronic products, 12 Mio t in 2020 in the EU, recycling and collection targets)Categories: Large and small household appliances, equipment for IT and telecommunications, Lighting. Electrical and electronic tools, toys, leisure and sports equipment, medical devices etc.

Battery Directive (restrictions of certain heavy metals and recycling and collection targets)

Regulations for cosmetics, toys etc.

Substitution of chemicals: Articles

Lüneburg, 14 September 2015 Slide 9

ECHA: Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern for Authorization (169 substances)

ECHA: Candidate List for inclusion in the Authorization List (Annex XIV of REACH), currently 31 substances

Substitution of chemicals: Industrial chemicals

Lüneburg, 14 September 2015 Slide 10

Water Framework Directive

Monitoring: European Pollutant Emission Register (EPER) for 50 substances

Air quality directive (e.g. fine particles)

And others…….

Substitution of chemicals: Polluting substances from various sources

Lüneburg, 14 September 2015 Slide 11

Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) supported by BREFs = Reference documents on best available technologies BAT-documents (http://eippcb.jrc.es/reference/)

IED includes the former IPPC Directive, the Large Combustion Plants Directive, the Waste Incineration Directive, the Solvents Emissions Directive and 3 Directives on Titanium Dioxide.

Eco-Label

Substitution of chemicals: Environment and industrial production

Lüneburg, 14 September 2015 Slide 12

SUBSPORT - Substitution support portal

Substitution Tool

Lüneburg, 14 September 2015 Slide 13

Information portal that constitutes a state-of-the-art resource on safer alternatives to the use of hazardous chemicals

First entry point for stakeholders interested in substitution

Network of experts and stakeholders

Initiation of practical substitution processes

SUBSPORT goals and achievements

Lüneburg, 14 September 2015 Slide 14

SUBSPORT is a free-of-charge, multilingual platform for information

exchange on alternative substances and technologies, as well as tools

and guidance for substance evaluation and substitution management.

Basic data on the project Cofinancers: LIFE Programme, European Union

BAuA – Federal OSH Institute, GermanyMinistry for Environment and Agriculture,

Austria

Development phase: 2010 – 2013; 2014-2015

Languages: English, French, German, Spanish

Project Consortium

Kooperationsstelle Hamburg IFE (Germany), Coordinator

ISTAS – Instituto Sindical de Trabajo, Ambiente y Salud (Spain)

ChemSec – International ChemicalSecretariat (Sweden)

Grontmij (Denmark)

Development of Case Story Database

About 400 case stories on substitution of hazardous substances

have been compiled in the data base

The database provides a practical way of searching alternatives

http://www.subsport.eu/case-stories

Case Story Database: Goals

Develop an internet portal, which constitutes a state-of-the-art resource on safer alternatives to the use of hazardous chemicals

Initiation of practical substitution processes

Getting inspired by the examples of others

Initiate substitution processes on international level

New ideas and alternatives

CRITERIA Lists of substances

CMR CLP Regulation categ. 1A, 1B IARC categ. 1, 2A, 2B

(v)P(v)BT EC PBT Working GroupOSPAR List of substances of possible concern

Endocrine disruptors

EU Endocrine disruptors database categ. 1, 2SIN list database

Neurotoxicants Vela, Laborda, Garcia study, 2003, categ. 2-4

Sensitizationagents

CLP Regulation for H334, H317

Case Story Database: SUBSPORT Screening Criteria (SDSC)

Information on substituted substance and alternative(s)

Information on the type of application

Hazard evaluation

Substitution case description

Case evaluation

Contact data and further information

Structure of case stories and examples

SUBSPORT Textile• Extension with information specific to the textile sector

• Sponsored by the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU)

Detailed alternatives assessment reports Chloroalkanes

Chromium VI and compounds

Bisphenol A

Dialkyl phthalates

Lead & its inorganic compounds

Nonylphenol, Octylphenol

Trichloroethylene, Tetrachloroethylene

Formaldehyde

Brominated flame retardants: HBCDD, TBBPA, DecaBDE

Parabens (methylparaben, propylparaben…)

• For example, PFOS has been listed in the Stockholm Convention.

However, a wide range of exemptions for the use of PFOS have been

granted since developing and transition countries are requesting for

continuing the use of PFOS due to the lack of knowledge and technical

capacity to phase in substitute chemicals. In addition they might not

transition to chemicals newly patented, which may be more expensive

than PFOS, which after phase-out by the major manufacturer in the US is

now produced by companies in China.

“Lock-in” problem of substituting hazardous chemicals

• While a wide range of sustainable/green chemicals for various

applications are available, often only certain types of hazardous or

unsustainably produced chemicals are continued to be used out of

different reasons (“lock-in” problem) (Scheringer et al. OHC 76, 914-917, 2014).

• There are several challenges associated with the phase-out of hazardous

chemicals widely used even if an agreement has been reached by

voluntary agreements by major companies or an international treaty.

Archetypal cases of incremental substitution

for selected phase-out chemicals

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Assessment ofalternatives

Phase-outimplementation

Selection ofalternatives

Inventory ofalternatives

Phase-outagreement

Incremental substitution

No or slow phase-out

Voluntary, some producers

Known, similar substances

Incomplete assessment

Current and recommended substitution practiceCurrent practice

Current and recommended substitution practice

Fantke et al. (2015) Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy 1, 1-8

Assessment ofalternatives

Phase-outimplementation

Selection ofalternatives

Inventory ofalternatives

Phase-outagreement

Incremental substitution Fundamental substitution

No or slow phase-out Effective phase-out

Voluntary, some producers Binding, cross-sector, global

Known, similar substancesStructurally different

substances

Incomplete assessmentComplete assessmentincl. life cycle impacts

Current practice Recommended practice

Identify

Chemical

of Concern

Select

Priority

Uses

Identify

Alternatives

Characterize

Alternatives

Compare

Alternatives

Score

Alternatives

Six Steps for Alternatives Assessment

Ken Geiser (Lowell Center for Sustainable Production)

Identify

Chemical

of Concern

Select

Priority

Uses

Identify

Alternatives

Characterize

Alternatives

Compare

Alternatives

Score

Alternatives

Identify Chemicals of Concern

Criteria for selection

CMRs, PBTs

Bio-monitoring evidence

High public concern

Six Steps for Alternatives Assessment

Ken Geiser (Lowell Center for Sustainable Production)

Identify

Chemical

of Concern

Select

Priority

Uses

Identify

Alternatives

Characterize

Alternatives

Compare

Alternatives

Score

Alternatives

Select Priority Uses

Criteria for selection

Large percentage of use

High likelihood of exposure

Six Steps for Alternatives Assessment

Identify

Chemical

of Concern

Select

Priority

Uses

Identify

Alternatives

Characterize

Alternatives

Compare

Alternatives

Score

Alternatives

Identify Alternatives

Criteria for selection

Alternatives on the market

Alternatives likely to enter the market

Alternatives used by competitors

Six Steps for Alternatives Assessment

Ken Geiser (Lowell Center for Sustainable Production)

Identify

Chemical

of Concern

Select

Priority

Uses

Identify

Alternatives

Characterize

Alternatives

Compare

Alternatives

Score

Alternatives

Characterize Alternatives

Assemble available data

hazard end points

human exposure potential

potential environmental effects

Address data gaps

lack of data considered high hazard

Establish hazard profiles

Six Steps for Alternatives Assessment

Ken Geiser (Lowell Center for Sustainable Production)

Six Steps for Alternatives Assessment

Identify

Chemical

of Concern

Select

Priority

Uses

Identify

Alternatives

Characterize

Alternatives

Compare

Alternatives

Score

Alternatives

Compare Alternatives

Compare hazard profiles

Use available screening tools

TURI’s P2OASys

CPA’s Green Screen

HBN’s Pharos

Ken Geiser (Lowell Center for Sustainable Production)

Six Steps for Alternatives Assessment

Ken Geiser (Lowell Center for Sustainable Production)

Identify

Chemical

of Concern

Select

Priority

Uses

Identify

Alternatives

Characterize

Alternatives

Compare

Alternatives

Score

Alternatives

Rank Alternatives

Use qualitative rating tools

Benchmarks

Comparison tables

Color charts

• A ‘POPs-free initiative’ has been

initiated by the Secretariat of the

Stockholm Convention to improve

the exchange of information on

alternatives/substitutes to POPs.

• Here an electronic publication

“POPs in articles and phasing-out

opportunities” has been developed

compiling information on alternatives

to POPs & phase out (Web-version

with Basel/Stockholm Convention

Regional Centre Asia & the Pacific)

http://poppub.bcrc.cn/

Stockholm Convention

POPs free initiative:

• Part III of the publication includes

information on alternatives to listed

POPs which are still in use.

• The publication is considered to be

updated for current and future new

listed POPs.

http://poppub.bcrc.cn/

Stockholm Convention

POPs free initiative: “POPs

in articles and phasing-out

opportunities” publication

Stockholm Convention POPs free initiative: “POPs in

articles and phasing-out opportunities” publication

Part IV Include some best practice examples

• The publication contains in part IV

information on tools for alternative

assessment and case studies.

• The publication already links to the

compilation of IOMC on alternative

assessment and the Lowell Center

alternative assessment framework

• Inputs including country case

studies are welcome.

http://poppub.bcrc.cn/

Stockholm Convention POPs free initiative: “POPs in

articles and phasing-out opportunities” publication

Part V „Conclusions and recommendations“ includes already a short

section on „Approach of using/promoting Green/Sustainable Chemistry“

First version of „POPs phase out/alternative guidance version – to be updated

Thank you for your attention

www.subsport.eu

info@subsport.eu

www.kooperationsstelle-hh.de

i.banduch@kooperationsstelle-hh.de

roland.weber@gmail.com