EU REACH
October 28, 2014 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.
ChemSec Updates SIN List of Hazardous Chemicals
October 28, 2014｜Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.
The International Chemical Secretariat (ChemSec) updated their Substitute It Now (SIN) List of hazardous chemicals this month with 28 newly added substances.
ChemSec is a non-profit organization striving for "a world free of hazardous chemicals." The organization maintains their SIN List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) based on EU regulations under REACH.
The organization states that the goal of the SIN List is to "spark innovation towards products without hazardous chemicals by speeding up legislative processes and giving guidance to companies and other stakeholders on which chemicals to start substituting." This means that substances on ChemSec's SIN List are likely to be subject to future EU regulation under REACH.
Many of the 28 new substances added to the list are chemicals that are being used by manufacturers to replace other hazardous chemicals already banned under EU regulations, but which are hazardous themselves.
The EU Commission has been known to add chemicals to regulation lists in batches after witnessing trends of chemical usage. If many manufacturers start using a replacement chemical in substitution of a banned chemical, and the EU determines that the replacement chemical is also hazardous, manufacturers should expect to see the replacement substance quickly become regulated.
As manufacturers know, continually having to switch out the chemical substances in your components is a costly process. It is ideal to use a substance that will not be banned when replacing a regulated substance in a product, and the SIN List can be used to help guide manufacturers' decision-making in this regard.
You can also find guidance on replacement substances from your Project Manager here at GreenSoft. As part of our REACH-SVHC data services, we will help find replacements for problem components in your bill of materials (BOM). Learn more online or contact your Project Manager today.