IC2 Launches New Alternatives Assessment GuideJanuary 9, 2014
These are resource-rich times for companies looking for ways to de-toxify their products. Fresh on the heels of OSHA’s new Alternatives Assessment Toolkit, the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse (IC2) launched its own guide. IC2’s Chemicals Alternatives Assessment Guide is a comprehensive guide designed with a simple purpose in mind: to help companies reduce or eliminate their use of toxic chemicals.
The Guide resulted from 20 months of collaborative effort from IC2 members, including: the Northwest’s own Washington Department of Ecology, other state departments from around the nation, non-governmental organizations, and businesses.
“This is an important tool that will help companies identify safer materials,” said Ecology Director Maia Bellon. “We commend businesses who are taking a proactive approach to remove toxic chemicals from everyday consumer products.”
As defined by Ecology, alternatives assessment is: “a process that helps companies make more informed choices about their use of toxic chemicals. The process helps them consider the potential harm chemicals could have on human health and the environment.”
Increasingly, manufacturers are recognizing the harm done by the chemicals they use, and are trying to transition to safer substances. Wal-Mart and Target, for example, recently announced sustainable product standards that demand ingredient disclosure, reduce or eliminate chemicals of concern, and favor safer substitution.
Many businesses have already pointed to the new IC2 Guide as a valuable tool in identifying and implementing safer alternatives. Roger McFadden, Vice President and Senior Scientist with Staples, stated, “A growing number of businesses and consumers are asking their suppliers and retailers to identify and validate safer chemical alternatives in products and materials. The IC2 Chemicals Alternatives Assessment Guide offers companies a smart, valuable, pragmatic, scientific, and credible approach to identifying, differentiating, and specifying safer alternatives.”
If you’re manufacturing goods that could be less toxic, why not take a look?