Author: Ecobio

March 31, 2021

ECHA has opened a public consultation over eight potential substances of very high concern

ECHA has released proposals to identify eight chemical substances as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC). Substances that may have serious and often irreversible effects on human health and the environment can be identified as SVHCs. If a substance is identified as an SVHC, it will be added to the Candidate List of REACH for eventual inclusion in the Authorisation List. Currently there are 211 substances on the SVHC Candidate List.

The proposed substances and examples of their use are:

More information about the substances and links to comment are found at the ECHA website. The deadline for comments is 23 April 2021. Comments received on uses, and volumes per use, exposure, alternatives and risks will be taken into account in the authorisation process. Proposal and comments are referred to the Member State Committee (MSC) for agreement. If the committee does not reach a unanimous agreement, the matter is referred to the European Commission for a final decision. The substance is included directly in the Candidate List if no comments challenging the identification are received.

Obligations related to SVHC

Companies have legal obligations if a substance included in the Candidate List is present in a concentration above 0.1% w/w. Obligations include:

Providing Safety Data Sheets for substances on their own and substances in mixtures containing SVHCs
Requirement to notify ECHA under REACH if an article contains a SVHC
Requirement to inform customers and consumers under REACH if an article contains a SVHC to allow safe use of the article
Requirement to notify ECHA under the Waste Framework Directive (SCIP Database) about articles containing SVHCs

Companies that are importing, producing, selling or using substances, their mixtures or articles (components, materials) containing SVHCs should keep an eye on the substances added to the Candidate List. Substances are regularly being added to the list. It is also recommended for companies to start looking for substitutes for the added substances already. Substances on the Candidate List may also be placed on the Authorisation List in the future, which means that continuing the use would need a permission.

Do you need help with chemical management?

Our experienced chemical consultants will assist you in meeting your chemical requirements. Furthermore, our Ecobio Manager SaaS-service will help you manage your chemicals and ensure compliance with global regulations. Interested? Contact us today!

Contact: info@ecobio.fi

Text: Mikael Hirn

Picture: Shutterstock

Sources:

ECHA Weekly – 10 March 2021.

TUKES: Erityistä huolta aiheuttavat aineet (SVHC).

February 19, 2021

ECHA extends the scope of completeness check to include chemical safety reports

The Technical Completeness Check (TCC) done by ECHA for each REACH registration dossier now includes manual checks on the content of chemical safety reports. The extended completeness check will apply to both new registrations and updates of existing ones. Implementation of the revised completeness check was originally planned for November 2020 but was postponed until 2021. This TCC improvement aims to enable better prioritisation of substances for regulatory action by authorities and to improve supply chain communication. Companies are responsible for registering substances that are manufactured or imported above one tonne a year.

What is completeness checking?

ECHA carries out a TCC on each incoming registration dossier to ensure that all required information is provided. The completeness check includes a manual verification which means that ECHA checks certain elements of the registration dossier that cannot be checked automatically. The TCC process, applied to all registration dossiers submitted to ECHA, previously included only the following elements:

Substance identification
Data-waiving justifications
Testing proposals on vertebrate animals
Justification for opting-out
Specific requirements for nanoforms

As of 1 March 2021, manual completeness checks performed by ECHA staff will be extended to chemical safety reports to ensure they contain all the elements required under REACH. A chemical safety report is required for all substances subject to registration in quantities of 10 tonne a year or more per registrant. Exposure assessment and risk characterisation are checked from chemical safety reports. Since the chemical safety report is submitted as a text document attached to the IUCLID dossier, the information cannot be verified by the Validation assistant. This makes verifying the completeness of a dossier before submitting more difficult. Registration dossiers sent before 1 March 2021 are not checked for the new TCC rules.

Registrants should, therefore, prepare for the changes, as their update registrations may no longer pass the revised technical completeness check. If your first submission fails the TCC, you will get four months to correct the information. If your second submission is also incomplete, your submission will be rejected, and the data will not be included in ECHA’s database. ECHA will not refund or otherwise credit any fees before the rejection.

More information

Technical Completeness Check: https://echa.europa.eu/technical-completeness-check

ECHA’s webinar on the revised completeness check: https://echa.europa.eu/-/revised-completeness-check-what-changes-and-how-you-can-prepa-1

Do you need help with chemical management?

Contact: info@ecobio.fi

Text: Mikael Hirn

Picture: Shutterstock

Source: ECHA

January 27, 2021

Two new substances added to the SVHC Candidate List

ECHA added the substances to the SHVC – Candidate List in January 2021

ECHA has added two new substances to the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHC) due to their toxicity to reproduction. This means that the Candidate List now includes 211 substances. Any supplier of mixtures or articles containing a Candidate List substance above the concentration of 0.1 % (weight by weight) has communication obligations towards customers down the supply chain and to consumers. The supply chain communication obligation is important for the whole supply chains of mixtures and articles in the EU. As of 5 January 2021, article suppliers have to notify substances of very high concern present in their articles to ECHA’s SCIP database under the Waste Framework Directive.

The added substances are: bis(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl)ether and dioctyltin dilaurate, stannane, dioctyl-, bis(coco acyloxy) derivs., and any other stannane, dioctyl-, bis(fatty acyloxy) derivs. wherein C12 is the predominant carbon number of the fatty acyloxy moiety.

The substances are used in ink and toner products and in the manufacture of plastics and rubber tyres. The first substance, bis(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl)ether, acts as a solvent and extractant, and the mono-constituent form of the second substance (dioctyltin dilaurate) is used as an additive in the production of plastics and rubber tyres. The second substance is not registered under REACH as a group of substances. However, the constituent dioctyltin dilaurate is a registered substance.

The substances added by ECHA can cause serious effects on human health and the environment

The Candidate List includes substances of very high concern that may have serious effects on our health or the environment. These substances may be placed on the Authorisation List in the future, which means that companies would need to apply for permission to continue using them. (ECHA)

Companies that are importing, producing, selling or using substances, their mixtures or articles (components, materials) containing them should keep an eye on the substances added to the SVHC Candidate List. Substances are regularly being added here. It is recommended for companies to start looking for substitutes for the added substances already now.

Do you need help with chemical management?

Contact: info@ecobio.fi

Text: Kristian Vaitomaa

Picture: Shutterstock

Source: ECHA

January 11, 2021

New in Sustainable Finance

Sustainability runs capital. During the last 10 years the capital in sustainable indexes has doubled. During the last year sustainability indexes that concentrate on environmental (E), social (S) and governance (G) have had higher returns than their non-sustainable competitors both on the European and North American market. As there are several indexes it can be difficult for investors to understand what they contain and how to compare them. The European Union strives to make the indexes more comparable and transparent by creating new directives and therefor creating a stronger and cleaner economy.

EU leads capital towards sustainability

The new laws concerning sustainable finance by the European Union leads towards sustainable investing by a creation of clearer definition of tools and obligations of sustainability reporting and -valuation. To support this, the European Union has published the EU Taxonomy Regulation for sustainable development. The Taxonomy Regulation contains harmonic criteria that define whether the economic activity is sustainable from the nature’s perspective. The classification contains e.g., climate change, water resources, and circular economy. The creation of the taxonomy regulation unites sustainable reporting which makes it easier for investors and other financial actors to make their investment decisions. The classification is new for companies and it is profitable to start preparing for them already now.

Additionally, the European Commission will approve a directive in June 2021 that specifies the reporting among non-financial information. The directive defines how and how widely companies must report according to the above-mentioned Taxonomy Regulation.

The first company- and investment reports in accordance with the new Taxonomy Regulation must be published in the beginning of 2022 about the financial information from 2021.

You might be interested in our webinar recording“New in Sustainable Finance: How to apply EU’s taxonomy regulation and reporting requirements”

Are you interested in sustainable finance? Are you familiar with the new classifications and reporting requirements in sustainability by EU? Have you wondered how you should prepare to meet the obligations?

Welcome to hear more about sustainable finance, the new obligations and how one should prepare to develop the reports. Our expert will go through EU’s Taxonomy Regulation in our webinar recording.

We are looking for a EHS-specialist to join our consultancy team

Do you specialize within occupational health and safety? Do you want to work with sustainability in a team of experts? Do you handle even the most demanding parts of occupational health service-, occupational safety- and environmental legislation and the company specific requirements?

We are looking for an expert within occupational health service, occupational safety and environmental issues to join our versatile sustainability consulting team. Read more about the recruitment here and apply to join our team.

Text: Emma Björkqvist

Picture: Shutterstock

December 15, 2020

We are looking for a chemical expert to join our team as a industry consultant

Do you want to work with sustainability in a team of experts? Do you handle even the most demanding parts of chemical legislation and company specific requirements?

We are looking for an expert in chemical legislation to join our versatile consulting team. Read more about the recruitment here and apply to join our team.

Text: Emma Björkqvist

Picture: Shutterstock

November 2, 2020

SCIP database launched for tracking chemicals of concern in products

European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has launched the SCIP database for tracking chemicals of concern in products. Information on substances of very high concern can be now submitted to the database. In order to improve safe recycling of waste and enhance circular economy, companies are required to report hazardous chemicals in their products to the database. More knowledge on chemicals in products is also needed for making the EU Green Deal work. Moreover, improved data also protects workers, citizens and the environment and encourages companies and industry to replace their potentially hazardous chemicals with safer ones.

The Waste Framework Directive requires companies to submit their chemical data to the database as of 5^th of January 2021. Consumers and waste operators will have access to the database in February 2021 onwards. The database has been developed in cooperation with stakeholders and an IT user group. Based on industry feedback, the database is built to simplify the companies’ work. For example, a system-to-system submission function helps companies submit notifications easily. Also, companies can work together by referring to data that has already been submitted when adding new notifications to the database.

There is supportive information about the SCIP database on ECHA’s website. What is more, there will be a webinar about the tools and features included in the system on 19^th of November.

Does your company need help with SCIP requirements? Ecobio’s experts are happy to help! Please contact us and ask about our services.

info@ecobio.fi

Text: Ecobio Oy

Picture: Shutterstock

References: https://echa.europa.eu/fi/-/tracking-chemicals-of-concern-in-products-scip-database-ready-for-use

October 19, 2020

6 steps to meet the SCIP requirements

Deadline for reporting SVHC substances in articles to the SCIP database is getting closer at the beginning of January next year. Check the tips for managing SCIP requirements.

The REACH regulation of the European Union obligates producers and EU importers of articles to report articles with substances of very high concern (SVHC) to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) SCIP database at the latest 5^th of January 2021. The goal of this obligation is to create a database that provides waste treating and reusing companies with information on the chemical dangers and recyclability of the articles. The database will also serve consumers looking for information on the dangerous substances in articles.

Does your company have obligations of reporting to the SCIP database?

Obligations are created by SVHC substances in the company’s own products. The substances can originate from component suppliers or from own production. The lowest percentage for SVHC substances creating SCIP obligations is 0,1 (% w/w). It is worth approaching the possibility of such obligations by both looking into the company’s own products and information provided by the component suppliers. To meet the requirements and to report data to the database requires article information at substance level to determine if the obligation is for the article’s producer or for the components’ supplier.

How to manage SCIP requirements efficiently? Follow these steps:

1. Start with the essential. Begin by looking at essential product, suppliers and component deliveries concerning the requirements. Concentrate on the relevant objects without forgetting that the requirements may apply to a wider group.

2. Find out your specific SCIP requirements. Examine your company’s obligations to SCIP reports – which articles and on what grounds should you report. Does your company import articles to EU? Gather existing information, recognize lacking data, and estimate the situation. Evaluate the risks if substantial information is missing.

3. Compile supplier information. Contact your suppliers to ask for information on the articles your products constitute of. Separate non-EU suppliers from EU suppliers. Consider what you need and ask for it from your suppliers: certificates of compliance, SCIP database identifiers, information for reporting and changes to contract texts. Encourage your suppliers to register to the SCIP database. Communicate through efficient channels.

4. Draft a notification Gather and process data for a SCIP notification.

5. Send notification before the due date and send the SCIP database identifier and/or certificate of compliance to your own clients.

6. Update the information that you have sent to the SCIP database when changes occur in SVHC lists and article substances. Maintain regular contact with your component suppliers and customers.

Managing SCIP database

SCIP database of the European Chemicals Agency will be a broad and comprehensive article database worth utilizing as much as possible in companies’ own business. The information is updated to the database, and quality is controlled by the agency itself. Do not work double and plan overlapping systems and data sets.

Do you need expert help? Are you thinking about software solutions? Ecobio’s chemists with REACH knowledge and engineers with substance information expertise will help your company to fill the SCIP requirements. Ecobio Manager service offers a solution for managing supplier data and article substances in the delivery chain.

In our upcoming blog we will discuss in more detail the obligations of article manufacturers and importers and look into software solutions for SCIP requirements management.

Text: Ecobio Oy

Picture: Shutterstock

Sources: https://echa.europa.eu/scip

October 16, 2020

The EU´s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability

The European Commission published a chemicals strategy for sustainability on 14 October 2020. It is part of the EU’s zero pollution ambition, which is a key commitment of the European Green Deal. The Strategy includes prohibiting the use of the most harmful chemicals in consumer products and ensuring that all chemicals are used more safely and sustainably. As far as possible, new chemicals and materials must be safe and sustainable by design i.e. from production to end of life. This will help avoid the most harmful effects of chemicals and ensure the lowest possible impact on climate, resource use, ecosystems and biodiversity.

The EU’s chemicals strategy aims to better protect citizens and the environment, boost innovation for safe and sustainable chemicals and enable the transition to chemicals that are safe and sustainable by design.

The key actions in the Chemicals Strategy are

banning the most harmful chemicals in consumer products – allowing their use only where essential
account for the cocktail effect of chemicals when assessing risks from chemicals
phasing out the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the EU, unless their use is essential
boosting the investment and innovative capacity for production and use of chemicals that are safe and sustainable by design, and throughout their life cycle
promoting the EU’s resilience of supply and sustainability of critical chemicals
establishing a simpler “one substance one assessment” process for the risk and hazard assessment of chemicals
playing a leading role globally by championing and promoting high standards and not exporting chemicals banned in the EU.

The Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability is ment for better products, production and human life in harmony with our nature.

Ecobio´s experts help you turn chemical challenges to innovations for sustainability. Please contact us!

Contact details

Pia Talja, Leading chemical expert, Ecobio Oy

pia.talja@ecobio.fi

More news

Further information & sources:

https://ec.europa.eu/environment/pdf/chemicals/2020/10/Strategy.pdf

https://ec.europa.eu/environment/strategy/chemicals-strategy_en

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_1839

August 19, 2020

Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions

At the end of July, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published a global standard for the use of nature-based solutions (NbS) to address global environmental challenges. The standard helps governments, businesses, and societies to assess the effectiveness of nature-based solutions and make the most of them to manage societal challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and food security.

As countries all over the world strives to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic and move towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals, it is crucial to ensure that future investments in nature reach their potential. To help businesses and societies address this challenge, the first-ever IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions was launched to guide the institutions through NbS applications and set benchmarks for their progress.

What is Nature-based solutions and why is a standard needed?

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are actions that seek to address social challenges through the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of natural or modified ecosystems, and thereby improving the well-being of both biodiversity and people. Examples of NbS are reforestation, beach protection and green infrastructure. These all benefits both the nature and people.

There is a need for a standard to guide this kind of activities because not all solutions called nature-based are in themselves a guarantee that they take into account the well-being of both society and nature. Because of the lack of knowledge, many activities may unintentionally harm the biodiversity. The working group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) therefore wanted to develop a scientifically valid criteria that would be suitable for a wide range of situations, regions and social systems, so that both people and nature would benefit in the long term. Such a framework is essential to increase the scale and impact of Nature-based Solutions, to prevent negative outcomes or misuse, and help funding agencies, policy makers and other stakeholders assess the effectiveness of interventions, and direct investments in the right direction.

How does the standard work?

The Global Standard for NbS is a self-assessment tool consisting of eight criteria and related indicators, addressing all three pillars of sustainable development: biodiversity, economy, and society. The criteria also take into account sustainable project planning and management. The requirements of the standard allow the user to assess the scope and economic, environmental, and social impact of their own activities and then compare it with international agreements and objectives. At the same time, the transparency of operations is improving and operations can be continuously improved.

The standard contains indicative instructions and advice on how the user can evaluate and develop his or her own nature-based solutions and, on the other hand, see which practices still need to be improved. The standard evaluation matrix provides the user with information on how many percent of the user’s activities meet the criteria. The information is presented in color codes reminiscent of a traffic light system, from which the user can easily see which actions still need to be developed. IUCN, who monitors the standard, reviews the aspects and requirements of the standard every four years, so that their suitability for companies and actors in various fields can be improved.

Companies and other actors using the framework will be able to design effective and ambitious sustainability-based NbS, that facilitate discussion with stakeholders and, on the other hand, spark new ideas and innovations.

Need help?

Ecobio’s environmental experts help your company achieve the goals of sustainable development!

Text: Mai Kärppä & Caisa Lindblom, Ecobio oy

Picture: Shutterstock

Sources:

https://www.iucn.org/theme/nature-based-solutions/iucn-global-standard-nbs

https://www.iucn.org/news/nature-based-solutions/202007/iucn-standard-boost-impact-nature-based-solutions-global-challenges