When it comes to safer, greener, more sustainable product design, one of the key challenges is how to effectively identify and reduce exposure to toxic chemicals – either contained within products, or released as by-products throughout the lifecycle of the product.
To address this challenge, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the availability of a new tool to help businesses and other entities identify and use safer chemicals as part of its Design for the Environment (DfE) program -- the Chemical Alternatives Assessment tool.
As noted in a related article on the subject, Chemical Alternatives Assessments, or CAAs provide a methodology for informed substitution. Such assessments are intended to enable businesses to make the move from chemicals of concern to safer chemicals, by providing an in-depth comparison of potential human health and environmental impacts. Information derived from the CAAs is then combined with industry data on performance and cost to guide the choice of safer alternatives.
Such a move represents an important step along the way to supporting safer, more sustainable product design and manufacturing.
It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our upcoming research study, “Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: A Report on the Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing.”
Do you have what it takes to design sustainable products? Or wish you did? Tell us more. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.
NOTE: For more information about alternatives assessments and choosing safer chemical substitutes, DfE recommends the following resources:
- Chemical Alternatives Assessments: Enabling Substitution to Safer Chemicals. Lavoie et al. Environmental Science and Technology Article ASAP. Nov. 9, 2010.
This Feature article in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, explains DfE's approach to alternatives assessment, the steps in the process and examples of application of this assessment method.
- Alternatives Assessment Framework from the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production (PDF) (24 pp, 381K, About PDF)
The Lowell Center for Sustainable Production created this Framework in 2006 as a first step in defining the methodology for identifying and evaluating safer alternatives.
- Alternatives Assessments conducted by states from Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute
Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute created this database to enable the exchange of information and resources between state pollution prevention providers and regulatory agency representatives.
- DfE Criteria for Safer Chemical Ingredients and DfE Standard for Safer Cleaning Products
These documents define by component class the characteristics and toxicity thresholds for ingredients that are acceptable in DfE-labeled products.
- CleanGredients®
This database of safer chemicals supports DfE's Safer Product Labeling Program by providing a list of chemicals, arranged by component class, that meet the DfE Criteria.
- Green Screen for Safer Chemicals
Developed by Clean Production Action, an environmental non-governmental organization, the Green Screen complements the DfE Alternatives Assessment methodology. The Green Screen is designed to aid in the selection of safer alternative chemicals.
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