SIN List of Harmful Chemicals Grows 66%

by | Feb 15, 2013

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Non-profit ChemSec has added 249 chemicals to its Substitute It Now list, which names substances of very high concern. The additions expand the number of listed chemicals by 66 percent.

With the additions, the Substitute It Now or SIN List consists of 626 chemicals identified as Substances of Very High Concern based on criteria established by the EU chemical regulation agency REACH. In comparison, only 138 Substances of Very High Concern are on the official REACH Candidate List.

The updated SIN List identifies substances that are fully registered, and are used and produced in a way subject to REACH regulation, said ChemSec. The SIN database now includes updated hazard classification data, information about uses as well as the quantities in which chemicals are produced for all SIN List substances.

ChemSec’s SIN List is used by several investment firms and rating agencies, including MSCI ESG Research.

In 2011, ChemSec and environmental law organization ClientEarth sued the European Chemicals Agency over its refusal to release the names of companies producing what the two groups call some of the most dangerous chemicals in the EU market. The chemicals in question are those that appear on ChemSec’s SIN list.

EU Commission officials have promised that all relevant Substances of Very High Concern will be identified and included in the REACH Candidate list by 2020, the first step towards being banned in the EU, ChemSec has said.

Last June, ChemSec unveiled a chemical cataloging tool to help investors determine risk and put pressure on companies to move away from hazardous chemicals. The Chemical Criteria Catalog contains a set of 38 indicators intended to cover all aspects of chemical risks and opportunities for chemical manufacturers.

ChemSec has developed other tools to help investors complete risk analysis and help manufacturers find safe alternatives to certain chemicals, including SubsPort, which identifies environmentally friendly substitutes for dangerous chemicals.

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