Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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Chemical product/manufacturing process health impact reporting standardised
NSF International and the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute have developed an American National Standard that provides a standardised way to define and report the environmental and human health hazards associated with a chemical product and its manufacturing process impacts.
The new standard, officially known as NSF/GCI/ANSI (American National Standards Institute) 355 Greener Chemicals & Processes Information Standard, establishes standardised criteria for comparing chemicals and processes that help chemical manufacturers and their customers make greener choices.
The standard outlines a framework that chemical manufacturers will use to develop one comprehensive, standardised NSF/GCI/ANSI 355 report to provide information to their customers throughout the supply chain. The report will be used to evaluate chemical products and their associated manufacturing processes in several key categories, including:
* Chemical Characteristics - Physical chemical properties, human health effects and ecological effects
* Chemical Processes (gate to gate) - Chemical efficiency and waste prevention, water, energy, bio-based carbon content, innovative manufacturing processes and technology, and process safety
* Social Responsibility - Child labour, forced and compulsory labour, and compliance with laws and regulations
As a third-party certifier, NSF International will certify reports to this standard, meaning that users of a chemical who receive a certified NSF/GCI/ANSI 355 report from their suppliers can be assured the report data is accurate, complete and current.
"This standard is an important tool for helping chemical manufacturers and their customers evaluate chemicals and associated manufacturing processes and make greener choices," says Richard Engler, Ph.D., with the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pollution Prevention & Toxics.
NSF International and ACS GCI gathered a broad and diverse group of stakeholders to help develop the standard. The group consisted of public health/regulatory officials, industry representatives, user/consumer representatives and other interest groups who worked together to develop a uniform method by which to assess and report attributes for the chemicals' characteristics and manufacturing processes.
"NSF/GCI/ANSI 355: Greener Chemicals & Processes Information Standard provides suppliers with a framework to provide information about products to downstream manufacturers, processors and formulators," explains Ann M. Mason, American Chemistry Council's Senior Director. "The standard contains defined metrics that are relevant and measurable."
NSF International has been testing and certifying products for safety, health and the environment since 1944. Operating in more than 120 countries, it is committed to protecting human health worldwide and is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. NSF Sustainability draws upon this expertise in standards development, product assurance and certification to help companies green their products, operations, systems and supply chains. NSF also founded the National Center for Sustainability Standards, a national initiative to support the development of sustainability standard activities.
A world leader in advocating for green chemistry and engineering, the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute's mission is to catalyze and facilitate the implementation of green chemistry and engineering throughout the global chemical enterprise. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences.
T: Eric Harrington at (734) 214-6221
E: [email protected]
W: www.nsf.org
27th October 2011