Chemicals Risk Management and Assessment of Alternatives: Tools and best practices to support circularity, create more sustainable products and avoid regrettable substitution

LIFE FitforREACH-2 aims to support SMEs in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania & Poland that use (hazardous) chemicals in their products or processes. The goal of the project is to implement (elements of) chemicals risk management systems in companies, to incentivise and support a reduction of the use, emissions and exposures to hazardous substances.

The project work will be based on a comprehensive understanding of chemicals risk management, provided in form of handbooks, tools as well as specific and practical consultation.

The main targeted group and direct beneficiaries of chemicals risk management work will be end-users of substances and mixtures, and also formulators of mixtures. Amongst others, we will help them to thoroughly assess alternatives to hazardous substances and mixtures to avoid regrettable substitution. By improving e.g. purchasing routines, workers protection, monitoring chemicals use and communication in the supply chain, chemicals literacy and awareness for safe, toxic free products will be increased. In cooperation with the further target group of companies in the waste sector we will assess how to identify hazardous substances in wastes and how this information could change their sorting and treatment practices resulting in cleaner secondary materials.

The LIFE FitforREACH-2 also includes two Polish partners who will implement the activities in Poland. This will give access to many new companies that have not yet been trained or consulted before, thus promising higher improvement potentials and more extensive outreach than in the Baltics. We will further replicate our approach and tools to other Central and Eastern European Countries via associated organisations. Last but not least, we will continue investing in awareness raising activities, amongst others on chemical inventories and chemicals risk management for university students & industry associations.