Businesses Take the Initiative to Reduce Toxic Chemicals

The long-awaited reforms of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) passed in June of 2016, with nearly all stakeholders  in agreement that we needed a stronger federal chemical safety system to restore public confidence and benefit both business and public health.  Since then the new administration and  EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt have embarked in a systematic slowdown, delay or rollback of new health protections, even those called for by large bipartisan majorities in Congress. Read more about that issue.

Eliminating Toxics in your Business

So what is the sustainable minded business professional to do to reduce the use of products containing toxic chemicals in your operations? We have gathered some resources below address various areas of business where you can take charge by implementing smart purchasing decisions.

Reducing the use of toxic chemicals can produce business benefits including lower costs for waste disposal, raw materials, worker protection or liability coverage; increased production efficiency; reduced sick days and more.

Customers and employees are looking for responsible businesses that make proactive decisions away from harmful chemicals. Communicating the positive changes that your business makes to eliminate these toxins will resonate with your customers and your employees.

• Building Products: Resources for avoiding toxic chemicals in building products.
• Kaiser Permanente’s “Comprehensive Chemicals Policy” [.doc link] adopts a precautionary approach to chemicals — recognizing that action should be taken even in the face of scientific uncertainty — and lays out the corporate practices that flow from that, including identifying high priority chemicals for action, working through its procurement process to secure safer alternatives, and developing goals and metrics to measure progress and mechanisms for sharing successes and lessons with the public.
• Six mini-case studies cosponsored by IEHN offer examples of innovation and efficiency that save money, eliminate chemical hazard and toxicity, differentiate products and services, increase profits and revenues, and enhance brands.
• Green Chemistry in the Lab. Toxic chemicals are taken for granted as being part of the lab environment.  But they don’t always have to be used.
• OSHA guide Chemical Hazards and Toxic Substances
• Guide and case studies of several small business that reduced toxic chemicals in their operations.

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