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Nina Melander
Forskare
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Step 4. Assess and select alternatives
Step 4 will give you guidance on how to evaluate the alternatives you have identified to the chemical you want to phase out, in order to finally choose an alternative. The alternative you choose must be safe, but it must also work in the intended application and meet any other requirements that have been set.
Start by eliminating alternatives that are clearly not better
The first thing you need to do is to rule out alternatives that have properties that are similar to or even worse than the chemical you want to phase out.
Here you can use the chemicals legislation and various substitution tools in the same way as in Step 2.
Continue ranking options by hazard
Once the obviously bad options have been eliminated, the remaining options should be evaluated in more detail. There are several guides and methodologies that can be used to assess the inherent hazard of the chemicals and make a more systematic comparison. Remember that an option for which there is no hazard information should never be classified as 'safe' (i.e. where there is a lack of data).
Learn more about Tools for evaluating alternatives and comparative models
We recommend using the hazard evaluation criteria in the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework developed in the EU as part of the EU Chemicals Strategy.
Learn more about Safe and sustainable by design
Other aspects may need to be considered
In addition to ensuring that a potential alternative does not have any hazardous or particularly hazardous properties, you will also need to ensure that the alternative performs its intended function, and you may also need to include other aspects such as economics and a life cycle perspective in the assessment process (by rating them as well).
Remember that the potentially hazardous and particularly hazardous properties of an alternative should always be assessed first!
Alternatives assessment
To systematically evaluate alternatives from different perspectives, we recommend the Alternatives Assessment Method, which sets criteria for the aspects you want to consider, works transparently and carefully documents every decision you make. Finding alternatives to a chemical to be phased out involves trade-offs - and the better informed you are, the less likely you are to make a 'regrettable substitution'.
Tip!
- Please contact us if you need guidance on the verification of an alternative, we can also guide you further if you need help finding a laboratory or test bed to test the functionality of an alternative.
