A coalition of groups calling for alternatives to chemicals in products has published “The Guide to Safer Chemicals.” The tool sets benchmarks for how manufacturers, retailers and purchasers can track their progress to using chemicals in products that are safer for human health and the environment.
The guide is a how-to-resource for implementing principles for safer chemicals set by the coalition called BizNGO. The principles are: know and disclose product chemistry; assess and avoid hazards; commit to continuous improvement; and support public policies and industry standards.
BizNGO is a coalition formed in 2006 that includes more than 500 leaders from businesses, non-governmental organizations, universities and government agencies.
The guide is a tool suitable for all downstream users of chemicals (purchasers, retailers and product manufacturers) to benchmark their progress toward safer chemicals use. It includes a hiking analogy of four benchmark including the trailhead, base camp, high camp and summit. It illustrates a company's progress in implementing the principles.
For more information, visit www.bizngo.org.
