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BSR Insight | The Green Screen for Safer Chemicals

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Publication Date

September 22, 2009

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Clean Production Action's "Green Screen for Safer Chemicals" is the first open-source tool to help companies and governments identify substances that are less hazardous for humans and the environment. Companies can use the tool—which focuses on hazard reduction, rather than controlling exposure—to assess the inherent hazards of the chemicals they use in their products and find safer substitutes, while governments can use the tool to support legislation on phasing out chemicals of high concern.

The Green Screen is based on three main principles:

  1. Bring up the bottom: screening all chemicals against the Red List of Chemicals, which includes chemicals that are the highest priority to eliminate from use.
  2. Practice informed substitution: continually improving the tool with more data and a better understanding of what is sustainable.
  3. Aim for the top: developing new, greener chemicals and processes that are fully assessed, have life-cycle benefits, and are low-hazard.

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