TCO Certified manages hazardous substances by taking a proactive approach, where chemicals are treated as a risk until they have been independently assessed and approved as safer alternatives.
Substances are evaluated by independent toxicologists, and only those verified as safer can be used in certified products and manufacturing. Approved substances are listed on the publicly available TCO Certified Accepted Substance List, which is continuously updated as new scientific data becomes available.
In addition, the most hazardous substances have been banned from certified products and their packaging for more than 25 years, including heavy metals and certain flame retardants.
The criteria also extend to manufacturing processes, where chemicals such as cleaners and solvents must be approved as safer. Workers must be protected through risk training, monitoring, and access to protective equipment.