Many assume that today’s laws and regulations effectively protect us from hazardous chemicals. It’s a comforting thought. After all, names like RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) and REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) sound robust. These laws are built to ensure safety, right? Sadly, reality tells a different story.
Blog by:
Annika Overödder
Laws like RoHS and REACH have certainly made progress. RoHS, introduced in the EU in 2006, restricts the use of 10 substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, as well a certain flame retardants and plasticisers from being used in electronic products. It has influenced similar legislation in several countries around the world, such as China, Singapore and Korea. REACH regulates the import and use of selected substances of very high concern in the EU. But even together, these regulations cover fewer than 150 substances. That might sound like a lot, until you realize that over 350,000 substances are registered for commercial use — and fewer than 1% have been thoroughly tested for their effects on human health and the environment.
Even worse, when one substance is banned, it’s often replaced by another that offers similar performance but has not been adequately tested for its effects on human health and the environment. Without legal mechanisms for evaluating substitutes, we risk regrettable substitutions — where one harmful chemical is simply swapped out for another one that’s just as bad, or worse.
And legislation tends to focus only on what’s inside the final product — not what happens during manufacturing, where workers may be exposed to hazardous substances with little or no protection. This is particularly true in countries where the majority of IT products are manufactured, due to even weaker legislation and law enforcement.
A powerful tool for chemical safety
Due to weak legislation that fails to protect people and the environment, we recognized the need to find an alternative approach. In 2015, we decided to change the landscape of chemical safety. Instead of only restricting the most hazardous substances by aligning with EU legislation, we introduced TCO Certified Accepted Substance List — a groundbreaking innovation based on the precautionary principle. Instead of waiting until a substance is proven harmful, we treat all untested substances as high-risk. As a result, a vast majority of substances are banned from use in the production of certified products.
Here’s how it works:
- All substances are banned until they have been independently assessed by toxicologists and proven to be a safer choice.
- Approved substances are listed on TCO Certified Accepted Substance List and can be used in certified products and their manufacturing processes.
- If the hazard level is too high or if data is unavailable, the substance is excluded from our list and remains banned from production lines with certified products.
This innovative approach shifts the burden of proof. Regardless of how many chemicals or chemical mixtures the industry creates, they cannot be used unless they are assessed by independent toxicologists and proven to be safer options for humans and the environment.
Ask for certified products
Specifying TCO Certified in procurement gives you access to more sustainable IT products. You know that only safer substances are used in the categories covered by TCO Certified Accepted Substance List, which significantly reduces chemical risks in the IT supply chains. Factory workers who might otherwise be exposed to harmful process chemicals are protected, and recyclability is improved, since materials including safer substances are easier to recover and reuse.
The demand from buyers for chemical safety significantly influences the IT industry. With the backing of purchasing organizations, we have made considerable progress since the inclusion of the first chemical criteria in TCO Certified in 1995. Our Roadmap for Sustainable IT outlines our progress so far and details our timeline leading up to 2033.
Listen to our chemicals expert, Stephen Fuller, as he explains how TCO Certified helps you avoid the risks of hazardous substances in the IT supply chain.
