Chemical Management and the Detox Campaign

Upholding product safety and quality at every stage of the product lifecycle

Product manufacturing processes can result in a significant number of hazardous chemical by-products. When these potentially toxic substances inadvertently enter the environment through waste water and industrial sludge, end-users and nearby ecosystems may be negatively impacted. To avoid non-compliance and environmental harm, companies need to ensure all hazardous chemicals are properly identified and eventually eliminated from the manufacturing process. To this end, full documentation and traceability on the selection and use of chemical products in the manufacturing process is essential.

What is Chemical management?

Chemical management involves the establishment of a quality documentation system that ensures information dissimilation, traceability, awareness, standardisation, safe practices and regulatory compliance. Through chemical management, organisations can monitor for preventive controls by putting down measurable objectives. These quality documentation and management systems enable companies to undertake regular checks for gap identification and analysis and, if found, devise plans to close existing gaps. This plan-do-check-act cycle encourages continuous improvement for organisations looking to detox their businesses.

Why is Chemical management important?

The implementation of proper chemical management processes can give businesses a crucial edge in today’s environmentally conscious society. With a growing global imperative to cut down on corporate environmental damage, companies that take a serious stance on eradicating hazardous chemicals from their production processes can gain a competitive advantage over other less sustainable businesses. Ensuring good chemical management also safeguards the company’s regulatory obligations.

The Zero Discharge of Hazardous (ZDHC) programme includes a collaboration of 22 signatory brands, 13 value chain affiliates, and seven associates. Together, they are working to support implementation of safer chemical management practices.

Greenpeace is campaigning to stop industry poisoning our water with hazardous, persistent and hormone-disrupting chemicals. The Detox campaign challenges top brands to make amends by working with their suppliers to eliminate all hazardous chemicals across their entire supply chain, and the entire life-cycle of their products.

Our Chemical management services at a glance

• Chemical screening on chemical products
  TÜV SÜD offers a range of cost-effective chemical screening services to identify hazardous chemicals in products.
• Chemical management audit and consultancy
  Our experts are capable of conducting second or third party audits to check the effectiveness of existing quality systems in managing hazardous chemicals, as well as offering consultancy in setting up and improving such systems.
• Waste water and sludge testing
  By sampling and testing waste water and sludge by-products of the manufacturing process, we can determine the presence of an established list of hazardous chemicals.

Why choose TÜV SÜD for Chemical management testing?

At TÜV SÜD, we enable your business to uphold product safety and quality at every stage of the product lifecycle, from design through to point of sale. By taking advantage of our services in design, sourcing, manufacturing, distribution and retail, your business will demonstrate its commitment to providing risk-free products in all of your markets.