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CHEMICAL SUBSTITUTION

Chemicals that are successful in the market do well because they have properties that are useful, at an acceptable price. Their hazards and risks, where known, need to be acceptable too. The criteria for acceptability have changed over the years, but there has always been a need to consider whether a substance or process should be replaced and whether it is possible. It is clear that the substitute must, in overall terms, be more sustainable than the original.

Under REACH regulation there will be increasing pressure on substances of very high concern; at the same time consumer pressure means that ordinary commercial competitive advantages will also have an effect. There is no doubt that in the present and foreseeable future:

BUT

Forward-looking research has always been aware of opportunities and the ‘success stories’ in the Why Take Action section of this website illustrate this.

Recently, the need for a sustainable chemical industry has heightened the need for a more active approach to substitution. Some governments will be impatient for change. But answers appear to be limited.

So how can Envision Chemistry help? For several years we have been offering help in chemical substitution, using tools as described in this web site.

There is no single answer – it depends upon the need.

STEP		COMMENT
Define the need and the present problem		e.g. the market leader is a persistent, bioaccumulative substance
Consider whether an acceptable existing substance is available as a substitute		'acceptable' meaning a better hazard and risk profile
Define an R & D programme		set out performance and acceptability criteria for the substitute product and the process needed to manufacture it

Photography courtesy of Emanuel Lobeck, Kenn Kiser, Crissie Hardy