Value Chain & Products
Product Stewardship
One of the most important requirements placed on the chemical industry by its stakeholders is that all substances and products are produced, handled and used not only in conformity with the law but also under safe conditions.
Of course we regard these requirements within the framework of product stewardship. Furthermore we are going beyond statutory requirements in many cases. An example is our “Chemical Management System” (CMS) we use for the assessment of substances. Another example is our program CMSPLUS for the assessment of classified substances.
Evonik is committed to his in its globally applicable Environment, Safety, Health, and Quality (ESHQ) Values and we see product stewardship as one of the requirements of the Responsible Care initiative.
Product safety has top priority at Evonik. We bear responsibility for this and for the quality of our products over their entire lifespan ("from the cradle to the grave").
Within the scope of our tried-and-tested Chemicals Management System we are implementing the objectives of the Global Product Strategy (GPS) of the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), among other things. This program aims to set global standards for product stewardship and extensively communicate information on the safe handling and use of chemical substances, thus ensuring greater chemical safety worldwide.
Also worthy of mention in this context are the GPS Safety Summaries, which provide condensed information on substances in layman's terms. Evonik has already made more than 160 of these available both on its own website and on the ICCA's information portal. They now include over 4,100 entries. In addition to this information on substances, we supply our customers with technical data sheets, product information, and safety data sheets on the products we sell in over 31 languages. Our hotlines are manned around the clock and provide emergency information in multiple local language within a very short period of time.
The Evonik address reach@evonik.com has made it possible to process all customer inquiries regarding product stewardship centrally and forward them promptly to the right contact.
Chemical Management System
Since 2001 Evonik is using the in-house developed Chemical Management System for an assessment of its products exceeding 1 metric ton and placed on the market. The assessment is similar to a life-cycle-analysis, which in extreme cases, can result in restrictions on the use of Evonik’s products.
Chemical Management System Plus
Ensuring the safe use of all chemicals, in particular of "Hazardous Chemicals of High Concern" (hChC) is a prerequisite of Product Stewardship at Evonik.
Global Product Strategy
The International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) initiated the Global Product Strategy (GPS) to contribute to safe and appropriate management of chemicals worldwide. Evonik actively supports this initiative.
Globally Harmonized System (GHS)
One of the objectives agreed at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 was the development of a globally harmonized system of classifying and labeling hazardous chemicals and dangerous goods. In 2003 the UN published the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), commonly known as the Purple Book.
REACH
Evonik supports the REACH Regulation’s aim of improving protection of health and the environment in the handling of chemicals, and consistently implements the Regulation.
Responsible Care
Responsible Care is a global initiative of the chemical industry. The initiative represents continuous improvement of occupational health, environmental protection and plant safety within the chemical industry.
The white pigment Titanium Dioxide
The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) proposed a classification of titanium dioxide as likely carcinogenic (category 1B) for inhalation at the European Chemicals Agency. On 8 June 2017, ECHA's Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) recommended the white pigment of titanium dioxide to be classified as carcinogenic by inhalation. The RAC recommendation will be submitted to the European Commission. The final decision shall be taken by the REACH Regulatory Committee.