It is impossible to make a product that does not contain chemicals. Any product that claims to be chemical free is potentially spurious and or greenwashing. In 2010 the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) was so confident of the impossibility that they have offered a £1 million reward to any person who can create a chemical free product.
Chemicals and chemistry play a central role in the sustainability of the planet and our daily lives. Water is a chemical without which no living thing would exist. Everything we eat, wear, live and drive in is made of chemicals, life itself is a chemical reaction.
When people or companies make claims that their products are chemical free what they typically mean is free from toxic or harmful chemicals. Products made without harmful chemicals would typically use sustainable chemistry.
Sustainable chemistry
With a total reliance on chemistry, the chemicals we use should be assessed to minimise the impact on human and animal life and the ecosystem. Sustainable chemistry encompasses the design, manufacture, and use of efficient, effective, safe, and more environmentally benign chemical products.
When considering chemicals in supply chains, there are multiple potential impact and concern areas. This would start upstream at the initial chemical manufacturing processes and continue through to use chemicals in manufacturing to the consumer use and end of product life either to a disposal or into an upstream reuse model.
Eurofins has an extensive range of tailored services to support the business community select and assess sustainable chemistry through our extensive chemical analysis. Knowledgeable chemical experts provide these services to help navigate the challenges of improving your chemical footprint.
How can Eurofins help improve your chemical footprint?
Eurofins Sustainability Services can support with a range of products and services to ensure the use of sustainable chemistry within manufacturing
- Chem-ST hazardous chemical screening
- PFAS testing (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances)
- Chem-MAP chemical manufacturer certifications
- ZDHC compliance programmes
- MRSL testing of chemicals
- Biobased content of chemicals
- Biodegradability of chemicals
- Life Cycle Assessment of Chemical manufacturing and use
- Vegan verification of chemicals
- Allergy assessments
- Toxicological assessment of Chemicals
- California Proposition 65 services
- Emissions testing
- Chemical Management Audits
- Chemicals in microplastics
- Chemicals in Biodegraded materials
- Chemical and RSL testing
Contact us today to find out how we can help you reduce your chemical footprint and be more sustainable.