Chemicals are an essential part of everyday life and all too-often taken for granted, yet often portrayed negatively in the media. Concern over the deleterious effects of chemicals to the environment and human health have prompted governments in the developed world to establish screening programmes such as REACH and HPV Challenge to identify chemicals presenting the greatest degree of risk to health and the environment. While such programmes identify chemicals with the greatest risk, there is no ranking system for alternative chemicals, which while being potentially less harmfull, still carry a degree of risk. This volume of the Issues in Environmental Science and Technology series investigates how the alternatives can be assessed and their risk determined. With contributions from experts across the globe, this volume addresses some of the key concepts behind risk assessment of alternative chemicals. Some of the current protocols adopted are discussed, and several chapters explore the topic in the context of industry, making this book essential reading for industrialists as well as academics, postgraduate students and policy makers. Chemicals are an essential part of everyday life and all too-often taken for granted, yet often portrayed negatively in the media. Concern over the deleterious effects of chemicals to the environment and human health have prompted governments in the developed world to establish screening programmes such as REACH and HPV Challenge to identify chemicals presenting the greatest degree of risk to health and the environment. While such programmes identify chemicals with the greatest risk, there is no ranking system for alternative chemicals, which while being potentially less harmful, still carry a degree of risk. This volume of the Issues in Environmental Science and Technology series investigates how the alternatives can be assessed and their risk determined. With contributions from experts across the globe, this volume addresses some of the key concepts behind risk assessment of alternative chemicals. Some of the current protocols adopted are discussed, and several chapters explore the topic in the context of industry, making this book essential reading for industrialists as well as academics, postgraduate students and policy makers. Roy Harrison OBE is Queen Elizabeth II Birmingham Centenary Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Birmingham. In 2004 he was appointed OBE for services to environmental science. Professor Harrison’s research interests lie in the field of environment and human health. His main specialism is in air pollution, from emissions through atmospheric chemical and physical transformations to exposure and effects on human health. Much of this work is designed to inform the development of policy. Ron Hester is an emeritus professor of chemistry at the University of York. In addition to his research work on a wide range of applications of vibrational spectroscopy, he has been actively involved in environmental chemistry and was a founder member of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Environment Group. His current activities are mainly as an editor and as an external examiner and assessor on courses, individual promotions, and departmental/subject area evaluations both in the UK and abroad. Chemical Alternatives Assessments By R.E. Hester, R.M. Harrison The Royal Society of Chemistry Copyright © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-84973-605-3 Contents Editors, xv, List of Contributors, xvii, Chemicals Alternatives Assessment (CAA): Tools for Selecting Less Hazardous Chemicals Margaret H. Whittaker and Lauren G. Heine, 1, European Initiatives for Selecting Sustainable Flame Retardants Adrian Beard, 44, MBDC Cradle to Cradle® Product Evaluation and Certification Program Jay J. Bolus, Rachel Platin and Christoph Semisch, 67, China's Implementation of Alternatives Assessment in the Building Industry: GIGA Brandon Zang, Raefer K. Wallis and Ryan D. Dick, 88, A Collaborative Industry and University Alternative Assessment of Plasticizers for Wire and Cable Gregory Morose and Monica Becker, 108, Chemical Hazard Assessment and the GreenScreen™ for Safer Chemicals Lauren G. Heine and Shari A. Franjevic, 129, Hewlett-Packard's Use of the GreenScreen™ for Safer Chemicals H. A. Holder, P. H. Mazurkiewicz, C. D. Robertson and C. A. Wray, 157, DSM's Sustainability Journey Towards a Proactive Ingredient Policy for Gaining Effectiveness in the Design of Better Products Thomas A. J. Wegman, Fredric Petit, Annette Wilschut, Theo Jongeling and Gaelle M. Nicolle, 177, US Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment (DfE) Alternatives Assessment Program Clive Davies, Melanie Adams, Emily Connor, Elizabeth Sommer, Caroline Baier-Anderson, Emma Lavoie, Laura Romano and David DiFiore, 198, NGO Initiatives in the EU – Identifying Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) and Driving Safer Chemical Substitu