idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Various substances are available for a wide range of chemical applications. These substances can have very different effects on humans and the environment. ChemSelect https://chemselect.uba.de/ is a freely available web application developed by Ökopol and Oeko-Institut on behalf of the German Federal Environment Agency. It helps users of chemicals, including product manufacturers, to assess the sustainability of their products and select good chemicals.
Support and improvement in chemical management
ChemSelect helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including toy and textile manufacturers, paint manufacturers, and dry cleaners, to assess the sustainability of the substances and mixtures they use. the risks and costs faced by businesses, thereby preventing the need for complex risk management measures.
‘With ChemSelect, companies can quickly and easily determine whether the chemicals or mixtures they use are harmful, and identify any alternatives that are more sustainable,’ says Prof. Dr. Dirk Bunke, Senior Researcher at Oeko-Institut, summarising the advantages of the web application. Users can reduce their ecological footprint by selecting less harmful substances. The tool can also be used by researchers and authorities for sustainability screening.
Sustainability criteria in the web application
The web application categorises properties as non-critical, critical or very critical and highlights problematic properties, such as ‘carcinogenic’ or ‘harmful to the environment’. A sustainability profile of substances and mixtures is created based on nine main criteria, including their inclusion in lists of problematic substances, climate and ozone layer protection, resource consumption, recyclability and supplier responsibility. Up to five substances can be compared simultaneously. The results are presented using a clear traffic light system. For substances and mixtures, the process begins with the input of readily available information from the safety data sheet. Even if data is missing, a result is obtained and the gaps are highlighted.
Intuitive to use and available in 10 languages
ChemSelect is free of charge and currently available in the following ten languages: English, German, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Spanish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian and Polish. You can change the language at any time while using the app. A video explaining the most important steps in the application is available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otm4GZ95rJY.
The web application can be accessed via the browser at https://chemselect.uba.de/, or downloaded as a Docker image https://hub.docker.com/r/ubadeu/chemselect, or Debian program package.
The application is an update to the ‘Guide on sustainable chemicals’ https://www.oeko.de/en/publications/guide-on-sustainable-chemicals/, which remains a useful introduction to the topic and is available free of charge.
Contact at Oeko-Institut
Prof. Dr Dirk Bunke
Senior Researcher in Sustainable Products & Material Flows Division
Oeko-Institut, Freiburg office
Phone: ++49 761 45295-246
Email: d.bunke@oeko.de
https://chemselect.uba.de/ web application ChemSelect
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