Business, NGO Leaders Team Up with New Tools for Identifying Safer Chemicals and Sustainable Plastics 

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Nov. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today a coalition of companies and environmental health groups working to protect consumers from toxic chemicals, the BizNGO Group, released two important frameworks to help companies choose more sustainable plastics and safer chemicals for their products: The Principles for Sustainable Plastics, and Chemical Alternatives Assessment Protocol (v.1.0): How to Select Safer Alternatives to Chemicals of Concern to Human Health or the Environment. Both were co-developed by companies and environmental health advocacy groups in the BizNGO Group, working to advance safer chemicals and materials in our economy.

Roger McFadden, Vice President and Senior Scientist at Staples and BizNGO participant, explains: "BizNGO is delivering the tools we need to create benchmarks for progress to safer chemicals and sustainable materials in a doable and pragmatic way that any business can implement.  We are proud to be hosting this year's annual general meeting of the BizNGO."
 
Helen Holder, Corporate Material Selection Manager for Hewlett-Packard (HP), a BizNGO participant, comments, "We find the BizNGO Chemical Alternatives Assessment Protocol compelling, because it lays out a meaningful process for selecting alternatives to restricted substances that have a lower impact to human health and the environment."
 
"We make decisions based on concerns for human health and the environment," added Howard Williams, Vice President, Construction Specialties. "We want to know the chemicals used in the materials and processes we select are safer and this Protocol reflects a pragmatic way forward. Furthermore, we call on the plastics industry to embed the Principles for Sustainable Plastics into new material development."
 
The Chemicals Alternatives Assessment Protocol is a tool that enables businesses to make real decisions on identifying safer substitutions to toxic chemicals.  The Principles for Sustainable Plastics demonstrate what makes a plastic "sustainable."
 
"Families and consumers want to know the chemicals in the products they buy are safe, and workers want to know they are not handling hazardous substances on the job," adds Mike Belliveau, Executive Director of Environmental Health Strategy Center.  
 
Mark Rossi, chair of BizNGO, remarked, "These strategies demonstrate the ability of business and environmental health leaders to collaborate to produce products with safer chemicals and sustainable plastics.  Together, we are advancing the innovative thinking that is crucial to truly transform our economy for the 21st century."
 
More info: www.bizngo.org 
 

SOURCE Environmental Health Fund

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