The Substitution guide: How to get started in chemical substitution

The Swedish Chemicals Agency has developed a staircase for substitution that forms the basis of our Substitution Guide. For each step, we provide guidance on how to progress in the systematic chemical work and towards a non-toxic environment.

The substitution guide is aimed for all businesses who want to start working on systematic chemical work. It might be best suited for small and medium-sized companies that are just starting their work. We do not address any specific industry, but our examples and templates are developed for producing companies and companies that work with trade in goods. Feel free to customize our support material to your business needs.

The substitution guide provides practical advice and recommends tools and resources that are relevant to the goal of each step. Some resources can be used in several steps, so they are mentioned several times so that you know how the resources are intended to be used.

We are constantly working with the Substitution Guide and it will be updated with more tips, advice and resources over time. The Substitution Guide should be seen as a support and you yourself choose the resources and tools that feel relevant to your business, your product and your substitution needs. In each step we also highlight what advice the Swedish Center for Chemical Substitution can offer. Feel free to contact us with your questions!

Briefly on the contents of the Substitution Guide

Before you begin

Here you will find out more about environmental goals for chemicals, how to prioritize goods to start working with and about eco-labelling as a strategy.

Step 1. Gather chemical content information

Review of legislation, supporting material for structured chemical work, supplier certificate templates and recommended resources for examining chemical content in materials.

Step 2. Identify unwanted substances in your goods

Guide to useful databases, negative lists, tools for prioritizing substances for substitution and tips for chemical analysis.

Step 3. Identify possible alternatives 

Introduction to the Alternatives assessment process, how to characterize topics by function, compiling 50 positive lists and another 20 resources for inventing alternatives.

Step 4. Assess and select alternatives 

More about the Alternatives assessment method, resources for avoiding unhealthy substitution, tools for risk assessment as well as economic and functional verification of alternatives.

Step 5. Develop new alternatives 

How to use test beds, stay up to date on the Marketplace and tips on how to work with the Swedish Center for Chemical Substitution to promote innovation of new environmental better alternatives.

Tips! Please contact us if you have any questions about the Substitution Guide, suggestions for improvement or need help with any of the steps.

Continue to step: Before You Begin