Step 1: Getting information

Step 1 is to find out as much as you can about the chemical content of the goods or materials that you are working with. Here you will find tips on what information you are entitled to get from your suppliers, what you should ask for and how you can use the Substitution Centre's support materials.

Chemicals legislation - what information on chemical content are you entitled to?

By law, you are entitled to receive certain information on chemical content from your suppliers (if they are based in the EU/EEA). However, the amount and type of information depends on whether you are dealing with goods or chemical products. In some cases, you may also be required to pass this information down the supply chain.

Learn more about your right to information

You need to request more information

To ensure that your products comply with the requirements of chemicals legislation and to identify hazardous substances that need to be phased out, you need to actively gather information on chemical content and therefore request more information than you are entitled to under the legislation. This may include, for example

Lists of ingredients
Safety data sheets for chemical products with which an article or material has been treated
Various types of certificates or analysis reports

However, a supplier is under no obligation to share information beyond what is required by law. A non-disclosure agreement between you and your supplier can facilitate the collection of chemical content information.

Learn more about chemicals legislation

Set supplier requirements

To ensure that your suppliers understand and comply with chemicals legislation, you can also sign a chemicals agreement, which is particularly important if your suppliers are located outside the EU/EEA. A chemicals agreement can also include requirements, for example, that a certain type of chemical must not be present.

Use our support material

To help you get started with identifying and substituting hazardous chemicals, we have developed support material for articles. The material includes a document that outlines the regulatory requirements for different materials based on the hazardous chemicals they may contain (so far only available in Swedish). The material also includes supplier certificates that you can use to contact your suppliers to obtain information on chemical content and to ensure that the articles/materials you manufacture, import or distribute meet the requirements of the legislation (available in English). An Excel file that you can use to summarise the information you receive is also available (only in Swedish).

Learn more about our support material

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