Alternatives Assessment explained

The challenge when it comes to substitution is avoiding  regrettable substitution, i.e. choosing alternatives that are just as bad as, or worse than, the substance originally phased out.

It is rare to find alternatives that are better from all perspectives, so you will need to make calculated trade-offs based on your prioritised values.

The important thing is to ensure that trade-offs relating to safety, technical and economic feasibility, life cycle and circularity have been well considered and well researched to achieve informed and informed substitution.

What does the term ‘Alternatives Assessment’ mean?

Alternatives Assessment is a method of achieving informed substitution. The process enables you to map, compare and choose better alternatives to the chemical being phased out. The method helps you to compare the advantages and disadvantages of multiple alternatives before making a decision.

Alternatives Assessment also advocates for functional substitution. By defining the function of the chemical being phased out, the potential alternatives are extended from new chemicals to new materials, processes and designs, and allows for more in-depth analysis of the requirements of the specific function.

Important principles in Alternatives Assessment include transparency, clear documentation, having the right stakeholders at the right place, and predefining the methods to be used so that they are not altered at a later stage to influence the selection of alternatives.

More information about Alternatives Assessment can be found in:

• Substitution Guide Step 3 – Identify potential alternatives
• Substitution Guide Step 4 – Assess and select alternatives
• In our summary of Databases and Resources 
  Resources for alternatives Assessment can be found under the heading ‘Case Studies’

How to carry out Alternatives Assessment

There are no strict protocols on how alternatives should be identified, evaluated, and compared as part of alternatives assessment. Instead, several frameworks have been developed by different stakeholders to help you structure the decision-making process. One thing the frameworks have in common is that you preclude excessively hazardous alternatives early in the process, prior to investigating technical and economical feasibility.

The frameworks can be found in the OECD substitution and alternatives assessment toolbox.

You can achieve informed substitution by:

• Determining and documenting goals, principles, decision-making rules and methods to be used. These must be established before you begin to assess alternatives.
• Precluding ‘phase-out substances’ early in the process (read more about ‘phase-out substances’ here)
• Structuring the work and ensuring transparency in the organisation, and by providing information about assessment and decision-making
• Involving the right people in the right steps – alternatives assessment requires cooperation among several different organisational disciplines (product development, economy, logistics, market)
• Using reliable information and ensuring that you have obtained complete information for all the critical aspects, such as health, environment, technical and economical feasibility.

How we work with Alternatives Assessment

The mission of the Swedish Center for Chemical Substitution is to advocate the selection of better alternatives through informed substitution. We recommend Alternatives Assessment as a method for substitution. Our advisors are knowledgeable about Alternatives Assessment and its frameworks, and we work with national and international operators to ensure that we are kept up-to-date on research and the latest knowledge in the field.

The Swedish Center for Chemical Substitution will hold training courses in Alternatives Assessment from autum 2020.

Read more about our courses here.