Product Stewardship and Product Safety
Protecting associates, customers and the environment by providing safe and sustainable products is a priority for Avient. We review and communicate the human health and environmental impacts of our products throughout the value chain.
Avient’s dedicated Global Product Stewardship organization is responsible for ensuring that all products within the portfolio are developed in accordance with applicable local and international laws, regulations and accepted guidelines.
In addition to complying with all applicable laws and regulations, we actively pursue opportunities to go above and beyond in product safety where it makes sense. These activities include the following, but are not limited to:
Responsible Care® and Product Safety Code – Avient is committed to Responsible Care® and the associated Product Safety Code. The Product Safety Code drives continual improvements in hazardous risk assessments, Safety Data Sheet (SDS) communications and chemical inventory management. It facilitates communication internally with our associates in manufacturing plants and along the value chain between Avient and our key stakeholders, such as raw material suppliers and customers.
Globally Harmonized System (GHS) – GHS provides a unified, standardized system for communication of hazards worldwide. GHS is implemented in the European Union (EU) through EC No. 1272/2008 on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances (CLP). It is implemented in the United States (U.S.) as the OSHA Hazard Communication 1900.1200. Many other countries have also adopted GHS. Avient’s Product Stewardship experts maintain GHS and other data related to the environmental, health and safety of our products in our product stewardship database. The information is reviewed and updated continuously. Through this data, we create safety data sheets (SDS), customer certification statements for appropriate use and recommend product safety improvements
Global Chemical Control Laws - The current and future focus is on continued Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) assessments and communication on the safe handling of these substances. Many other countries are following suit on the EU REACH chemicals regulation and implementing similar inventory and data requirements. Monitoring of these global inventory changes and other emerging issues by our regional product stewardship experts ensures a proactive evaluation and response to potential regulatory risks. This commitment to monitoring and managing these business activities is demonstrated through our Global Chemical Management Policy.
Identification of Substances of Concern – As part of the management and monitoring of Global Chemical Control Laws; Product Stewardship pays close attention to those regulatory lists that identify hazardous substances (Human health and Environmental) of concern. We are continually monitoring the REACH Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) candidate list, U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and California Prop 65 among other lists. Raw material evaluations and continued suitability for end-uses activities are conducted to identify feasible alternatives. These alternatives feed our sustainability portfolio.
Risk Assessments – Avient is committed to conducting risk assessments on a prioritized list of hazardous materials greater than> 1 ton. Utilizing the American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) prioritization tool; products are reviewed for human health (Those classified as Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reproductive toxins (CMRs)) and environmental classifications (Persistent, Bioaccumulative Toxins (PBTs)), volume, intended use and encapsulation or bio-availability. For more sensitive applications, products are reviewed for critical toxicological end-points and migration through a variety of materials. Given the sensitive nature of some of our customer’s applications we may partner with expert third parties for additional reviews. One outcome of our risk assessments could be a Substance Safety Summary detailing the potential hazard, appropriate handling and uses. These summaries are available throughout the value chain from our associates to transporters to customers.
Animal Testing & Welfare – In the course of developing new products, Avient is required to conduct tests for product safety. Animal testing may be required when there are no viable alternatives for information related to human health and the environment. We are committed to no animal testing unless absolutely necessary. If testing is required we will subscribe to the “3 Rs” Framework of Replace, Reduce and Refine. In addition, we will use laboratories certified by Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) to ensure appropriate animal welfare. Our commitment is further defined in our Animal Testing Policy.
