Innovation & regulatory challenges to find biocidal active alternatives
Rules4Biocides’ co-founders Martijn van Velthoven and Annemarie Haasnoot present a strategic approach and a pragmatic tool to support sustainable biocides
The EU’ s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability is a chemical management regulatory‘ umbrella’ that is specifically designed for that purpose. It includes prohibiting the use of the most harmful chemicals in consumer products, unless proven essential for society via various pieces of both horizontal( generic) and vertical( product category specific) legislation.
There is also pressure from a different angle. Investors are aiming for environmental, social and governance( ESG) improvements. ESG risks can adversely affect creditworthiness, potentially leading to reputational damage, regulatory scrutiny and higher funding costs. Climate-related risks, such as physical and transition risks, can reduce the value of loan portfolios and collateral environmental factors exhibit a positive and significant influence on credit ratings. 1
According to a recent global survey by BNP Paribas, nine out of ten investors say they are not scaling back on sustainable investment goals and will continue to integrate sustainability into their investment decisions. 2 80 % of investors expect the pace of ESG progress to remain the same or accelerate through 2030.
Sustainable biocides?
Paradoxically, biocides have a crucial role in society because of( and despite) their hazardous nature. Biocides are necessary to control organisms that are harmful to humans or animals or organisms that cause damage to natural or manufactured materials.
Without biocides it is impossible to prevent spoilage, contamination, and the spread of infectious and vectorborne diseases. This implies that efficacious biocides contribute to various UN Sustainable Development Goals( SDGs) like good health and wellbeing, clean water and sanitation, responsible production and consumption, as well as supporting sustainable industrialisation.
Biocides control harmful organisms because they have the potency to kill microorganisms and pests. This implies that biocides are potentially also hazardous for humans and the environment. For this reason, it is not surprising that biocides are under
Rules4Biocides ' OAQ tool scrutiny. Many biocidal actives are, for instance, classified as toxic for human health and the environment under the Classification, Labelling & Packaging( CLP) Regulation.
Future-proof biocides
Due to the heavy regulatory requirements for the marketing and use of biocides, it takes a lot of time, effort, experience and expertise to find all of the information about actives to make a well-informed business decision on the most sustainable biocide solution.
Largely because of the cost and complexity of the regulations, there are very few new biocidal active substances. Therefore, there is a need to innovate within the existing
22 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981