Redesigning Chemicals Policy: A Very Different Approach

The chemical policies of the 1970s were limited by the assumptions that lie at their foundation and focused narrowly on only the most hazardous chemicals. The effective management of chemicals requires policies that focus on the entire body of chemicals and the production systems that make them. The future will require comprehensive chemicals policies that work within a systems framework to phase out the most hazardous chemicals, progressively transition away from the remaining chemicals of concern by substituting safer chemicals and technologies, and invest heavily in a new generation of safer and more sustainable chemicals.