Historically, regulations governing chemical use have often focused on widely used chemicals and acute human health effects of exposure to them, as well as their potential to cause cancer and other adverse health effects. As scientific knowledge has expanded there has been an increased awareness of the mechanisms through which chemicals may exert harmful effects on human health, as well as their effects on other species and ecosystems.
An alternatives assessment is a set of tools that manufacturers, product designers, businesses, governments, and other interested parties can use to make better, more informed decisions about the use of toxic chemicals in their products or processes.
To reflect evolving best practices, the IC2 has published version 1.2 of the Alternatives Assessment (AA) Guide. This update strengthens guidance on evaluating chemical hazards and the availability of safer alternatives, while newly integrating environmental justice and climate change considerations into the AA process.