Imagine a world where the chemicals in the products and materials that surround us are healthy for people and the environment. Where diseases, infertility, asthma, and other health impacts are on a steady decline. A world where governments and markets support circular economies and incentivize healthy products. This is the world that the Chemical Footprint Project (CFP) is envisioning as they near the 2020 release of their CFP survey to brands and manufacturers with millions of consumers around the world.
The CFP survey is a 19-step questionnaire, scored to 100 points, that assesses companies and their chemicals management policies and procedures. The purpose of this project is to provide a metric to benchmark companies as they move through the process of reducing harmful chemicals within their supply chains. Their mission is to transform global chemical use by measuring and disclosing data on progress to safer chemicals. Ultimately, the CFP also allows companies and manufacturers to track their improvements and create achievable goals in their pursuit of reducing their chemical footprint.
The survey itself is focused on four main pillars:
- Management Strategy – the strategies that CFP participants use to manage their chemicals
- Chemical Inventory – the supply chain data and information that companies collect for their products
- Footprint Measurement – the baseline data that companies have on chemicals of high concern and progress of safer alternative initiatives
- Public Disclosure and Verification – their efforts to share information with the public regarding the chemicals being used and their participation and disclosure regarding the CFP
The CFP was founded by the Clean Production Action (CPA), the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and Pure Strategies. Their hope is to translate the systems-based vision of clean production into the tools and strategies NGOs, governments, and businesses need to advance green chemicals. CPA is the entity that administers the project and will be releasing the survey to participants in the coming weeks.
For more information on the CFP and their mission to make the world a safer and cleaner place, visit them at https://www.chemicalfootprint.org/.
Interested in participating? Screen your chemicals against the CFP list in Toxnot to see how your chemical list looks today!
