Chemical Management Services: Safeguarding Environmental Outcomes

Abstract

Every year hundreds of new chemicals with uncertain life-cycle impacts on our health and the environment are being developed and introduced to the market. Reducing the amount and volume of chemicals in use is seen as an important option for reducing associated environmental effects. Chemical management services (CMS) is seen by environmental experts as a business strategy that may allow reduction in the volume of chemicals sold, while maintaining profits from use of chemicals for suppliers. In traditional business the user would try to achieve the same reduction with less support from the supplier. The goal of this paper is to investigate how common performance indicators can be used to monitor the environmental performance of different chemical management strategies and how CMS customers and suppliers can safeguard environmental improvements. The paper draws on experiences from implementing CMS in one of Sweden's automotive companies and meetings with European CMS providers.