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Safer Chemistry
in the News
At the upcoming Society of Toxicology (SOT) 65th Annual Meeting, leaders from the science-based nonprofit ChemFORWARD will present a data-driven solution aimed at accelerating the adoption of safer chemistry in household and industrial cleaners.
ChemFORWARD today announced the introduction of the Chemical Hazard Data Trust, a groundbreaking public interest initiative designed to transform access to reliable chemical hazard information and accelerate the global transition to safer, more sustainable products.
The global challenge of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)—the persistent "forever chemicals"—can feel overwhelming.
They are ubiquitous and persistent, and removing them from the environment is often complex and prohibitively expensive.
What if the most powerful step toward a cleaner future isn’t years of invention and innovation - but a simple, strategic action at the very beginning of your journey?
We're excited to announce the release of the new Planet Tracker report, "Toxic Additives: Analysing Product Portfolio Risk," which underscores the critical role of ChemFORWARD in bringing much-needed hazard transparency and safer alternatives to the plastics value chain.
Today, ChemFORWARD announced new enhancements to their web-based platform that operationalize and integrate the application of OECD’s Guidance on Key Considerations for the Identification and Selection of Safer Chemical Alternatives.
ChemFORWARD is excited to announce the launch of its new Chemical Alternatives Finder. This significant enhancement will empower ChemFORWARD’s users to move beyond hazard identification and seamlessly integrate functionality into their chemical selection processes.
Perspectives
Every chemical should have hazard data publicly available. Hazard is an inherent property of an ingredient, and refers to its ability to cause harm, whereas exposure is how you come into contact with the chemical. (Hazard + exposure = risk)
Consumers and producers often assume that “natural” means “safe,” sometimes without adequate information. Beauty Matter has published this article by ChemFORWARD, examining the rapidly growing field of botanical ingredients.
“Clean” has grown to dominate the growth in the beauty sector, with prestige beauty brands claiming to be clean surging 39 percent in 2019 and doubling their share of high-end skincare sales in the last four years.
ChemFORWARD Executive Director Stacy Glass sat down to talk with Boma Brown-West, director of consumer health at Environmental Defense Fund. Brown-West is an engineer who works at the intersection of science, policy and corporate leadership to drive safer products in the retail marketplace. Glass leads a nongovernmental organization working to provide a shared database of chemical hazards and safer alternatives, allowing companies to use better information to make safer products.
This roadmap is a clear framework for companies making clean beauty claims to restore and build confidence in their products. It equips them to move beyond the practice of claiming to be “free of” a group of hazards or restricted substances -- no matter how extensive -- and instead offer the credible assurance that ingredients have been thoroughly and credibly assessed and found to be free of hazards.
ChemFORWARD’s team of seasoned safe-chemistry pioneers built this platform to offer an easy way to create safer beauty and personal care products which demonstrate leadership in this industry. The tool offers a simple, intuitive, and affordable route to eliminating chemicals of concern, avoiding regrettable substitutions, and designing safer from the beginning.
Bartlett has worked with ChemFORWARD as a consultant and verifier and will now add this leadership role to those duties. He will help ChemFORWARD advance the development and adoption of its platform as well as provide valuable judgment to ChemFORWARD’s unique verification and technical dispute resolution process, ensuring the highest quality data makes it onto the platform.
ChemFORWARD hosted a series of virtual coffee breaks featuring leaders from clean Beauty and Personal Care. These 30-minute sessions offered a targeted introduction to ideas you’ll want to explore further along with meaningful, provocative conversation.
Announcements
A New Easy-to-Adopt Framework for "Forever Chemicals" Management
In a significant move for sustainable chemistry, Google has integrated pfasID.org into its 2025 Restricted Substances Specification.
At the upcoming Society of Toxicology (SOT) 65th Annual Meeting, leaders from the science-based nonprofit ChemFORWARD will present a data-driven solution aimed at accelerating the adoption of safer chemistry in household and industrial cleaners.
ChemFORWARD today announced the introduction of the Chemical Hazard Data Trust, a groundbreaking public interest initiative designed to transform access to reliable chemical hazard information and accelerate the global transition to safer, more sustainable products.
Today, ChemFORWARD announced new enhancements to their web-based platform that operationalize and integrate the application of OECD’s Guidance on Key Considerations for the Identification and Selection of Safer Chemical Alternatives.
ChemFORWARD is proud to announce that Hong Lin has joined our team as a Program Manager - Industry Collaboratives. With her deep expertise in regulatory science and safer chemistry, Hong will be a key leader in driving the growth and impact of our cross-sector collaboratives.
ChemFORWARD announced the launch of pfasID, a free web-based tool that simplifies the process of identifying per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS. These “forever chemicals” are highly persistent in the environment and pose significant risks to human health.
Google and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation have released a new paper discussing the role of safer chemistry and better materials selection in the circular economy. The paper identifies MaterialWise a precursor to ChemFORWARD as a leader in providing the transparent, verified, and affordable data manufacturers need to make products suited for the circular economy.