Challenges with managing hazardous chemicals in the international frame - opportunity for educating on sustainable chemistry and alternatives assessment

Introduction
Within international chemicals management treaties like the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) or the Vienna Convention/Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) the phase out and management of hazardous chemicals is addressed globally. Decades of experiences have unveiled how difficult and expensive the management of listed chemicals is in particular the end of life.

Method
Past failures and on-going challenges to manage hazardous chemicals in the international context in particular the Stockholm Convention were assessed with considerations of a way forward.

Results and Discussion
The assessment shows the challenge with managing organohalogen compounds (chlorinated, brominated and fluorinated) in their life-cycle in particular in developing countries. In the past, often certain types of hazardous or unsustainable chemicals are continued to be used or replaced by similarly unsustainable chemicals for different reasons in various cases leading to regrettable substitutions. Examples are the substitution of POPs like lower brominated PBDEs with highly brominated PBDEs and other brominated aromatic compounds or the substitution of PCBs with chlorobenzyltoluenes and chlorinated paraffins. Since some of the recently listed POPs have a range of exemptions, a process on compiling
information on alternatives has been initiated in the Stockholm Convention. Therefore, international conventions provide opportunities to substitute hazardous chemicals with more sustainable alternatives. A bottle neck is, however, that chemists, engineers, industrial designers, and policy makers often lack knowledge on green/sustainable chemistry and alternatives assessment. This is particularly a challenge in developing and transition countries. Methodologies and tools are hence needed to disseminate information on and guidance on how to phase in more sustainable alternatives. In this presentation, we suggest a comprehensive yet efficient approach of alternatives assessment which could be integrated in the education of stakeholders within the process of the substitution of chemicals e.g. in international chemical conventions.