BSEF AND RESPONSIBLE CARE
BSEF has already carried out Product Stewardship programs in cooperation with customer industries by collecting data on workplace conditions, consumer exposure and end-product recycling. BSEF has now widened the scope of its Product Stewardship actions by launching a program to reduce industrial emissions of brominated flame retardants producers and BFR user industries, The Voluntary Emissions Control Action Programme (VECAP).
For more information on the Product Stewardship Programme click here What is Responsible Care? Responsible Care is a global initiative developed and adopted by the chemical industries to improve continuously environmental, health and safety (EHS) performance of their operations and products in a manner responsive to the concerns of the public. How it started? Responsible Care was first adopted as a new model for the management of chemicals by the Canadian Chemical Producers Association (CCPA) in 1985 and has since been adopted by chemical associations and their members in an additional 39 nations. Further, the chemical industry has responded by expanding the reach of Responsible Care to 40 countries, which account for approximately 86 percent of the world's chemical production. Why Responsible Care? Responsible Care is the basis of significant cultural change within the chemical industry, which is leading to improved performance and new levels of openness with the public. The global chemical industry has embraced Responsible Care because it is viewed as both "good citizenship" and a positive impact on companies' economic bottom line. For the individual company, implementation of Responsible Care leads to improved efficiency, lower EHS costs and improved relations with stakeholders. For the global chemical industry, successful implementation of Responsible Care demonstrates an appropriate public policy, which protects its license to operate, and its ability to innovate and meet society's demands for its products. For the public, successful implementation of Responsible Care, ensures that the chemical industry will continue to provide beneficial products for society and continually reduce its negative impacts on human health and the environment. Communication for Responsible care Openness is a vital part of Responsible Care and therefore communication of the performance improvement to customers, suppliers, local communities, regulators, employees, shareholders and the general public is a principal requirement of this commitment. Through the sharing of information and a rigorous system of checklists, performance indicators and verification procedures, it enables the industry to demonstrate how it has improved over the years and to develop policies for further improvement. In these ways, Responsible Care helps the industry to gain the trust of the public and to operate safely, profitably and with due care for future generations. For more information see the European Chemicals Industry website http://www.cefic.org/Templates/shwStory.asp?NID=3&HID=8
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