What is the SIN List?

The SIN List is a list of hazardous chemicals that are used in a wide variety of articles, products and manufacturing processes around the globe. The SIN abbreviation – Substitute It Now – implies that these chemicals should be removed as soon as possible as they pose a threat to human health and the environment.

The SIN List is developed by the non-profit ChemSec in close collaboration with scientists and technical experts, as well as an advisory committee of leading environmental, health, consumer organisations. The list is based on credible, publicly available information from existing databases and scientific studies.

Why should you use the SIN List?

The SIN List is one of the most progressive chemical standards in the world. For companies aiming to achieve truly sustainable and non-toxic chemicals management it represents a great reference point.

Unfortunately, the various chemicals legislations around the world only deal with a fraction of the problematic substances currently in widespread use. One of the main reasons is that effective legislation is hampered by pressure from industry that leads to slow decision making.

The SIN List is free from such influence.

The SIN List consists of chemicals that have been identified by ChemSec as being Substances of Very High Concern, based on the criteria defined within REACH, the EU chemicals legislation. Basically, the SIN List simply looks the way REACH would look without the political roadblocks.

That means that following the SIN List not only means your products are safer, it also gives you the extra benefit of always being REACH compliant – now and in the future.

Who else is using the SIN List?

The SIN List is used by professionals around the globe, from Asia to the Americas and everything in between.

First and foremost, the SIN List is a tool for any kind of company along the global supply chain – brands, retailers, manufacturers, chemical producers, suppliers, and so forth – that wants to identify chemicals that should be substituted in products and manufacturing processes.

For example, the SIN List is implemented in many corporate chemicals management policies, third-party verification labels and procurement requirements all over the world.

Many investors and financial analysts are using the SIN List to avoid investing in companies producing hazardous substances and the financial risk that this implies.

Regulators and authorities use the SIN List in legislative processes, in the EU but also beyond.

Other users include scientists and researchers, consultants and NGOs who use the SIN List as a tool when prioritising individual chemicals or groups of chemicals to campaign for safer products and stronger chemicals regulations.

Not a Consumer List

With its rather technical nature and focus on the chemicals – not the products in which the chemicals might be present – the SIN List is not developed with consumers in mind. That’s not to say that consumers can’t use it, just that the barrier for understanding how to do so can be high.

Nevertheless, the SIN list is very much to the benefit of consumers. Better, safer, non-toxic products are the whole point of it.