What are the goals of the SCIP database?

I’ve been getting a lot of questions on SVHC and SCIP reporting in recent months.  
 
If you are new to this field, then I recommend that you start with this blog post. It will make it easier for you to understand the SVHC and SCIP field. 

Today I want to revert to a question which is usually one of the first ones I get. It’s the question of the purpose or goal of creating an SCIP database.  

Let’s start with the three basic objectives the SCIP database (Substances of Concern In articles, as such or in complex objects (Products)) has according to ECHA: 

1. Reduce the generation of waste, which contains hazardous substances, by supporting the substitution of substances on the list of candidate substances in articles placed on the EU market, 

1. make information available to further improve waste treatment processes, 

1. enable the competent authorities to monitor the use of substances of concern in articles and to introduce appropriate measures throughout the life cycle of such articles, including at the waste level. 

The key word here is “waste”.  

Although REACH has so far required suppliers of articles containing candidate substances at concentrations higher than 0.1% w/w to provide sufficient information to all along the supply chain and to consumers on request for the safe use of these articles, this information, however, did not reach waste operators.  

The SCIP database is therefore an attempt to improve the flow of relevant information by the end of a product's life cycle; i.e. to the point where individual articles reach the level of waste or when they become waste at the end of their useful life. 

The SCIP database thus ensures that the same information that is available in supply chains will be available to waste operators. Therefore, from 5 January 2021, every supplier of an article on the EU market containing a substance: 

• of very high concern (SVHC) from the candidate list of substances,  
• and whose concentration is higher than 0.1% weight by weight (w/w),  

must submit information on such an article to ECHA. 

I believe this is enough information for now on the background of the creation and objectives of the SCIP database and the associated obligations. 

But feel free to contact me if you need help with these activities. We help many companies daily and I believe we can help you in a quick and efficient manner as well.