The Six Classes: An Easy Way to Avoid Toxic Chemicals, Stay Ahead of Regulations, and Procure and Produce Healthier Products
This panel introduces purchasers and suppliers to the “Six Classes” framework for avoiding the majority of hazardous chemicals in everyday products. By facilitating a straightforward understanding of toxic chemicals, this approach empowers manufactures and purchasers to produce and procure healthier products and has been used successfully by non-scientists in a variety of sectors. The Six Classes framework enables users to stay ahead of ever-changing chemical regulations and prevents the all-too-common “chemical whack-a-mole” problem, where one harmful chemical is eliminated, only to be replaced by a related chemical that is also toxic. This approach to chemicals protects against wasted time, effort, and financial resources spent updating standards and procurement guidelines, after which product offerings must be updated in short order. We present a case study on the State of Minnesota’s unique approach of transitioning to procurement of healthier furnishings to demonstrate how the class concept reduces toxics exposures in a cost-neutral or cost-saving way. With an understanding of the health, environmental and financial rationale for categorizing chemicals by class, participants will be able to apply the Six Classes framework to producing and/or purchasing healthier products. Participants will learn how to use the newly developed tools and resources presented—like environmentally preferable product listings, shopping guides, model specifications, purchaser e-guides and short videos—to transition to safer products without increasing costs, and in some cases, even saving money.