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CEPN About


Clean Electronics Production Network

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CEPN About


Clean Electronics Production Network

CEPN Launches Toward Zero Exposure Program

Electronics Industry Leaders Advance Toward Zero Exposure to Workers Throughout the Supply Chain. Learn more.


CLEAN ELECTRONICS PRODUCTION Network (CEPN)

GOAL: Move toward zero exposure of workers to toxic chemicals in the electronics manufacturing process.


About the Network

The Clean Electronics Production Network (CEPN) is a multi-stakeholder innovation network, with the goal to:

Move toward zero exposure of workers to toxic chemicals in electronics manufacturing.

CEPN fosters collaborative innovation, uniting diverse stakeholders including technology suppliers, brands, labor and environmental advocates, governments, and other leading experts to work together to understand, address, and eliminate workers’ exposure to toxic chemicals in electronics production.

Workers in electronics production facilities around the world are often involuntarily exposed to toxic chemicals. Network members develop solutions to protect the health and safety of front-line workers, prioritizing elimination and substitution of toxic chemicals with safer alternatives, and supporting the protection of workers through effective controls until that is achieved. CEPN members commit to working together in the service of a shared goal of moving toward zero exposure of workers to toxic chemicals in electronics manufacturing.

Network members develop solutions across four focus areas: Worker Engagement and Participation; Tracking and Monitoring Exposures; Targeted Safer Substitutions, and Standardized Process Chemicals Data Collection.

If you are interested in learning more about CEPN, or if you would like to be involved please contact us at CEPN@greenamerica.org.

 
 

Toward Zero Exposure

A Commitment Program to Protect Workers from Chemical Hazards in the Electronics Supply Chain

The Network launched the Toward Zero Exposure program in the Summer of 2021. This program will support electronics companies in assessing the use of process chemicals, strengthening the culture of worker safety and engagement, reducing worker exposure to identified priority process chemicals, and substituting them with safer alternatives within their own manufacturing processes, as well as ultimately reaching deeper into their supply chain.

For more information, please visit the Toward Zero Exposure website.

The Toward Zero Exposure Program includes 6 core commitments:

1. Eliminate Exposures to Priority Chemicals

2. Process Chemical Data Collection

3. Worker Engagement and Participation

4. Reach into Deeper Tiers

5. Reporting and Verification

6. Continuous Improvement across all areas above

If you are interested in joining the Toward Zero Exposure Program or would like more information, please contact CEPN@greenamerica.org.


Members

  • Apple*

  • CEREAL

  • ChemFORWARD

  • Cisco Systems

  • Clean Production Action (CPA)

  • Dell

  • Electronics Watch

  • Enhesa

  • Fairphone

  • Flex

  • HP, Inc.*

  • International Campaign for Responsible Technology (ICRT)*

  • Intel Corporation

  • Inventec Performance Chemicals

  • Responsible Business Alliance (RBA)*

  • Santa Clara University*

  • Seagate Technology*

  • Social Accountability International (SAI)

  • Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC)

  • TCO Development*

  • Toxic Use Reduction Institute (TURI) - UMASS Lowell

  • UC, Berkeley

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency**

*Denotes CEPN Design Team (governing body) Member

**Denotes Non-voting CEPN Design Team (governing body) Member


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CEPN Initiatives


CEPN SCope and Initiative Groups

CEPN Initiatives


CEPN SCope and Initiative Groups

CEPN Scope and Initiative Groups

Working Goal: Move toward zero exposure of workers to toxic chemicals in the electronics manufacturing process

Scope

  • Chemical Focus: Process Chemicals

  • Hazard & Exposure Focus: Reducing both hazard and exposure

  • Door-to-Door Focus: Includes exposure during usage, handling, and disposal of chemicals in the facility

Within Initiative Groups, Network members work together to develop specific solutions that further the overall goal of the Network. Initiative Groups are where the practical, collaborative innovation takes place. This includes research, planning, developing, prototyping, and implementing solutions.


Initiative Group 1: Worker Engagement

Workers play a critical role to signal and address health & safety issues, including chemical safety.   

Goal: Workers are educated and sufficiently empowered to help protect themselves and others from toxic exposures.

Tools/Resources Completed and Under Development: 

  • Capacity Building Program: a worker engagement program to support the Toward Zero Exposure Program (under development)

  • Safety Awareness and Facility Engagement (SAFE) Tool: a survey tool for multifaceted assessment of levels of worker involvement in and empowerment around chemical safety and exposure issues in a facility (under development)


Initiative Group 2: Track & Measure Exposure

 

Exposure assessments and objective information on worker exposure to toxic chemicals are essential to reduce exposures and identify potential corrective actions.

Goal: We have a concrete and complete picture of what chemicals are being used and/or generated, what exposures are occurring, and what is the significance of those exposures.

Tools/Resources Completed and Under Development:

  • Qualitative Exposure Assessment (QEA) methodology: Simple and low-cost tool to enable facilities without industrial hygiene and/or occupational health and safety expertise to identify worker exposure risks and prioritize efforts to eliminate them.


Initiative Group 3: Safer Substitutions

 

Substitution and/or elimination of toxic chemicals is a critical factor in moving to zero exposure. Companies cannot do this alone—transparency and collective action are required for transforming the industry.

Goal: Identified hazardous chemicals are substituted with “safer” alternatives or eliminated

Tools/Resources Completed and Under Development:

  • Alternatives Assessment: a simplified process to identify safer alternatives, for use by suppliers without extensive expertise

  • Priority Chemicals: a framework for prioritizing chemicals for exposure reduction/elimination

  • Safer Substitutions Program: a platform to help companies, suppliers and facilities in accessing safer chemical products (under development)


Initiative Group 4: Process Chemicals Reporting

 

Standardized data collection is the essential first step to identifying risks and opportunities to eliminate exposure.

Goal: The process of collecting data on process chemical use is clear, simple, efficient, and standardized to reduce effort and increase understanding among suppliers and their customers.

Tools/Resources Completed and Under Development:

  • Process Chemicals Data Collection Tool (PCDC Tool): Standard data collection tool for manufacturers and suppliers to efficiently and effectively share data on process chemicals


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Get Involved in CEPN


Get Involved with CEPN

Get Involved in CEPN


Get Involved with CEPN


Network Membership

The Clean Electronics Production Network comprises, and continues to seek, diverse participants from across the supply chain who are innovators and natural collaborators, experts in their segment of the supply chain, held in high regard by their peers, and committed to the goals of CEPN. Participation in the Network is by invitation from existing members. If your organization is interested in joining CEPN, please see the process and contact information below.

Participation in the Network is fee-based, with corporate and other large organization members paying fees based on annual gross revenues. These member fees support the operation of the Network and underwrite the participation of stakeholders representing workers and other NGOs.

The Network operates under well-defined antitrust guidelines and terms of confidentiality.

Non-members may engage with the Network in several ways:

  • Suppliers or brands can volunteer facilities they control for pilot testing of CEPN tools

  • Any stakeholder may, with advanced notice and a prior interview, seek to attend a semi-annual meeting to learn more about the Network if they are considering participation

Additional information on participation:


how to join

We continue to grow the Network – reaching out to individuals and organizations with demonstrated leadership supporting safe and sustainable workplaces across the electronics value chain.

If you would like to schedule an interview, please contact CEPN@greenamerica.org.


Student projects

CEPN engages with graduate students or graduate student teams on a limited basis for designated projects. If you are interested in learning more about opportunities around student projects, or if you would like to propose a project, contact us.


QEA


QEA


Qualitative Exposure Assessment

The Network has developed the Qualitative Exposure Assessment (QEA) to help facilities fill in information where workplace chemical exposure data is not available.  It identifies potential risk of worker exposure to harmful process chemicals within a facility.

The QEA: 

  • Is Simple and Low Cost: QEA consists of simple forms and detailed instructions for documenting chemical use, hazards control systems, and worker tasks. The QEA can be completed by EHS staff with limited industrial hygiene expertise.  

  • Reduces Risk: Identifies Job Tasks with a high risk of chemical exposures that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

  • Supports Improvement: Generates an Overall Risk Ranking that can be used to determine necessary controls, ways to improve performance, and reduce exposure risk.  

  • Provides Documentation: Provides a record of a critical element in chemical management system to proactively identify risk and mitigation methods. 

 

Please click the button below to view the qea Process guide and collection form:

To access the qea training videos, please click the following buttons:

Please send questions and feedback to CEPN@greenamerica.org, or click the icon below.

 

Alternatives Assessment


Alternatives Assessment


alternatives Assessment Guide & Worksheet

Network members developed an Alternatives Assessment Guide -- a concise, high-level guide for identifying and evaluating potential substitutions for Chemicals of High Concern used in electronics manufacturing processes. The tool is intended to allow companies to thoroughly assess and implement safer alternatives to identified Chemicals of High Concern, while avoiding regrettable substitutions. A safer alternative may include a chemical substitute or a change in materials or design that eliminates the need for a chemical alternative.

The alternatives assessment process includes guidance for evaluating: human health and environmental impacts; technical feasibility; lifecycle thinking; social impacts; availability; and the cost of potential alternatives. There are several comprehensive alternative assessment frameworks that can be referenced if more detailed guidance is needed:

  • National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Framework to Guide Selection of Chemical Alternatives

  • Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse (IC2) Alternatives Assessment Guide

  • California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) Alternatives Analysis Guide)

This guide may be useful to a number of actors, including: brands doing an internal review of chemicals used to produce their products; brands and suppliers working together to find alternatives to a chemical the brand wishes the supplier to eliminate; and suppliers that wish to proactively replace chemicals that create a large risk of worker health and/or environmental impact.

PCDC Tool


PCDC Tool


PRocess Chemicals Data Collection Tool

The Process Chemicals Data Collection (PCDC) Tool, developed and piloted by Network members, is a free and publicly available standardized reporting tool that improves the task of collecting and managing process chemicals data. Network members invite all companies in the electronics industry to use the PCDC Tool.

Specifically, the PCDC Tool:

  • Creates a common format for consistent collection of information across the supply chain, enabling efficient exchange of chemical use information between tier suppliers and makes the integration of data into existing systems easier

  • Enables identification and quantification of chemical use, including those with potential for industry-wide elimination/safer substitution

  • Improves chemical management of Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) audits as well as company and supplier insights into risk areas

  • Enables industry collaboration to reduce risk and prepare for future regulatory and/or customer request

The PCDC Tool’s data collection is built with data security and integrity as core components:

  • Users of the PCDC Tool can choose to have their data held securely and confidentially in the Responsible Business Alliance’s (RBA) third-party data platform under the security and confidentiality procedures outlined by RBA’s confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements

  • Suppliers can opt to share information with their customers through the RBA platform (business to business (B2B) communication) or direct B2B sharing

  • Some information on the RBA platform will only be available for B2B communications; other select data will be anonymized and aggregated (preventing disclosure of the associated individual company and/or supplier identification information) to create a global understanding of process chemical use

Instructional videos are available with Chinese subtitles.

 

Priority Chemicals


Priority Chemicals


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CEPN

Priority

Chemicals

 

The Network has identified a first round of Priority Chemicals – process chemicals to be prioritized for elimination or substitution in electronics manufacturing. This first round of Priority Chemicals focuses on solvents used in manufacturing cleaning products.  Additional rounds of Priority Chemicals will be identified in the future.

Selection Process

The selection process began with chemicals present on CEPN member companies’ Manufacturing Restricted Substances Lists (MRSL). The chemicals were then screened against the CEPN High Hazard Criteria, use in the electronics industry and whether safer alternatives were available. 

 
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More information on the selection and research conducted for these Priority Chemicals can be found in the Summary of Priority Chemical Selection Report, December 2019.

First Round of Priority Chemicals

Nine chemicals (see table below) were selected for this first round of Priority Chemicals as they met the Network Members’ criteria for selection:

  1. Meets CEPN High Hazard Criteria

  2. Used as a solvent in cleaning products

  3. Some indication of use within the electronics industry

  4. Potentially viable safer alternatives available

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Click here to view the Priority Chemicals in simplified Chinese.

Safer Alternatives


Safer Alternatives


Several assessment schemes are in the process of certifying safer manufacturing cleaning products to assist the electronics industry in finding and selecting safer alternatives. This information is provided to assist both companies and facilities in the electronics supply chain in finding safer alternatives, and chemical suppliers in certifying chemical products. Note that this information is not an endorsement from CEPN.

Check back soon for a listing of certified safer cleaners!

If your assessment scheme is interested in being listed on this page, please reach out to cepn@greenamerica.org.

Resources for Safer Alternatives

 

GreenScreen Certified for Cleaners and Degreasers

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Chemical suppliers interested in getting products certified can contact certifications@cleanproduction.org.

Clean Production Action recently released GreenScreen Certified,™ for Cleaners & Degreasers in Manufacturing to promote safer chemical use and innovation in the electronics sector and beyond. The certification was developed with Apple who for years has used GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals to assess and promote safer chemicals in their supply chain.

GreenScreen Certified provides criteria for assessing the safety of cleaners with three levels of certification: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. All levels require manufacturers to disclose all intentionally added chemicals in the products; avoid over 2,000 known chemicals of high concern and defined chemical classes listed in the Restricted Substances List; meet skin and eye irritation requirements; and perform analytic testing for substances of particular concern.

See the GreenScreen website for a list of certified cleaners and degreasers.

 

Safer Choice

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Companies interested in certifying products should go to the Safer Choice website for more information.

U.S. EPA Safer Choice certifies products with safer chemical ingredients that meet the Safer Choice Standard.  Safer Choice evaluates all ingredients, regardless of percentage, against stringent human health and environmental criteria.  Only those chemicals that are the safest in their functional class are allowed.  A list of chemicals that meet Safer Choice criteria are available on EPA’s Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL). Safer Choice has been certifying primarily commercial and retail cleaning products for more than 15 years. 

Safer Choice and our third-party qualified profilers can help companies evaluate and improve their formulations to meet the Safer Choice criteria.

 

Scivera Safer Chemistry—Electronics Cleaners and Degreasers

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Chemical suppliers or users of cleaning/degreasing chemicals interested in finding out more about Scivera Safer Chemistry product achievement and certification can contact info@scivera.com.

SciveraLENS® is a web-based software platform that enables screening, scoring, and certification of electronic cleaning and degreasing chemicals for the electronics supply chain.

Subscribers to SciveraLENS® gain access to Scivera toxicologists and over 4,000 Verified Chemical Hazard Assessments for insight on sustainable chemistry and safer alternative ingredients for restricted substances or other chemicals of concern. SciveraLENS® currently provides safer / sustainable chemistry achievement for products categories including toys, apparel, footwear, cosmetics, among others and will soon include an electronics cleaners and degreasers category.

 

 TCO Certified Accepted Substance List - Process Chemicals

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For information on adding chemicals to the TCO Certified Accepted Substance List for process chemicals, contact Stephen Fuller, Senior criteria manager at TCO Development.

TCO Development has added process chemicals used as cleaning solvents to TCO Certified Accepted Substance list. The list covering process chemicals presently includes cleaning ingredients independently assessed by licensed GreenScreen profilers. TCO Development also accepts cleaning products that have been independently assessed to GreenScreen Certified™ to be added to the list.

 

ToxFMD Screened Chemistry®

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For more information on ToxFMD Screened Chemistry® services, contact Kristi Benoy, ToxFMD Program Manager kbenoy@toxservices.com.

ToxFMD Screened Chemistry® evaluates chemical formulations in multiple product sectors, allowing brands and their suppliers to easily identify safer alternatives.  A ToxFMD® assessment (which stands for full materials disclosure) includes a comprehensive hazard evaluation of chemicals in a formulation.  Cleaning product formulations are also assessed for compliance with region-specific VOC standards, such Chinese VOC standards for cleaning agents.

ToxFMD Screened Chemistry® was created in 2014 to serve the textile and apparel industries and expanded in 2020 to assess cleaning products in the electronics sector. 

 

Summary of listed assessment schemes for safer manufacturing cleaners & degreasers

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Assessment scheme contact information

Green Screen Certified for Cleaners and Degreasers | certifications@cleanproduction.org

Scivera Safer Chemistry — Electronics Cleaners and Degreasers | info@scivera.com

TCO Certified Accepted Substance List - Process Chemicals | Stephen.fuller@tcodevelopment.com

ToxFMD Screened Chemistry | kbenoy@toxservices.com

Safer Choice