'Red lights' and 'issues of concern'

Red light issues

There are areas where there are significant community concerns (amongst members of the public, scientists, academics, industry or government) regarding the environmental sustainability or human health impacts of products or practices. In many instances scientific opinion is not uniform, and research results are not unanimous.

Such issues include acute, bioaccumulative and persistent toxins, and biodiversity-threatening processes.

With regard to these issues, where ecospecifier considers there is a strong basis for caution or concern, a precautionary approach is taken.

Products that are of concern in this regard will generally not be knowingly included unless:

• There is no effective alternative on the Australian market and a particular product offers significant advantages to comparable competing products (e.g. dramatically reduced heavy-metal use in fabric dyes)
• The product has outstanding paradigm-shifting attribute(s) to it (e.g. a commitment to product take-back at end of life for a carpet)
• A product’s potential toxicity is mitigated substantially in some way (e.g. by the chemical form in which it is used)
• The concentration or quantity is of a sufficiently low level that it is considered not significant in the context of international best practice
• A product may have exemplary features in one category but have 'red light' issues also e.g. 5 star energy efficient windows with frames made from:

1. western red cedar: sourced from non FSC remant native forests
2. aluminium: high embodied energy and atmospheric toxics
3. UPVC: manufacture and recycling/disposal issues.

Issues of concern

‘Red Light’ issues that are not deemed signficant enough for exclusion from listing are brought to user attention as an 'Issue of concern'. 'Issues of concern' that may be listed within ecospecifier include:

Biodiversity

Products and production processes closely correlated with large-scale clearing of indigenous vegetation or contamination of land and water.

Wood products where timber may be sourced from areas of ‘high-conservation value’ as defined by WWF and the Forest Stewardship Council. Timber products will only be listed unequivocably if they have recognised 3rd party assessed chain of custody processes e.g. FSC.

Timber inclusion in a product that is not FSC or GECA certified is a designated issue of concern (see Glossary).

Toxics & Health Impacts

The use or emission of the following chemicals, agents, compounds and mixtures prescribed by international convention including:

• Cadmium
• Mercury
• Lead
• Hexavalent chromium
• Chlorinated solvents
• Chlorinated and brominated organic compounds
• Bioaccumulative, persistent and/or acute toxins generally
• IARC class 1, 2A and 2B agents and mixtures
• Phthalate esters
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
• Benzene derivatives
• Arsenic compounds
• Cyanide compounds
• Selenium compounds
• Beryllium compounds
• Fluoride compounds
  

Chemicals required to be reported under the National Pollutants Inventory (NPI) since July 1, 2001.

In many instances these materials may be incorporated in very small concentrations. At all times ecospecifier seeks products with the lowest levels of such materials, whether in production or in the finished product, and encourages manufacturers and suppliers to minimise the use of these and other materials of concern.