LIFE MATHER project objective is to design, implement and demonstrate a new data monitoring tool that will create an interoperable connection between the list of materials used by a company in its products with the material related impacts on environment, health and also regulations. The chemical monitoring data will be available, accessible and comparable allowing for assessment of exposures from chemicals by EU Health Units.
The new tool will help manufacturing companies -such as WHEU for home appliances- in:
– Enhancing the consciousness of human and environmental impacts of materials and chemicals used in purchased components for own products to sustain a more informed decisionmaking about materials and components selection, during products design and production.
– Highly reducing internal costs, related to the continuous updating of materials databases and inventories on the basis of the regulations updates and to the purchase of not compliant components or withdrawal from the market of not compliant products.
– Dramatically reducing the time-to-compliance with regulations of products before accessing the market, avoiding the related huge risks to health and environment as well as legal consequences and impacts on the EU industrial reputation and related competitiveness.
– Provide EU Health Units with precious data about exact composition, quantity and environmental\human possible impacts to allow assessing the exposures from chemical mixtures.
Chemicals are essential components of daily life and a best regulation is among priorities of the EC, committed to more systematic evaluation of its legislation including so-called “fitness checks” under the REFIT Programme. In this context, LIFE MATHER will i) support companies and policy makers in a more conscious selection and use of chemicals in products and 2) guarantee the prompt implementation of EU policies & directives related to chemicals in EU products and production processes.
In addition, the project has a very high replicability level indeed already during its execution. The tool will be built according to a world leader of mass-market products as WHEU for home appliances, but also involving – at least 10 EU Health Units – 20 EU companies from other 5 sectors to determine specific requirements, market validate the data monitoring tool in assessing exposures and let policy makers – as Health units – identify the necessary actions for protecting the EU citizens’ health and the quality of the environment.