Hazardous substance reduction in businesses – a tough nut to crack!

The multitude of businesses in municipalities are important actors for reducing chemical risks. Business operations may involve the use of hazardous substances that may be released via wastewater to the environment or there may be occupational exposure at the workplace.  NonHazCity provided information including newsletters and brochures, direct consultancy and training courses for different businesses to realise the hazardous substance reduction potential within their sectors.

Hairdressers and cleaning services were among the sectors targeted for these activities. Other NonHazCity target sectors included car repair workshops, laundry services, the construction industry, the woodworking industry, healthcare services, hotels and, in general, offices.

However, most businesses outside the manufacturing sector, in particular small businesses (which represent 99% of all businesses in the EU), do not believe that they use hazardous substance containing products or articles in their operations and workplaces. NonHazCity in its ambitions to raise awareness of hazardous substances in everyday life wanted to show that in some types of businesses, occupational exposure and exposure of customers, can far exceed emissions to the environment.