BASTA online AB for building and
construction projects
– Voluntary commitment by the construction
sector and dialogue with authorities as an
alternative to legislation
Erik Gravenfors (The Swedish Chemicals Agency)
Sussi Wetterlin (BASTA)
Different voluntary schemes active in
Sweden
Environmental assessment schemes -
construction products:
Environmental assessment schemes - buildings:
What motivates & drives the process?
• PCBs, asbestos,
“Hallandsås” Ridge etc
• Environmental certification
of buildings
• Client/procurer demands
• Interest from the general
public
• Government commissions -
- Logbooks
- Chemical content in
building materials
Number of registered and certified
buildings in Sweden
BASTA receives the award for the best
ecocycle initiative in 2011
BASTA – Short Background (1)
1994
• Establishment of the Construction sector ecocycle
council
– A response on a governmental proposal regarding
legislation
1997
• The Swedish Chemicals Agency project on construction
products
– Dialogue with four different branches of the sector
BASTA – Short Background (2)
1999 – 2004
• Establishment of the 16 environmental objectives in
Sweden and the development of the guideline, PRIO
2001
• ”All these lists”, Environmental managers in Sweden
2003 - 2004
• The need for a structured scheme – application for funds
from the EU's LIFE fund
• Development of the BASTA criteria and system
2005
• Full scale test and first registration of products.
Supported by the four main Swedish contractors, IVL -
the Swedish Environmental Institiute and the Swedish
Construction Federation
2007
• Company BASTAonline was founded and is jointly
owned by IVL and the Swedish Construction Federation.
2016-09-26
BASTA – Short background (3)
2016-09-26
Challenges
• Mobilize and encourage participants
Engagement from the four main contractors
Critical mass
• Bridge the mistrust of product information
3rd party audits of suppliers
Transparent set-up
• Encourage producers and raw material suppliers
outside of Sweden
Practical tools
Secrecy agreement
No chemical content disclosed in the system
What is BASTA?
• Freely available database
• More than 100 000 articles from 400 suppliers
• Chemical properties – not a list of chemical substances
• Chemical criteria based on REACH/CLP
• Self registration system with 3rd party audits
2016-09-26
BASTA-system, validation
• Co-operation agreement
• Requirements for registration:
Dedicated organisation
Competence & expertise
Declaration of contents
Assessment document
• Yearly fee
• 3rd party audit – 10-15% of registered companies
yearly
BASTA properties criteria
The set of criteria in BASTA is based on criteria in the
REACH and CLP regulations.
• Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning
Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and
Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)
• Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification,
labeling and packaging of chemical substances and
mixtures (CLP)
What distinguishes the BASTA properties
criteria from REACH and CLP?
”Classification Limits” has become “Non permitted
substance levels”
BASTA’s ”unique” properties criteria
• Specific limits for lead, cadmium and mercury
• Endocrine disrupting substances
• Addition of properties for "volatile organic
compounds“
15
Prio – risk reductionSensitising
Mutagenic (cat.2)
Very high acute toxcity
High cronic toxicity
Environmentally hazardous
long-term effects
Prio - phasing outParticularly hazardous metals
Pb, Hg, Cd
Ozone-depleting
CLP CR (cat.2)
Effect during Lactation
Acute toxicity
Volatile organic compounds
BASTA:s Properties criteria
SVHCCRM (cat. 1A & 1B)
PBT
vPvB
Endocrine disrupting (cat 1 & 2)
Products that meet the system’s
more stringent chemical criteria.
Address substances of very high
concern and risk-reduction
substances.
The BETA register contains
products that meet the system’s
basic chemical criteria.
Address substances of very high
concern.
The BASTA-system is based on HAZARD
and not RISK
HAZARD
Inherent property of a
substance that can cause an
adverse health or
environmental effect
Exposure
RISK
The probability that a certain
event occurs
The consequence if this event
occurs
• The system can not take into account all possible
exposure scenarios or substrates
• Risk assessments require a completely different
documentation
Complex articles
• Wall element
• Doors and windows
• Tap water fittings
Each individual component
shall be assessed separately
Definition of an article in
Article 3.3 of the REACH
Regulation
What is required to be able to add
properties to the BASTA criteria?
• Legislation and established criteria
• Standardised methods
• Full transparency
• Limited possibility for interpretations
• Avoid the risk of arbitrary assessments
• Do not compare "apples with pears"
Experiences (1)
• Time consuming to find out the complete
chemical content.
Chemical products
Non-complex materials
Complex articles
• The increase of article complexity - longer
supply chains.
• Tools needed to address confidentiality
Increased
time
spent
• Improved information about products that
do not meet the criteria needed
• Transparent and scientifically based
criteria are a prerequisite to motivate
suppliers and producers
• Support and education
• Product selection have many aspects
additional to health and environment
Experiences (2)
