Product Safety & Responsibility
ICL’s approach to product safety involves evaluating and managing its products through their life cycle in a responsible manner. ICL continuously assesses the risks of new chemical products prior to commercialization. In addition, ICL evaluates existing products at every stage of their life cycle, from the production process, through the supply chain, their use and end of life. \
As a leading global chemical company, we are careful to ensure that the chemical substances we produce and sell are handled in accordance with all rules and regulations throughout their life cycle.
We allocate resources to investigate and collect sufficient data on our products to fully characterize the product’s safety to human health and the environment. We accomplish this by performing or obtaining studies on toxicology, environmental fate, environmental toxicity and more. We use this information to classify each chemical and product according to the UN Global Harmonization System (GHS) for classification and labeling, which has been adopted by many countries around the globe, or other relevant regulations. All of our relevant chemicals are classified in line with their respective classification & labeling regulations.
As a leading global chemical company, we are careful to ensure that the chemical substances we produce and sell are handled in accordance with all rules and regulations throughout their life cycle. We prepare documentation which provides information regarding the chemicals and gives proper guidance to employees, contractors, customers and the public on the safe use of our chemicals and products. All ICL divisions implement the European Regulation for Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) by submitting documentation on chemical substances manufactured or imported into Europe in quantities of more than one tonne per year.
We have volunteered to lead and prepare the joint dossiers for dozens of substances (acting as a “Lead Registrant”).
ICL is also currently engaged, under the REACH Regulation, in the evaluation stage of a number of its chemicals and is required to follow up and update all of its Lead dossiers. The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) lists substances that are “substances of very high concern”. ICL has a few products included in the list. ICL has developed sustainable alternatives to these products.
We expect future regulatory changes that will impact our products, such as:
- The new future European Fertilizers Law that will require fertilizer producers to monitor additional contaminating elements in fertilizer products that were not subject to monitoring in the past, and for this purpose an examination is to be made of the existence of appropriate analytical methods and full compliance with their levels. In addition, pursuant to the new law, fertilizer producers must demonstrate their ability to track their products, to ensure the quality related to their production and supply chain. The new law is expected to be published at the end of 2018 or in the beginning of 2019.
- Various countries are assessing possible limitations on the use of specific chemicals used as flame retardants, biocides and other uses.
ICL is a producer of Methyl Bromide (used for soil fumigation) which has been included in the list of controlled substances under the Montreal Protocol. This substance is being phased out internationally other than for critical uses. As a result, ICL has significantly reduced its production of Methyl Bromide (for soil fumigation application) over the past 20 years.
To read more about regulations and limits of our products, please see ICL’s 2017 Annual Report (page 102).
Conflict Minerals
ICL is increasing its role in a responsible supply chain, both as a supplier and as a consumer. It is taking various steps to ensure best practices in its own supply chain.
In response to violence and human rights violations in the mining of certain minerals from the "Conflict Region”, which is situated in the eastern portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and surrounding countries, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has adopted rules to implement reporting and disclosure requirements related to "conflict minerals”. The definition of "conflict minerals” refers to gold, as well as tin, tantalum, and tungsten (3TGs), the derivatives of cassiterite, columbite-tantalite, and wolframite, regardless of where they are sourced, processed or sold.
These rules require manufacturers who file certain reports with the SEC to disclose whether the products they manufacture or contract to manufacture contain "conflict minerals” that are necessary to the functionality or production of those products.
ICL takes proactive actions to ensure it does not use any 3TG's from the conflict region. We generally do not use 3TG's in the manufacturing of our products, with one exception. ICL Dead Sea Magnesium does have a need for tin (which is one of the minerals) in some of its products. Therefore, ICL Dead Sea Magnesium follows the Responsible Minerals Initiatives, to make sure that it sources the Tin from a responsible supply chain. ICL Dead Sea Magnesium uses only DRC conflict-free tin. To review ICL Dead Sea Magnesium’s full conflict minerals policy click here.
