The Substances of Concern in Products initiative – or SCIP – is one of the most comprehensive attempts to identify and manage the use of certain types of substances within the European Union.

The mandate states that any product that has one of the identified substances must be registered within the SCIP database. This is for products that are sold within the EU starting in January 2021. The products can range from wires and batteries up to very complex articles such as televisions or motor vehicles.

Manufacturers and distributors of the products must go through an extensive process to identify and then register with SCIP. The process steps include:

1. Breaking down each article into a build of materials, or BOM

2. Review each item in the BOM to determine if any substance that is called out in SCIP is present

If a SCIP substance is present, gather the necessary information to register into the SCIP database

Map the information to the appropriate SCIP formats and categories

Fill out the SCIP forms according to the directions

Log into the ECHA cloud services portal and submit the information

Resolve any errors to get the final SCIP number

There are some practical challenges with several of the SCIP implementation steps. These challenges include:

a. Working with the suppliers noted in the BOM to get the needed information

b. Auditing and consolidating the supplier information to insure accuracy

c. Mapping of the information to get the correct TARIC codes and other items

d. Form completeness

e. Manual uploading to ECHA and the time it takes to resolve issues

For example, a distributor of bicycles may need to submit a SCIP registration for the wheel and tires that go on the bicycles. The distributor must then work with their suppliers to get a comprehensive BOM for the wheel and tire. The distributor then must identify any SCIP elements that are called out in the BOM. Next the distributor must work with the suppliers to get the needed SCIP information for those elements. The distributor will fill out all the needed paperwork, mapping to the SCIP categories for each article, and complete the tedious process of uploading and resolving issues with the form submits into the SCIP database through ECHA Cloud Services.

All of these steps can be filled with potential errors, not to mention the work can take a substantial amount of time and effort.

APA now offers a much easier process as part of their GreenCheck software suite. The SCIP module in Green Check can reduce the amount of time down to minutes instead of hours or days.

Some of the key features of APA’s SCIP solution include:

1. Easy coordination with suppliers to get the needed data

2. Forms are filled as the process is completed

3. Audits occur throughout the process to reduce or eliminate errors

4. Simplified mapping to the SCIP categories

5. Integrated uploads to the ECHA portal

6. Full support throughout the entire process

The APA solution for SCIP makes the process much more manageable, and reduces the overall expense for the manufacturer, supplier, and distributors. Since APA’s solution is cloud-based, it is easy to set up and get started right away.

The time is NOW to get your SCIP registrations completed! Let APA help you and reduce your time and effort. Contact APA for more information today!