Cristal’s sustainability initiatives begin at the corporate level and reach every plant, office and facility around the world. We are continuously assessing
our environmental footprint in every facet of our production--from acquiring and
shipping ore all the way through to delivery, product life cycle and package disposal.
At the same time, Cristal is developing new methods, products and processes
so that we may continue to take significant steps toward lessening our impact on
the environment.
Our vision for Product Stewardship
is to be a recognized leader in products and services through successfully managing
product risk, ensuring our products meet regulatory requirements, and providing
services that meet the expectations of our people and customers.
Product Stewardship affects
nearly every functional area within Cristal, including:
- Research and Development
- Manufacturing
- Distribution
- Purchasing
- Sales
- Marketing
- Engineering
- Regulatory Affairs
- Customer Service
- Business groups
Product Stewardship involves
more than a single role. We actively engage the power of the organization
to shape our portfolio of products and deliver product excellence worldwide.
We conduct in-depth reviews for new and existing products using teams of content
experts to conduct a formal risk assessment. This Risk Assessment and Management
Process(RAMP) helps insure that we fully understand the products, that we stay current
with global regulatory developments and have appropriate product controls and documentation
in place to assure safe use.
Industry Document: New campaign showcases how TiO2 brightens your every day – Aug 2016
Industry Document: Factsheet Titanium Dioxide - July 2013
Industry Document: About Titanium Dioxide – July 2013
Industry Document: Ultrafine TiO2 Handling Guide
The Cristal Risk Assessment and Management Process
A core tenet of Cristal Product Stewardship program is to protect health, safety and the environment throughout the life cycle of our products. Our Product Risk Assessment and Management Process consist of hazard assessment, exposure assessment and risk assessment, culminating in appropriate risk management of our products. Parameters that are evaluated include:
- Chemical and physical properties that represent safety hazards or affect human or environmental exposure and impact
- Toxicological information
- Environmental fate and effects
- Regulatory compliance
- Potential exposure information during transportation and product use scenarios
A team-approach is used when conducting these risk assessments. Team members include representatives from manufacturing, safety, health and environment, commercial, legal, and research and development. During the team evaluation process, team members gather information on how the product is manufactured, packed, stored, handled and transported. In addition, the team reviews and evaluates detailed information on product use by direct customers and downstream users (including possible misuse) and ultimate reuse, recycling and disposal.
All new products are put through this process before commercialization. Existing products are scheduled for re-evaluation every five years or sooner to address new product information or new product uses.
The output from the process dictates the actions taken. This may involve updating product literature or may trigger development efforts to address new information about hazards, exposures or regulatory implications. The bottom line is that we use Product Stewardship to help manage product risk and guide decision making that promotes safe product use.