Eastman Chemical

Grade Summary

Eastman Chemical has a large production of hazardous chemicals and data tells us that it is producing 30 highly hazardous chemicals, including one persistent chemical, which leaves the company without a single point in the first category. The…

Eastman produces/uses 30 highly hazardous substances – 29 SIN List chemicals, 3 PICs, and 4 HHPs – 9 of which are included on the EU’s REACH Candidate List. 1 of these highly hazardous substances is either banned or severely restricted, with set dates when production needs to cease (1 Authorisation List substances, and no POPs). The company produces 1 persistent chemical. Persistent chemicals are particularly problematic, since they do not break down, but instead accumulate in humans and the environment. Because of this, persistent chemicals should be of extra concern for investors; substances that are not considered a problem today could become huge liabilities in the future.

Please note that there is no available data for the 70 percent of the company’s production that takes place outside of the EU and US. Lower EU/US production means higher uncertainty with regard to the total production of hazardous chemicals, which will have a negative impact on the company’s score in this category.

Eastman Chemical has a method in place to screen and assess the sustainability of its products and includes the intrinsic hazards of ingredients in the screening process. It does not, however, exclude substances with toxic properties from its new products. Eastman Chemical actively markets safer alternatives on its own website and on ChemSec Marketplace. The company has no true circular product, process or innovation. Eastman Chemical uses biobased resources without occupying extra land or competing with food production. However, it does not source and treat recycled materials in a sustainable way, which is one of the key elements of a circular economy. Eastman Chemical is actively reducing the hazardous waste it generates.

The American company does not produce only sustainable products. Nor does it have a phase-out strategy for hazardous substances that go beyond regulatory compliance. It shares chemical safety information on its website and follows a credible code of conduct standard. Eastman Chemical responded to ChemSec’s attempts to communicate around its ChemScore ranking. However, the company does not share any information about what kind of chemicals it produces in regions with low regulatory demands for transparency (e.g. Asia). Eastman Chemical has a circular economy program in place, but it lacks objective and measurable circular economy targets.