Toxic heavy metals and other hazardous substances, won as a raw material from natural deposits, come on combustion processes, effluent and waste in the environment and therefore into the human food chain.

To protect the environment, as well as the health of people, the use of these substances now requires reporting obligations with severe limitations, and sometimes a complete ban in many industries.

REACH, RoHS, WEEE, ELV, RRR, or the Hong Kong Convention (HKC) are the most well-known material legislations. However, a vast quantity of national legislation exists worldwide, and continues to increase.

To comply with all this legislation, clear identification and reporting of materials used in the supply chain is needed. Without standardized processes and tools it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to exchange defined data throughout a global supply chain.