REACH
REACH Compliance with CDX: From Regulation to Opportunity
Confidently Navigate EU REACH and Stay Ahead with CDX
REACH compliance can be complex - but it doesn’t have to be a burden. CDX helps businesses manage REACH compliance efficiently by turning strict regulatory requirements into opportunities for supply chain transparency and market advantage.
With CDX’s comprehensive REACH compliance solution, you can collect detailed material and chemical data that is immediately assessable when regulations change. This eliminates emergency supplier outreach and ensures ongoing compliance with EU REACH.
From regulation to opportunity - CDX provides a flexible data management system that tracks product composition from individual substances to final assemblies. It’s the ideal platform for businesses navigating the challenges of EU REACH compliance while unlocking long-term value.
CDX Features That Simplify REACH Compliance
Complete Product Composition Visibility
Centralized Compliance Documentation
Instant Where-Used Impact Analysis
Targeted, Threshold-Based Reporting
Benefits of Using CDX
CDX simplifies and streamlines regulatory compliance across industries by offering a powerful platform for material data management. It ensures compliance with global regulations, enhances supply chain transparency, and reduces operational risk.
Comprehensive Regulatory Compliance Across Multiple Industries
- CDX supports compliance with major global regulations like REACH, RoHS, SCIP, PFAS, California Proposition 65, EU POPs, TSCA, EU Battery Regulation (2023/1542), and more.
- CDX includes substance lists like AD-DSL, HEDSL, GADSL, RISL, and the IAEG PFAS List, ensuring industry-specific compliance coverage.
Simplified Supply Chain Communication
- Built-in workflows and multilingual communication tools enable seamless data exchange between suppliers and customers.
- Free for suppliers to respond to material data requests, improving data accuracy and response rates.
- CDX enables multi-tier data requests and traceability, reducing manual follow-ups and ensuring a smoother compliance process.
Automated Data Collection and Reusability
- CDX allows for data reuse by linking material declarations (MDS) and supplier inputs across multiple products and customers.
- It includes tools to import/export standardized data (e.g., IPC-1752A, IPC-1754), minimizing duplication and saving time.
SCIP Database Integration
- CDX automates the creation and submission of SCIP dossiers, ensuring compliance with EU Waste Framework Directive requirements.
- It supports ECHA´s API for direct uploads and manages required data such as substance of concern, article identifiers, and material categories.
Risk Mitigation
- Helps prevent product recalls by ensuring accurate tracking of hazardous and restricted substances throughout the product lifecycle.
- Supports early detection of non-compliant materials, reducing regulatory exposure and costly late-stage design changes.
Security & Data Protection
- Adheres to high security standards such as ISO certifications and Oracle-powered cloud infrastructure.
- Ensures secure data storage, controlled access, and compliance with global data protection regulations.
Easy Integration with Existing Systems
- Offers APIs and web services for smooth connection to ERP, PLM, and other enterprise systems.
- Compatible with multiple data formats including IPC, IEC, and IMDS, reducing technical friction.
One Platform - Two Powerful Solutions
Material Data Reporting
Stay ahead of global regulations like REACH, SCIP, and RoHS with CDX´s Material Data Reporting tools. Collect, validate, and share material data across your supply chain with ease. Our advanced features ensure compliance, transparency, and streamlined communication.
Responsible Minerals Reporting
Take control of your conflict minerals compliance with our Responsible Minerals Reporting solution. Designed for regulatory frameworks like the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation and the U.S. Dodd-Frank Act, CDX empowers your team to meet due diligence requirements and drive sustainable sourcing.
What You Need to Know
What is REACH compliance and why is it important for my business?
The European Union's Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation has transformed global chemical management since 2007. By transferring chemical safety responsibilities from governments to businesses, REACH has become essential for sustainable industry practices.
While meeting these requirements can be challenging, smart companies use REACH compliance to drive innovation, improve supply chain transparency, and gain advantages in regulated markets.
Does REACH apply outside of the EU?
Although REACH specifically applies to the European Union (EU), its influence extends globally. The regulation has inspired similar frameworks in other regions, creating a worldwide trend toward better chemical management. Many progressive companies now follow a "comply once, apply everywhere" approach, using REACH standards as their global baseline for chemical management systems.
What is the core principle of REACH and who manages it?
REACH operates on the "no data, no market" principle, requiring manufacturers, importers, and downstream users to understand and manage chemical risks throughout their operations. Managed by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the regulation applies to substances manufactured or imported into the EU exceeding 1 ton yearly, covering:
- Pure chemical elements (like industrial solvents)
- Substances in mixtures (such as paints, adhesives)
- Substances in articles (including electronics, textiles)
What are the four main components of REACH?
The regulation has four main components that create a comprehensive safety system:
- Registration: Companies must submit detailed technical dossiers documenting substance properties, uses, and risk management measures. For substances exceeding 10 tons yearly, a Chemical Safety Report becomes mandatory, including exposure scenarios and hazard assessments.
- Evaluation: ECHA verifies registration files, focusing on data gaps and testing proposals. This process prevents unnecessary animal testing while maintaining safety standards.
- Authorization: Substances listed in REACH Annex XIV, also known as the REACH Authorization List, include substances of very high concern (SVHC) such as cancer-causing chemicals and persistent pollutants. These substances of very high concern require specific approval for use after designated "sunset dates." The SVHC list is continuously updated and includes carcinogenic, mutagenic, reproductive toxins, and endocrine disruptors that pose serious risks to human health and the environment.
- Restriction of Chemicals: REACH Annex XVII, the Restricted Substances List, outlines limitations or bans on hazardous substances, requiring businesses to reformulate products or find alternatives. This comprehensive restriction list covers concentration limits, total content limits, and outright bans on dangerous chemicals.
What are Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) and why do they matter?
Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC), also referred to as substances of high concern, are chemicals identified under REACH that may have serious and irreversible effects on human health and the environment. The SVHC list currently contains over 240 substances and includes:
- Carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic (CMR) substances
- Persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals
- Very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) substances
- Endocrine-disrupting chemicals
Companies must monitor the substance of very high concern list regularly, as it is updated biannually. If your products contain substances of very high concern SVHC above 0.1% concentration by weight, you must notify ECHA and communicate this information to customers. CDX helps track these substances of very high concern automatically, ensuring you stay compliant as the list evolves.
Who needs to comply with REACH requirements?
| Role | Key Responsibilities | How CDX Can Help |
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| EU Manufacturers |
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| Importers |
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| Only Representatives (ORs) |
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| Downstream Users |
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| Distributors |
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| Article Producers |
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What are the risks of non-compliance with REACH requirements?
Failing to comply with REACH can result in serious penalties, including large fines (up to € 1.1M), temporary product seizure if not meeting REACH requirements, and product destruction when necessary for health and environmental reasons. In severe cases, non-compliance can even lead to imprisonment. Non-compliant substances cannot be legally manufactured, imported, or used in the EU market, resulting in market exclusion and business disruption. The damage to a company's reputation from non-compliance can be equally devastating.
Compliance with REACH offers significant benefits, including avoiding financial penalties, reducing risks, improving company reputation, and maintaining access to EU markets, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
What are the strategic business benefits of REACH compliance?
While REACH compliance can be costly, smart companies have found ways to turn it into a business advantage. By fully embracing REACH, firms have gained a deeper understanding of the chemicals they use and their potential risks. This knowledge has led to better risk management and sparked innovation in safer alternatives.
REACH has also streamlined communication about chemicals across industries, making business operations smoother and more efficient. Companies that weave REACH compliance into their core processes, rather than treating it as a separate task, often see real benefits. These include lower costs when changing product formulas, fewer interruptions to their business, and products that are more environmentally friendly.
In a world where regulations are increasing, being REACH-compliant can give companies a competitive advantage. It's not just about following rules - it's about being smarter and more sustainable in how we use chemicals.
How can companies turn REACH compliance into a competitive opportunity?
With the European chemicals market projected to grow and global chemical regulations becoming increasingly stringent, REACH compliance is evolving from simple substance restrictions to comprehensive chemical lifecycle management. Companies using CDX position themselves as leaders in the transition toward safer materials and sustainable manufacturing.
REACH compliance offers a path to stronger supply chains, better materials, and increased customer trust. When companies know exactly what's in their products, they can find better alternatives to Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs). Often, manufacturers discover materials with better performance that also reduce environmental impact. REACH compliance not only opens doors to EU markets but also boosts a company's reputation for following rules.
Understanding the distinction between REACH Annex XVII restrictions and REACH Annex XIV authorization requirements is crucial for strategic planning. While REACH Annex 17 banned or restricted substances must be eliminated or limited immediately, substances of very high concern SVHC on REACH Annex XIV provide businesses with transition periods to find alternatives. CDX's platform helps you navigate both lists simultaneously, ensuring comprehensive REACH regulatory compliance across your product portfolio.
EU REACH Reporting
using DXC Compliance Solution
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Ensure Responsible Sourcing
Use CDX to collect and validate Conflict Minerals and Extended Materials data across your supply chain.
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