Gate I: Chemicals of Concern

Stage 1 eliminates products containing more than 0.1% of priority I SoCs (substances of high concern for human health or the environment):

• Hazardous properties: CMR, PBT, vPvB, PMT, vPvM, POP, endocrine disruptors, ozone depleting.
• Or substances banned by US, EU, Canadian, Korean, Japanese, or Australian regulations.

Products failing Gate I are flagged for corrective action by PSRA.

Gate II: Chemicals of Concern

Stage 2 ensures products do not contain substances suspected of being of high concern above 1%, focusing on priority II SoCs:

• Suspected hazardous properties: CMR, PBT, vPvB, PMT, vPvM, POP, endocrine disruptors, ozone depleting, plus high acute/specific organ toxicity, environmental toxicity, respiratory or strong skin sensitization.
• Or restricted/identified by authorities (EU REACH restrictions, EU SVHC candidate list, California Proposition 65).
• Or listed on ChemSec SIN or OSPAR Chemicals for Priority Action.

Failing Gate II requires attention before proceeding further in the ECOWISE™ evaluation.

Gate V: Ecolabel compliance

Stage 5 identifies products meeting the highest environmental, health, and safety criteria requested by sector-specific industry or ecolabel standards.

Passing Stages 1, 2, and 5 requires either: (a) manufacturing with safe chemicals only; or (b) where hazardous chemicals are used in process (e.g., as monomers or intermediates), measured evidence that they are eliminated so finished products meet the limits.

If a product fails this final hurdle, it can still be considered highly sustainable as it outperforms the market reference—yet it won’t receive the ECOWISE™ CHOICE label.