Creating a Custom Substance in 3E Exchange
3E Exchange allows the Living Future team to screen the Chemical Registry Numbers (CASRNs) of substances reported in your Declare submissions against the LBC Red List for compliance. Not all substances will have a CASRN in 3E's chemical hazards database, and some substances have preferred reporting methods that require a custom substance to be created. Examples include biological ingredients, alloys, or new polymers that haven’t yet been registered. This guide can be used to create custom substances to report such ingredients.
For a detailed explanation of what ingredients without CASRNs are permitted in a Declare submission, please see Special CASRN Reporting Requirements within the Declare Manufacturer’s Guide.
Creating the Custom Substance
You will begin by logging into 3E Exchange and selecting Lists & Substances from the left menu.
After selecting Lists & Substances, four new menu items will appear below the selection. Select My Substances.
This will open the webpage to a list of all the custom substances that you have created. If this is your first time creating a custom substance, the list will be empty.
Select Add a Substance.
This will open a pop-up window titled Add New Custom Substance. In order to add the custom substance to the BOM of your Declare submission, you will need to fill in the Chemical Registry Number and the Chemical Name fields. Once you have data in these sections, select save to finalize creating the substance.
It's important to be detailed yet concise when filling in the fields in this pop-up window. The Chemical Name will appear on the Declare label and database, while the Chemical Registry Number will only appear on the database. Once you’ve filled in these fields and selected Save, the custom substance will now be available to input into your BOM.
As a general rule, we recommend inputting any identification numbers or general descriptions in the Chemical Registry Number section and inputting the specific ingredient within the Chemical Name section.
For example, if you are reporting an aluminum alloy, it is recommended to put Aluminum alloy in the Chemical Name field and input the alloy number (UNS A96063) in the Chemical Registry Number field.
As another example, if you are reporting a small electrical component that complies with Declare’s SEC Exception, it is recommended that you input Small Electrical Component in the Chemical Name field and input SEC RoHS Compliant in the Chemical Registry Number field.
Adding the Custom Substance to Your BOM
If you have not yet reviewed guidance on editing your bill of materials, we recommend reviewing that first.
To input the custom ingredient into your product, first select the product in My Products and then select BOM. Navigate to the Chemical Registry Number field that needs the custom substance to be added, or create a new row to add your custom substance. Click on the pencil icon that appears when you hover over the Chemical Registry Number cell.
A pop-up window will appear prompting you to search for your ingredient by chemical name, registry number, or European Commission number. Search for the custom ingredient you previously created and click the search icon.
The first thing that should pop up after the search is the results from your My Substances section. Click Select to add the custom substance to your BOM.
Your custom substance will now appear on your BOM!
Please note that when you review your BOM, any ingredients that are custom substances will be flagged with an asterisk next to the name and registry number. In these cases, please ensure that both fields are filled out, and if they are not, follow the instructions on creating custom substances above to find and edit the incomplete custom substance.
Getting Help
If you have questions about the Declare label process and information, contact declare.support@living-future.org. If you have questions about using 3E Exchange, reach out in chat in the bottom right-hand corner or email support@3eco.com.