What is the transition period from the ZDHC MRSL V2.0 / ZDHC Conformance Guidance V1.1 to the new ZDHC MRSL V3.1 / ZDHC Conformance Guidance V2.0 on the ZDHC Gateway?
The transition period on the ZDHC Gateway started on 1st January 2023 and ends on 31st October 2023. In this transition period, the products can still be verified according to both ZDHC MRSL versions (2.0 and 3.1). After 1st November 2023 only products according to the new ZDHC MRSL V3.1 and the related ZDHC Conformance Guidance V2.0 can be uploaded.
What are the key changes on the ZDHC Gateway from the transition period which started on 1st January 2023?
The following changes have taken place on the ZDHC Gateway:
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The ZDHC Gateway only hosts ZDHC MRSL conformant chemical products with proof of conformance and thus only ZDHC MRSL Level 1,2,3. The “Registered” product status will disappear.
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A new product status “Expired” has been introduced. An “Expired” product is a chemical product with an expired ZDHC MRSL Conformance certificate. A product that is expired will still be visible (published) on the ZDHC Gateway for eight weeks, so the formulator has time to re-certify the chemical product. Once the eight weeks have passed, the chemical product gets unpublished if there is no new ZDHC MRSL Conformance certification.
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Uploading Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all ZDHC MRSL Conformant products is mandatory.
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Products that have been certified against ZDHC MRSL V3.1 can be uploaded and published on the ZDHC Gateway.
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Products that have been certified against ZDHC MRSL V2.0 can be uploaded and published on the ZDHC Gateway until 31st October 2023.
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If there is a certification for both ZDHC MRSL (2.0 and 3.1), the certification for ZDHC MRSL 3.1 prevails.
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Product visibility of the prevailing certification in the ChemCheck report and in the Performance InCheck Report.
What will be the key changes on the ZDHC Gateway at the end of the transition period on 31st October 2023?
The following changes will take place on the ZDHC Gateway from 1st November 2023 onwards:
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From 1st November 2023 products certified against MRSL V2.0 cannot be uploaded and published on the ZDHC Gateway.
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If by 1st November a product has been only certified against ZDHC MRSL V2.0 and not against ZDHC MRSL V3.1, it will be moved to an “Expired” public product status for eight weeks. If the product is not re-certified against ZDHC MRSL V3.1 within eight weeks the product will be automatically unpublished and not be visible on the ZDHC Gateway, until a new valid ZDHC MRSL V3.1 certification has been uploaded.
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The Performance InCheck Report will still show ZDHC MRSL V2.0 certified products until 31st May 2024.
What should I do with the chemical products in my inventory that are conformant to the MRSL V2.0 lying in stock with me?
A supplier can continue to purchase and use ZDHC MRSL V2.0 certified chemical products during the transition period until 1st November 2023. Suppliers should ensure that products purchased after 1st November 2023 are conformant only to the ZDHC MRSL V3.1 and must aim to exhaust stocks of ZDHC MRSL V2.0 products from their inventories by 1st June 2024 at the latest.
When do I start purchasing ZDHC MRSL V3.1 conformant products for my facility?
As per the Industry Implementation Plan for ZDHC MRSL V3.1, the first list of ZDHC Approved MRSL Certifiers was released in February 2023 and it will be updated periodically to add more and more Certifiers to the Approved List, after which chemical formulators can start the process of re-certification of their products for ZDHC MRSL V3.1 and ZDHC Conformance Guidance V2.0.
A supplier can continue to purchase and use ZDHC MRSL V2.0-certified chemical products during the transition period until November 2023 but start communicating with your chemical vendors on the need for ZDHC MRSL V3.1 conformant products. Suppliers should ensure that products purchased after 1st November 2023 are conformant only to the ZDHC MRSL V3.1 and must aim to exhaust stocks of ZDHC MRSL V2.0 products from their inventories by 1st June 2024 at the latest.
What will be the impact on the Performance InCheck Reports generated by me during the transition period?
The Performance InCheck Reports will contain information on both ZDHC MRSL V2.0 and V3.1 conformant products during the transition period until 1st November 2023. A supplier should make efforts to move to ZDHC MRSL V3.1 certified products during this period and monitor the progress through the Performance InCheck Reports. From 1st November 2023, the Performance InCheck Reports will continue to show both ZDHC MRSL V2.0 and V3.1 certified products till 1st June 2024, after which only ZDHC MRSL V3.1 certified products will be shown. Suppliers should ensure that products purchased after 1st November 2023 are conformant only to the ZDHC MRSL V3.1 and must aim to exhaust stocks of ZDHC MRSL V2.0 products from their inventories by 1st June 2024 at the latest.
How do I know which Conformance Level a chemical product has been certified for?
Each registered chemical product has a ChemCheck report. A ChemCheck report is a ZDHC MRSL Conformity Certificate for formulators. It includes a chemical product summary, including the ZDHC MRSL Conformance Level, with a description of the respective level. For more information on ChemCheck, please check the Gateway section of the Knowledge Base.