This article walks you through the complete process of adding a chemical product onto the ZDHC Gateway as a formulator.
01/ Uploading a single chemical product
After registering a chemical formulator account in the ZDHC Gateway (Chemical Module), you can start uploading your chemical products.
To upload a single product:
- Click Products on the left navigation bar.
- Under the Products tab, click
to add a product.
- Fill out the required fields under the Product Profile.
Note: Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*). -
Fill out the details under the Safety Data Sheet. Note: As of 1 November 2023, the upload of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is mandatory for all ZDHC MRSL conformant products.
You can either select the file upload or add a link. If you select Upload, you can add the PDF file of your SDS.
If you select Link, you can enter the web link that leads to a webpage or an internal platform where the SDS is stored. Note: this cannot be an email address.
- Optionally, upload or link the Technical Data Sheet.
- Fill out the details under the Certification section. It allows you to upload ZDHC Approved MRSL certificate(s) relevant to the ZDHC MRSL Conformance Level of the product. Note: it’s important to select the correct ZDHC Approved MRSL Certifier who issued the certificate you are uploading.
- Click SAVE below the page.
A notification pops up above the page.
The product’s status is Pending until approved by the MRSL Certifier you have certified your product with.
To upload multiple chemical products at once, please follow the steps outlined here.
02/ Verification of an uploaded chemical product
Once a chemical formulator uploads a product onto the ZDHC Gateway by following the steps outlined in section 01/ Uploading a single chemical product, the allocated ZDHC Approved MRSL Certifier is notified via their Gateway account to review the uploaded certificate and verify it for all the relevant details and validity.
The MRSL Certifier has to review the product within 7 days. If they do not approve or decline the certificate within 7 days, an email notification is sent to the MRSL Certifier reminding them that it is awaiting review and sign-off. In case you have any concerns, you can reach out to the MRSL Certifier directly.
If the ZDHC Approved MRSL Certifier does not verify because of the incorrect information or file, the product status remains Pending and the certificate status changes to Declined. The chemical formulator should then correct the product details and/or re-upload the correct ZDHC MRSL certificate on the ZDHC Gateway.
When the ZDHC Approved MRSL Certifier verifies correct information and file, the certificate status changes to Approved - Verified and the product status becomes Active, allowing the formulator to publish the product.
03/ Publishing a chemical product
By making products public, chemical formulators can demonstrate their conformance against the current ZDHC MRSL. Your customers or potential customers (supplier and brand users) can only view public products.
To publish your uploaded and active ZDHC MRSL conformant chemical product, please follow the steps in the Publishing chemical products (Formulator) article.
04/ Chemical product's certificate expiration and renewal
ZDHC Approved MRSL certificate expires whenever the expiration date is passed.
To renew the ZDHC Approved MRSL certificate or add a new certificate under your existing chemical product, please follow the steps outlined under section 03/ Certificates of the Managing chemical products - FAQs (Formulators) article.
If the ZDHC Approved MRSL certificate has been renewed, the allocated ZDHC Approved MRSL Certifier reviews the certificate and verifies it for all relevant details and validity (please refer to the process described under the 02/ Verification of an uploaded chemical product section).
If the ZDHC Approved MRSL certificate has not been renewed (and there are no more valid certificates), a chemical product stays visible in the Published and Active status for the 8-week grace period.
If the chemical formulator does not upload a new ZDHC Approved certificate within 8 weeks, the chemical product status becomes Inactive and the product is no longer visible on the ZDHC Gateway.