Following a successful Network Meeting, CEPN is pleased to publish the 3rd Round of Priority Chemicals and welcome two new members to CEPN! Read on for more information about this effort, TZE’s new Suppler Recognition program, RBA-CEPN Process Chemical Data Collection Campaign and more.

Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn to keep up with CEPN’s progress and, as always, please reach out to us with any questions, comments or feedback. We’d love to hear from you!

CEPN is thrilled to announce publication of our 3rd Round of Priority Chemicals - An MRSL for the electronics industry!

The 3rd Round of Priority Chemicals adds 10 more solvents to previously published Priority Chemicals, bringing the total to 35 solvents used as process chemicals to be prioritized for elimination or substitution in electronics manufacturing. The list serves as an MRSL for the electronics industry.

CEPN encourages companies throughout the electronics manufacturing supply chain to adopt Priority Chemicals as an industry MRSL to unify on process chemical restrictions, simplify chemical disclosures and advance safer process chemistry.

The selection process for these Priority Chemicals included nominating a starting list of chemicals using electronics companies’ Manufacturing Restricted Substances Lists (MRSL) as well as other publicly available MRSLs, aggregated and anonymized data collected using CEPN’s Process Chemical Data Collection (PCDC) Tool and soliciting nominations from a broad cross section of stakeholders.

These chemicals then underwent a screening process against CEPN’s high-hazard criteria and use in the electronics industry. There was also a high-level review of potential availability of safer alternatives.

CEPN is grateful for the many stakeholders that provided input during the 3rd round chemical selection process. New this round is a Watch/Candidate List — high-hazard process chemicals that should be monitored and considered for future rounds, and a Legacy/Archive List — chemicals that were nominated but are not currently used as process chemicals in the electronics industry and should not be reintroduced.

Learn More About the 3rd Round of Priority Chemicals

Welcome KYZEN and Zestron!

CEPN is pleased to share that KYZEN and Zestron have become the newest members of the Network, joining over 20 member organizations in collaborating to reduce and eliminate workers' exposure to toxic chemicals in the electronics supply chain.

KYZEN is a global supplier of engineered cleaning chemistries focused on improving safety and sustainability in electronics manufacturing, advanced packaging, and precision metal cleaning. With deep expertise in assembly processes, KYZEN partners with manufacturers to replace higher-hazard materials with effective, pragmatic alternatives that support both worker protection and process reliability. Their market focus on safer cleaning solutions for the electronics supply chain aligns strongly with CEPN’s mission to reduce hazardous chemical exposure for workers worldwide. Learn more about KYZEN on www.kyzen.com.

Zestron is a specialist in high-precision, environmentally responsible cleaning agents and process support for PCB, SMT, semiconductor, and related electronics manufacturing applications. Their focus on delivering reliable, safer cleaning solutions paired with deep technical expertise makes them a natural fit for CEPN's network, working to advance chemical safety in electronics production. Learn more about Zestron on www.zestron.com.

Both companies are exciting additions to our Network and we look forward to working with them more closely.

CEPN continues to seek diverse participants from across the supply chain who are innovators and natural collaborators, experts in their segment of the supply chain and committed to the goals of CEPN. If your organization is interested in joining CEPN, please contact us.

New TZE effort highlights supplier facilities

TZE Signatories and other leading electronics brands and suppliers have been working diligently to reduce worker exposure to hazardous chemicals by eliminating or substituting CEPN’s Priority Chemicals.

TZE Supplier Recognition will publicly recognize supplier facilities who have achieved the elimination or substitution of CEPN’s 1st Round of Priority Chemicals.

If you are a supplier with facilities or a brand who would like to have your facilities recognized, please reach out to us to learn more

RBA and CEPN host Process Chemical Data Collection Campaign throughout 2026

The Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and CEPN are hosting another Process Chemical Data Collection (PCDC) campaign throughout 2026 to collect process chemical usage data from supply chain facilities in the electronics production sector. As with the previous RBA-CEPN PCDC campaign in 2022, analysis of the anonymized, aggregated 2026 PCDC campaign dataset will be used by the RBA and CEPN for insights on process chemical consumption, mitigation of worker exposure risks, and adoption of safer chemistry. These insights help inform the development of new workplans, programs, and tools, including CEPN's identification of priority process chemicals of concern.

RBA members can collect PCDC data from their supply chain facilities using the new RBA Chemical Platform or the CEPN PCDC Tool, which may be securely submitted to the RBA via the 2026 PCDC Campaign folder on ShareFile.

Any PCDC data collected since the beginning of 2025 may be submitted, including annual PCDC data that members typically collect for ecolabel conformance. All data submitted to RBA is subject to security and confidentiality conditions of RBA member non-disclosure agreements. All the data will be anonymized and aggregated to prevent disclosure of any company, facility, and/or chemical product identifying information. For more information, please contact the RBA's Responsible Environment Initiative team.

CEPN hosted our 20th Network meeting in Mid-April!

Thank you to our CEPN Members and guests for your participation, engagement, and hard work during CEPN’s 20th Network Meeting last month.

During the meeting, members reviewed a 3-year CEPN roadmap and progress across key CEPN priorities including the launch of the Chemical Safety Training, the TZE program and its new Supplier Recognition effort, updates on the next round of Priority Chemicals as well as partnership, collaboration, and funding opportunities, and workshopped approaches for an industry-wide MRSL.

CEPN is proud to have reached the 20th biannual Network Meeting milestone and 10 years of progress bringing key stakeholders together to collaborate in the effort to protect workers from chemical hazards in the electronics supply chain.

CEPN represented at recent ISC3-IOMC-UNITAR Webinar

On April 16th, CEPN Senior Director Pamela Brody-Heine participated in an ISC3-IOMC-UNITAR webinar exploring how the Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC) can be translated into practical innovation approaches that reduce harm from chemicals.

Pamela shared about CEPN’s efforts on a panel sharing case studies of sustainable chemical and waste management strategies to over 200 global attendees.

Review the event recording, presenter resources, and learn more about the ISC3-IOMC-UNITAR webinar series.

View the Event Recording and Learn More