Grades & Symbols

Within the BASTA system's criteria area of ​​health and environmental hazards, there are different grades to facilitate the interpretation of the performance of the articles.

Grades in the BASTA system 

The ALPHA grade is the highest level in the system. Products that meet this level meet criteria that limits phase-out substances and risk reduction substances according to the Swedish Chemicals Agency's "PRIO tool"”.

The BETA grade is the second highest level in the system. Products that meet this level meet criteria that limits phase-out substances according to the Swedish Chemicals Agency's "PRIO tool".

Products registered with this grade do not meet all criteria to reach the BASTA or BETA grade. In order to register a product as DECLARED, full knowledge of the product's content and what criteria are fulfilled or not is required.

For products registered as DECLARED, information is displayed about which criteria are met or not met. This provides the person making the product selection with information to be able to evaluate whether the product should be used or not.

This grade only applies to chemical products that are chemically altered when used, for example via curing or drying. The grade means that the product meets the grade BETA upon delivery, but that in its built-in stage meets the grade ALPHA.

This grade only applies to chemical products that are chemically altered when used, for example via curing or drying. The grade means that the product meets the grade DECLARED on delivery, but that in its built-in stage it meets the grade ALPHA.

How does an article achieve a certain grade?

On the "Criteria" page, you can find out what requirements are placed on an article to achieve a specific grade.

Product groups

Products containing electronics and/or electronic components can be registered in this product group. The assessment and registration procedure is slightly different from other grades.

If 100% of the content of the electronics component is known, the entire product can be assessed in the same way as for other grades and the registered item will receive a rating but be under product group ELECTRONICS. 

If 100% of the content of the electronic component is not known, then the proportion of the article that is non-electronic component is assessed as the remaining articles, i.e. based on the criteria under Health- and environmental hazards. The entire article will not receive a grade, but criterion fulfillment is shown for the percentage that has a grade. 

In both cases, the electronic components must comply with the RoHS directive, documentation to prove this must be reported during an audit.

Criteria areas

In addition to the symbols for the grades and product groups, there are symbols for each criteria area in the BASTA system.

Criteria area: Organisation
This criteria area contains criteria that companies connected to the BASTA system must fulfill.

Criteria area: Article identifier
This criteria area handles article identifiers. Identifiers are used to associate information with a specific article. In order to register an article and get it published, information regarding the mandatory criteria below needs to be registered. It is also possible to register optional identifiers, this allows for better dissemination of registered articles by more efficient linking of the information to other databases.

Criteria area: Article information
This criteria area enables the presentation of general information linked to an article. If information about these criteria is registered, the likelihood that a stakeholder will find the right product increases and that the opportunity to reach out to more stakeholders increases.

Criteria area: Health and environmental hazards

This criteria area is the basis of the BASTA system and limits substances with different health and environmentally hazardous properties. The criteria area comprises 39 criteria which are divided into 11 areas.

When registering a product in the BASTA system, it is mandatory to assess and declare which of the criteria are met and which are not. Depending on the criteria met in this criteria area, the registered product receives a specific grade.

Criteria area: Circularity
This criteria area contains criteria that deal with the product's circular properties, such as content of recycled material and reuse

Criteria area: Renewability
This criteria area contains criteria that deal with the product's renewability, such as the percentage of renewable content.

Criteria area: Environmental effects - EPD
This criteria area contains criteria that deal with the product's environmental effects linked to its environmental product declaration - EPD.

Criteria area: Emissions and tests
This criteria area contains criteria linked to emissions and tests of the product, such as measurement of formaldehyde or VOC.

Declaration levels

Within the criteria area Health and environmental hazards there are two different declaration levels. The background to this is that for certain criteria it is deemed particularly relevant to provide users with more information about which substances exceed the concentration limit.

Declaration
Declaration of whether or not the criterion is met.

Declaration with information requirements
Declaration of whether or not the criterion is met. If the criterion is not met, information shall also be provided on the substance or substances causing the non-compliance with the criterion. This information shall include:

  • Name of the substance(s)
  • CAS or EC number of the substance(s) (If CAS or EC number exists for the substance)
  • Weight% range of substance(s)