Stewardship and the Nickel Institute
[last revised June 2009]
The member companies of the Nickel Institute produce basic nickel products that form the basis of other
materials and products.
These materials and products are transformed numerous times by different companies in different industry sectors before the finished nickel-containing products arrive in the marketplace.
The Nickel Institute is the nickel industry organization that concerns itself with nickel after it
has left the ownership and responsibility of the nickel producing companies. In 2001 the Nickel
Institute developed and had approved by its Board of Directors a formal product stewardship policy.
This policy was revised and expanded in May 2005. It
and the activities of the Nickel Institute in support of it are reviewed annually.
Consistent with that policy, the Nickel Institute has identified several issues that will be of
interest to audiences beyond its traditional industry-to-industry communication focus. The
topics on this page deal with consumer products, their safe use and eventual recycling.
For information on nickel in a commercial industrial context, go to Managing Nickel and Nickel-Containing Products.
The information is very brief and is intended to give quick, practical advice. Questions consumers can ask of themselves or retailers are often suggested, and links to further information offered.
Topics:
Jewellery: How to minimize the risk of allergy
Body piercing: What to look for when considering ear or body piercing
Nickel-containing batteries: How to increase the recycling of batteries
Immersion-type kettles: The purchase, use and care of immersion-type kettles
Musical instruments: Things to consider when purchasing instruments with metallic surfaces
Dental alloys: Where and why nickel is used
Surgical implants: Where and why nickel is used
Taps and faucets: Nickel-chromium plated fixtures and drinking water
Nickel stainless steel cookware: Safe for use by nickel-allergic individuals
Mobile phones: Where and why nickel is used
DIY nickel plating kits: The nickel and other chemicals you will encounter in do-it-yourself electroplating kits are hazardous
Safe use of nickel in the workplace: Safe Use of Nickel in the Workplace was updated in 2008 to inform downstream users of nickel about the outcomes of the European Nickel Risk Assessment
In addition to these specific topics, the Nickel Institute website contains an extensive library of technical information for users of nickel, information on life cycle assessment, recycling, and human and environmental health.
