A4 Member Spotlight

Winter 2023

Welcome to our A4 Member Spotlight! Every quarter A4 will be featuring a brief bio on an active A4 member. If you’d like to be featured in a future newsletter, please contact Cathy Rudisill.

Sandra Meijer

Director of Product Stewardship
at Yordas Group

Where are you located?

Lancaster, UK

Who do you work for and how long have you been there?

I have been working at Yordas Group for 14 years. I joined the company 1 year after it started, so it has been great to be part of the journey. Our strapline, ‘Business through Science’, reflects our drive to underpin our work with exceptional technical and scientific expertise. We offer a broad range of services that have developed from our roots in chemicals regulatory management and product stewardship. From hazard and risk assessments, to Green Chemistry and horizon scanning - our goal is to help clients to work towards a better, safer world for all.

What is your educational background and how did you get started in the alternatives assessment field?

I have a Masters in Chemistry from Utrecht University. I came to Lancaster UK to do a PhD and later a post-doc in Environmental Chemistry, researching the global environmental cycling of persistent organic pollutants. I made the switch to consulting, because I was interested in working with industry, and have always had an interest in chemicals regulations. At Yordas, I quickly developed a passion for chemicals management and product stewardship. I was instrumental in the development of the Yordas Hive chemicals database, as well as horizon scanning tools for industry such as GRMS2. We have successfully utilized our data to support customers with various substitution and alternatives assessment projects.

What compels you to work in the chemical alternatives assessment/informed substitution field?

I love the idea that my work is having a direct positive impact on environmental and human health. Many of my projects are about helping clients to avoid ‘regrettable substitution’. And while a lot of this revolves around horizon scanning to anticipate regulatory changes, my favorite projects are those where we support the clients to move beyond simple compliance and build a more sustainable business.

Have you recently published an article, received an award, or completed a project?

I’ve left academia a long time ago, but here is a selection of the projects that I have worked on in the last few years:

https://www.yordasgroup.com/case-studies/kingfisher-chemical-strategy

https://www.yordasgroup.com/case-studies/iaeg

https://www.yordasgroup.com/case-studies/grms2

https://www.yordasgroup.com/case-studies/database-global-regulations

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I love going out for walks in the hills with my family and our dog, and generally being outside in nature. I am also a keen salsa dancer.

What do you like most about being a member of the A4?

I have only recently joined the A4, and have found the organization to be tremendously welcoming. I really look forward to making a positive contribution as part of the Membership Committee, and would love to exchange views with A4 members on how alternatives assessment and the work of the A4 can contribute to the debate about SSbD which is currently high on the agenda in the EU.