Plastic Promotion Working Group
China Plastic Processing Industry Association
Ms. Bonnie Chen
Phone +86 135 0121 2576
Fax +86 10 6505 4150
NEWSLETTER March 2008
REGULATION- EU Chemicals Assessment Authorities Confirm No Restrictions on Deca-BDE and Support Ongoing Science
- The Korean Rohs Officially Adopted
- Norwegian Government moves forward with unilateral ban on Deca-BDE despite the EU and WTO opposition
- Most Used Flame Retardant TBBPA Approved by EU
STUDIES
- Smoke offer limited protection from furniture fire dangers
NEWS
- PSM Held the 1st GB20286 Training Course
- According to Latest Inspections Hyundai Mini Speakers Contain Toxins
- People Died and Injured from Fire Accidents Drop in 2007 Despite More Property Loss
- LG Halts Sale of Laptop after Second Battery Fire
- Environmental magazine recommends avoiding fire retardants in furniture
EVENTS
GROUP MEMBERS
REGULATION
EU chemicals assessment authorities confirm no restrictions on Deca-BDE and support ongoing science
The EU Competent Authorities have confirmed the conclusions of an EU risk assessment report on the brominated flame retardant Deca-BDE, which did not identify any significant risks to the environment or human health.
At the meeting of EU Member States and the European Commission on 11 December, the EU Competent Authorities for chemicals policy reviewed the EU policy status of Deca-BDE and agreed to proceed to formal publication of the updated Risk Assessment Report. This will provide a complete basis for registration of Deca-BDE under REACH.
Commenting after the meeting, Dr. Michael Spiegelstein, Chairman of the industry group Bromine Science and Environmental Forum, said: “We welcome this EU agreement to confirm Deca-BDE’s risk assessment conclusions and to approve the Risk Assessment Report’s publication. I can reconfirm industry’s commitment to press on with the scientific studies and the voluntary emissions control programme in conjunction with the EU authorities.”
Korean Rohs Officially Adopted
The enforcement regulations of the so-called Korean Rohs (Act on the Recycling of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Vehicles) were officially adopted end of December.
The requirements under the Korean Rohs as it regards the main provisions as the rectrictions on the use of hazardous substances, recycling rates, etc will enter into force on 1st July 2008. Any products put in the market between 1 January 2008 and 1 July 2008 will need to be compliant with the Act as of 1 January 2001.
The Korean Rohs bans the use of the same substances under the EU Rohs Directive, including PBBs and PBDEs, and introduces concentration limits of hazardous substances. It exempts Deca-BDE used in polymeric applications from those provisions.
Norwegian Government moves forward with unilateral ban on Deca-BDE despite the EU and WTO opposition
On 17 January, the Norwegian Government has announced a unilateral ban of the brominated flame retardant Deca-BDE, to take effect on 1 April 2008. The ban would cover use of Deca- BDE in all applications, with some exceptions in the transport sector which in itself call into question the environmental and health justification for such ban.
This ban follows the 2005 notification by the Norwegian Government of its intention to restrict Deca-BDE. This has been opposed by the European Commission, the WTO and Norwegian and European industry, who all requested Norway to follow EU procedures and decisions rather than taking a unilateral national measure.
In December 2007, during a meeting of EU Competent Authorities, an updated risk assessment taking into account recent science on Deca-BDE, confirmed the conclusions of the 2004 Risk Assessment. The Norwegian Government participated in this meeting, but has apparently decided to ignore its scientific outcome.
“Industry objects to this dismissal of EU science and calls on the European Commission, EFTA and the WTO to take urgent action to ensure that Norwegian law respects EU and international legal obligations” said Veronique Steukers, chair of the European Brominated Flame Retardant Industry Panel (EBFRIP). “Deca-BDE is one of the most tested chemicals on the market and it has been found safe for continued use by an EU risk assessment.”
Most Used Flame Retardant TBBPA Approved by EU
TBBPA has undergone an 8-year EU Risk Assessment to evaluate its effects on human health and theenvironment. The Risk Assessment, and the subsequent Risk Reduction Strategy, did not foresee anylegislative restriction for TBBPA. TBBPA is therefore approved for use by the EU for all itsapplications.
EU Member State experts have concluded that TBBPA presents no risk to human health. They alsoagreed that there is no risk to the environment when TBBPA is used as a reactive component such asin printed circuits boards. For the additive use of TBBPA in E&E plastics casings, an environmental riskwas identified in one production plant in Europe only. No risk was identified for the other production plantsor in end use articles. To address this risk the EU approved a Risk Reduction Strategy and, after reviewingall possible measures it recommended a proportionate measure requesting an environmental permit tocontrol and reduce emissions (Integrated Pollution Prevention Control - IPPC).
Moreover, TBBPA is not restricted by the RoHS Directive. Based on the results of the risk assessment,there is no basis for including TBBPA in the upcoming revision of this Directive. In the frame of TBBPA riskreduction strategy, EU Member States reviewed a series of EU legislation including the RoHS Directive anddid not withheld it as an appropriate measure to control the local risks identified.As a next step, the EU will publish in the EU Official Journal the conclusions of TBBPA Risk Assessmentbefore June 2008. This will enable a smooth transition of TBBPA through the REACH registrationprocedure, as the science needed to register TBBPA is already completed.
STUDIES
Smoke offer limited protection from furniture fire dangers
Ohio fire fighters and local TV have tested smoke alarms showing that ionization smoke detectors may not ensure safety in the case of smouldering fires in furniture foams. “Experienced fire fighters … blame most deaths on silent killers. The number one cause will be smoke, carbon monoxide, inhaling gases or inhaling the super-heated gas … Statistics show we are most at risk from slowly burning, smoldering fires, most often starting in upholstered furniture”. NIST / Underwriters Laboratory reports on the performance of home smoke alarms and escape times (see EFRA Update n° 43) are quoted “Today … synthetic materials … burn hotter and faster … twenty to thirty years ago when your smoke alarm went off, you had about seventeen minutes to get out before the smoke and flames either hurt or killed you. Today that seventeen minutes has been reduced to three or four minutes”.
9News Investigation: How Well Does Your Smoke Detector Protect You?
9News Investigation: Which Home Furnishings Could Spread Fire Quicker?
Underwriters Laboratories: Fingerprinting the culprit in fire fatalities
NEWS
PSM Held the 1st GB20286 Training Course
To respond to the Circular about Further Strengthening the Management of Flame-retarding Products In Public Places (Gong Xiao No. 2007[503]), and promote the implementation of the mandatory national standard - Requirements and Mark on Burning Behavior of Flame retarding Products and Subassemblies in Public Place (GB20286-2006), Sichuan Fire Research Institute and the Flame-Retarding Product Mark Information Center under the Ministry of Public Security held the first training workshop about the management of flame-retarding product mark in public places. The trainees covered the personnel from the quality supervision and testing centers of fire products, relevant industry associations and enterprises.
CPPIA Flame-Retarding Plastic Label and Green Plastic Promotion Working Group participated in this training as the representative of flame-retarding plastics industry. The training contents includes the application for the flame-retarding product mark and inspection flow; the notices in the application, inspection and issuing of marks; frequently answered questions (FAQ) in the application and inspection, etc. In accordance with Gong Xiao No. 2007[503] of the Ministry of Public Security, if the flame retarding product fails to satisfy the requirement of Requirements and Mark on Burning Behavior of Flame retarding Products and Subassemblies in Public Place after July 1, 2008, the place shall not pass the fire safety acceptance or fire safety inspection before opening. This training has made the positive preparations for the implementation of the mandatory national standard GB20286 and the application of various flame-retarding products in the public places.
According to Latest Inspections Hyundai Mini Speakers Contain Toxins
The Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce released its results for the 2nd round of inspections of electronic products, which include adding Hyundai mini speakers to its black list. The inspection team found that the producers of the speakers, coded as HY-690V, did not include necessary information about toxic components (including hazardous substances and environmental safety expiration dates) on product labels according to requirements set out in SJ/T11364-2006. The speakers also contain excessive amounts of Pb，Cr6+，and PBB, etc., which are also not listed on their labels.
Rate of Accidental Deaths and Injuries Due to Fires Dropped in 2007 Despite Increased Property Loss
Statistics show that 159,000 accidental fires occurred in China in 2007, directly causing losses of RMB 990 million in property damage, an increase of 21.7% over 2006. However, encouraging data shows that there were 1,418 fire-related deaths and 836 related injuries in 2007, down 11.6% and 40.8% respectively from 2006.
LG Halts Sale of Laptop after Second Battery Fire
LG Electronics Company, Korea’s No. 2 electronics maker, said on February 22 it has halted sales of one of its latest laptop brands reported to be equipped with defective batteries. The LG decision on its Z1-AE007 model followed reports that a battery in one of the laptop computers owned by a graduate college student in Seoul caught fire. A spokesperson for the company, however, stopped short of indicating a possible product recall, saying that “the matter should be consulted with the battery maker.”
Earlier in the month, LG, together with its battery provider, LG Chem Ltd., conducted a safety check of its laptop batteries after one of the products owned by a newspaper reporter abruptly exploded in January. At that time, the companies had concluded that the explosion was an isolated incident triggered by external factors such as high temperature and shock, not by defects in the laptop or its battery pack.
US Environmental Magazine Recommends Avoiding Fire Retardants in Furniture
Kansas City Infozine published the Earthtalk column from E/The Environmental Magazine in which a reader asked how to find natural furniture and what to look for in that furniture. The column recommends avoiding chemicals, including fire retardants: “Another villain is synthetic flame-retardant, commonly added to foam filler materials and linked to human nervous system and reproductive disorders (accordingly, it has been banned by the states of Washington and California, as well as the European Union).”As an alternative to flame retardants, the column recommends wool batting.
E/The Environmental Magazine via Kansas City Infozine:
EVENTS
Time / Location / EventMar12-14, 2008 / Korea / China&KoreaRoHS Seminar
Mar20-21, 2008 / Dongguan, Guangdong Province / The 3rd Quality Controller Training
Mar28, 2008 / Beijing / CPPIA Flame Retardant Plastic Label and Green Plastic Promotion Working Group Media Saloon
Apr7, 2008 / Nanjing / CPPIA Flame Retardant PlasticProduct Lab
Apr16, 2008 / Shanghai / 2008 China& US Plastic Industry Cooperation and Development Symposium
Apr17-20, 2008 / Shanghai / Chinaplas 2008
May26-29, 2008 / Singapore / Asia Plastic Forum Annual Meeting
Dec2008 / Beijing / CPPIA Flame Retardant Plastic Label and Green Plastic Promotion Working Group Annual Meeting
GROUP MEMBERS
Shanghai Jiazhi Luen Tai Yake Kingfa
Changhong Midea Selon Albemarle
Sanyou Suli AICM PIC Plastic Issue Committee
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