Sweden's TCO Edge Certification Plans to Increase Recycled Plastic Content in Displays. In response to the global trend towards green environmental protection, the Swedish Federation of Professional Employees (TCO) has implemented TCO certification for electronic and electrical equipment to ensure the environmental performance of products. In 2009, TCO launched the TCO Certified Edge 1.0 certification standard for displays, promoting the addition of at least 65% by weight of post-consumer recycled plastics to products. At the time, TCO Edge was considered the most stringent requirement among green product labels. However, the production of post-consumer recycled plastics in the market has steadily increased, and the quality of post-consumer plastics has reached standards comparable to virgin materials. Therefore, after research and industry surveys with experts, TCO has decided to further raise the TCO Edge standard. In mid-March, TCO released a draft version of TCO Certified Edge Displays 2.0 on its website for public download and feedback. The feedback period has now ended, and TCO will review all suggestions internally before releasing a final revised version. The biggest difference between the TCO Certified Edge Displays 2.0 draft and version 1.0 lies in the content of post-consumer recycled plastics in A1 products.

The European Commission has adopted a RoHS directive banning phthalates. On June 4th, the European Commission passed a ban on the use of four phthalates in electrical and electronic products. DEHP, BBP, DBP, and DiBP will now be included in Annex II of the EU RoHS 2.0 Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive. The limit for the four newly added phthalates is 0.1% by weight, and EU member states must implement this ban by December 31, 2016 at the latest. Except for medical devices and monitoring equipment, the ban will cover all electrical and electronic products after July 22, 2019. For electrical and electronic products already on the market before July 22, 2019, the deadline can be extended to July 21, 2021. For details, please refer to the attachment: RoHS II Amendment_2015_English Version. Source: Chemical Watch (2015-06-05) (Compiled by PIDC) Attachment file: RoHS II Amendment_2015_English Version.pdf

The European Commission has established standards for the Ecolabel of hygiene products. On October 24, 2014, the Commission published in the Official Journal the standards that absorbent hygiene products must meet to apply for the Ecolabel. These standards clearly specify the content of chemical substances restricted by the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) regulations. The product categories regulated by the Ecolabel standards include diapers, feminine hygiene pads, tampons, and panty liners. Manufacturers must ensure that the content of hazardous substances or mixtures thereof in their products does not exceed the limits specified in the standards, and must also provide a declaration of compliance with the hazardous substance standards. This declaration of compliance must be completed in accordance with the Material Safety Sheets (SDS) specified in the CLP or REACH regulations. Furthermore, the Ecolabel standards prohibit any intentionally added silver nanoparticles and restricted levels of lead, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, and related substances. The final product must not contain substances of very high concern (SVHCs) or hazardous substances listed on the REACH candidate list. Source: Chemical Watch (2014-11-06) (PIDC&nb)

South Korea's K-REACH Drafts First List of Priority Evaluation Chemicals (PECs) On October 31st, the South Korean Ministry of Environment (MoE) released the first draft list of Priority Evaluation Chemicals (PECs) under K-REACH regulations. This draft list includes 518 chemical substances, and manufacturers must register these substances within three years of the list being finalized. The registration requirements for existing chemical substances under K-REACH differ from those under the European Union's EU REACH. EU REACH requires manufacturers to register all existing chemical substances, while K-REACH only requires registration for chemicals included in the Priority Evaluation Chemicals (PECs) list if their usage exceeds 1 tonne per year. Whether a chemical substance is included in the PECs list is based on its hazardous information and the amount used. PECs information comes from two sources: 1. Hazardous chemical substances originally regulated by the South Korean Toxic Chemicals Control Act (TCCA). 2. Chemical substances that have been identified as hazardous substances internationally.

Denmark's EPA has developed a smartphone app that consumers can download and use to scan product barcodes, displaying the Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) on their screens. According to EPA statistics, in the year since the app's launch, it has been used nearly 70,000 times, and over 1,000 manufacturers have provided SVHC information for their products to the app's database. Coop, Denmark's largest retailer, reported that in the first few months after the app's launch, over 850 consumers requested SVHC disclosure for their products; Bestseller, another well-known clothing brand, reported over 100 consumers requesting transparency during the same period. Under Article 33 of the EU REACH Chemicals Regulation, manufacturers are obligated to respond to consumer requests for SVHC information within 45 days if the SVHC content in a product exceeds 0.1% by weight. However, according to on-site investigations by environmental groups, consumers are not clear about their SVHC rights. Before the app was launched, Coop received only eight consumer requests for SVHC information, while Bestseller received only about one such request per month. Bestseller's Global Environmental Coordinator pointed out that consumers' understanding of this...

The Chinese standard GB/T 17519-2013, "Guidelines for the Preparation of Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for Chemicals," has been published and will take effect on January 31, 2014, replacing the previous standard GB/T 17519.2-2003. GB/T 17519-2013 is a supporting implementation standard to GB/T 16483-2008, "Content and Item Order of Safety Data Sheets for Chemicals," specifying the detailed preparation rules and fixed format for each item in the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) listed in GB/T 16483-2008. Appendix A provides a complete SDS example, while Appendix B provides key data sources for reference when preparing each part of the SDS (but does not restrict the use of other data sources). Although GB/T 17519 and GB/T 16483 are both recommended standards, China currently lacks other normative documents related to SDS (Safety Data Sheets). Therefore, regulatory authorities use these two national standards as the basis for reviewing whether SDSs comply with regulations. The revised standard GB/T 17519-2013 referenced numerous international and developed regional regulations, standards, and guidelines related to the development of SDSs, especially the fourth edition of the UN GHS and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is preparing to propose a permanent ban on five additional phthalates in children's toys and childcare products. This ban recommendation is based on a risk study conducted by the Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel (CHAP) on 14 phthalates and six alternatives. The CHAP study recommended that the addition of diisobutyl phthalate (DINP), di-n-pentyl phthalate (DnNP), di-n-hexyl phthalate (DnHP), and dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) in children's toys and childcare products be permanently limited to less than 0.1%. Currently, there are no restrictions on the addition of these chemicals in the U.S. market. However, the toxicological profiles of these chemicals are very similar to those of other anti-androgen phthalates, therefore exposure...

Japan Publishes Technical Guidelines for Risk Assessment of Priority Assessment Chemical Substances under the Chemical Substance Control Law On March 31, 2014, the Japan Institute for Product Evaluation Technology (NITE), an independent administrative incorporation, published excerpts from its independently developed technical guidelines for Priority Assessment Chemical Substances (PACs) under the Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL). Other sections currently being drafted are scheduled for future publication. The guidelines document is divided into twelve parts, as follows: – Introduction – Terminology Explanation – &

Korea's REACH Launches Pilot Program for Joint Registration of 7 Substances Korea's REACH will launch a pilot program for joint registration of substances to test the operation of various registration tools and procedures. This program is jointly supervised and implemented by the Korea Chemicals Management Association (KCMA) and the Korea National Clean Productivity Center (KNCPC). The goal of this pilot program is to complete the preparation of joint registration documents for the following seven substances that are about to be included in the first wave of the existing priority registration list by April 2015. These substances include: – m-tolylidene diisocyanate; CAS No. 26471-62-5; – dibenzoyl peroxide; CAS No. 94-36-0; – &

California's Enhanced Consumer Product Safety Regulations (SCP) have released an initial list of priority products containing candidate chemicals. These include: 1. Sprayed polyurethane foam (SPF) containing unreacted diisocyanates; 2. Foamed mattresses and sleep products for children containing tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate or TDCPP; 3. Paint and varnish removers and surface cleaners containing methylene chloride. The priority products are...

South Korea Updates Toxic Chemical Substances List and GHS Classification List The National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) announced on March 11, 2014, revisions to two chemical substances listed in the Toxic Chemical Substances List (TCSL) of the Chemical Safety Management Law (CSML) in accordance with NIER Announcement No. 2014-5. The CSML stipulates that companies must take appropriate action to comply with the updated regulations one month after the announcement. The classification and labeling information for the two chemical substances updated in this announcement will also be updated simultaneously in the classification list of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). Compared to the aforementioned TCSL list update, this update to the GHS list, based on NIER Announcement No. 2014-6, took effect immediately upon announcement. The table below summarizes the key points of the updates to the TSML and GHS lists: KE

Japan Announces Notification Requirements for Class II Chemical Substances under the Chemical Substance Control Law. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has published a document outlining the notification requirements for the Class II regulated chemical substances under the Chemical Substance Control Law (CSCL). The Class II list currently includes 23 chemical substances that may cause harm to human health and the environment. Companies manufacturing or importing these substances weighing more than 1 kilogram must complete the notification process. The table below summarizes the required documentation and timeline for company notification. Furthermore, companies manufacturing or importing Class II regulated chemical substances must submit an annual report between April 1st and the end of June each year. Category | Notifier | Notification Content | Timeline | Category II Regulatory Chemical Substances (the chemical substance itself) | Companies planning to manufacture/import | Expected weight | One month before manufacturing/import | Companies planning to update manufacturing/import quantities | Updated notification weight | Before exceeding the notification quantity | Companies manufacturing/importing | Previous year's manufacturing/import weight | April 1 to the end of June each year | Products containing Category II Regulatory Chemical Substances | Companies planning to import | Expected quantity | One month before manufacturing/import | Companies planning to update import quantities | Update

Bluesign® Releases New Standards. Bluesign Technologies AG, headquartered in Switzerland, launched its blue textile eco-certification mark on October 17, 2000, in Hanover, Germany. This mark, established by EU academic, industrial, environmental, and consumer organizations, signifies that products meet environmental, health, and safety requirements. Bluesign® recently released new standards, revising and supplementing existing ones. Addressing current needs, the new standards cover the entire manufacturing process, from spinning to complete textile products, including accessories and leather manufacturing. Furthermore, chemical assessment incorporates Bluesign's unique Input Stream Management method, providing a more in-depth evaluation approach for chemical risk management. The new Bluesign standards are the result of collaboration with chemical suppliers, manufacturers, brand owners, and other partners, further strengthening the Bluesign system and providing industrial solutions for responsible production. Source: Green Trade Information Network (2014-04-08)

ASEAN Cosmetics Directive Bans Five Parabens The Association of Southeast Asia (ASEAN) Cosmetics Committee (ACC) recently decided to ban the use of the following five parabens as preservatives in cosmetics: – Isopropylparaben; – Isobutylparaben; –

European Commission Releases Guidelines for the Assessment of Mixtures The European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC) recently released a comprehensive guide on methodologies for assessing the toxic effects of mixtures, providing manufacturers with more complete information on mixture testing. In addition to comprehensively summarizing the toxic effects methodologies of many mixtures recognized by the EU, this report also contains an incisive summary of the harmful substances content of the EU's hazardous substances-related regulations and directives, providing manufacturers with information on hazardous substances that can integrate all regulations and directives. Require. The regulations and directives summarized in the guide are as follows: – Plant protection products regulations (Reg 1107/2009); – Public-private partnership regulations - active ingredient requirements (PPP-