In early January of this year, the South Korean Ministry of Environment (MoE) released its 2012 annual policy report, outlining several measures expected to be implemented this year. The MoE has been working on proposals to restrict the use of chemicals in children's products and building materials for children's facilities, aiming to establish a system covering the registration and evaluation of chemical substances—commonly known as the Korean REACH regulation. This regulation would restrict the use of toxic and hazardous substances or permit the use of certain substances. The proposal will establish standards for evaluating the chemicals permitted in children's products, covering restrictions on the production and sale of everything from baby bottles to non-compliant products. This proposal also covers research initiated in 2009 in South Korea on safety control standards for the construction of facilities such as children's daily care centers and playgrounds. The MoE plans to extend these control standards to all areas related to the construction of child-related facilities by 2016. The control of the restriction of chemical substances in children's products is implemented by the South Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE), which is responsible for setting the standards for permitted chemical substances and introducing related management mechanisms, sampling surveys, component analysis, and usage regulations. The MoE, on the other hand, mainly focuses on additional controls, particularly regarding the management of substances that are long-term toxic or harmful. The MoE explicitly specifies five substances that must be present in children's products.

Taiwan – 28/11/11 The EU Publishes Draft Decision Restricting the Use of Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF) No. 20/2011 The European Commission recently published a draft amendment to Annex 17 of the REACH Regulation, including dimethyl fumarate (DMF) as Article 61, thus restricting its use in consumer products. DMF has been used as a preservative in manufacturing until Directive 98/8/EC, but this directive did not restrict the import of DMF-treated goods into the EU. DMF is often contained in small bags inside furniture or added to shoe boxes. DMF evaporates and permeates into products to prevent mold; however, it can also seep through clothing onto consumers' skin, causing contact dermatitis, itching, irritation, redness, and burns. In some cases, it can even cause breathing difficulties. Therefore, the EU took emergency measures, with European Commission Decision 2009/251/EC, prohibiting the importation or production of goods containing DMF within the EU. Subsequently, Decision 2009/251/EC was extended to Decisions 2010/153/EU and 2011/135/EU, in effect until March 15, 2012. If the draft amendment to the DMF, now incorporated into Annex 17 of the REACH Regulation, is adopted, the emergency restrictions will become permanent legislation. If the draft is adopted at the REACH Committee meeting in November, the regulation will enter into force twenty days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ).

Market Challenges: According to China's REACH regulation (Environmental Management Regulations for New Chemical Substances), polymers not listed in the "Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances Produced or Imported in China" (IECSC) are considered new chemical substances. Relevant entities must comply with the relevant declaration regulations and declare to the Chemical Registration Centre (CRC) before manufacturing or importing. Companies outside of China can designate a domestic agency to handle the declaration process. It is important to note that even if all monomers in a polymer are listed in the "Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances Produced or Imported in China," but the polymer itself is not, declaration is still required. In China's Environmental Management Regulations for New Chemical Substances, polymers are defined as follows: The most common method is to use gel permeation chromatography (GPC) to test samples to determine if they fall under the category of polymers. When searching in the "Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances Produced or Imported in China," the first thing to note is the polymer's naming convention. The Chinese names of polymers follow the "Nomenclature Principles of Polymer Chemistry (2005 Edition)," while the English names follow IUPAC or CAS rules.

On October 15, 2010, the "Measures for the Environmental Management of New Chemical Substances," also known as Ministry of Environmental Protection Order No. 7, officially came into effect. This regulation stipulates that for any polymer not listed in the "Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances in China," any entity producing or importing it must complete the registration process. Foreign manufacturers must appoint a company registered in China as their agent to handle the registration. It is important to note that even if all the monomers in a polymer are listed in the "Inventory," but the polymer itself is not listed, the polymer still requires registration. The special provisions of Decree No. 7 for new polymers can be summarized as simplified declaration for special circumstances and regular declaration: 1. Simplified declaration conditions for polymers under special circumstances (no tonnage limit): * The polymer itself is not in the List, but the weight percentage of one or more new chemical substances (monomers/reactants) is less than or equal to 2%; * The polymer itself is not in the List, but all monomers or reactants in the polymer are in the List; * Polymers of low concern; 2. Regular declaration conditions for polymers: * Polymers with an annual production or import volume of less than one ton and not listed in the List, if choosing to file a regular declaration, must provide relevant information according to the minimum data requirements for regular declaration after passing a five-step identification procedure; * Polymers with an annual production or import volume exceeding one ton but not meeting the simplified declaration requirements...

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) recently issued an announcement prohibiting the production, sale, and use of 33 products, including propylparaben, as food additives, effective immediately. According to the Ministry of Health's reply regarding issues related to the "Standards for the Use of Food Additives" (GB2760-2011), AQSIQ has decided that, effective immediately, provincial quality and technical supervision bureaus will no longer accept applications for production licenses for these 33 food additive products, including food preservatives such as propylparaben and food disinfectants such as chlorine dioxide. Existing production licenses will be revoked and cancelled by regulatory authorities, a process to be completed by December 20th of this year. It is understood that the 33 products involve propylparaben, sodium propylparaben, thiabendazole, sodium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, trisodium phosphate chloride, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, sodium dodecyl sulfonate, 1-propanol, sodium 4-chlorophenoxyacetate, 6-benzyladenine, monoethanolamine, sodium dichloroisocyanurate, petrolatum, calcium aluminum silicate, succinic anhydride, adipic acid, adipic anhydride, formaldehyde, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, urea, triethanolamine, dodecyl dimethylammonium bromide (benzalkonium chloride), iron powder, pentacarbon diacetal, ammonium sulfite, iron oxide, silver, oleic acid, fatty alcohol amide, and sodium fatty ether sulfate. At the same time, all food additive manufacturers are prohibited from producing the above 33 products, and those already produced are prohibited from being used as food additives.

India recently released updated limits for metallic contaminants, biotoxins, and other chemical contaminants in food, which came into effect on August 5, 2011. The new standards specify the following limits for three substances in specific foods: (1) Metallic contaminants: limits for lead, copper, arsenic, tin, zinc, cadmium, mercury, methylmercury, chromium, and nickel; (2) Biotoxins: limits for aflatoxin, aflatoxin M1, patulin, and ochratoxin A; (3) Chemical contaminants: limits for agaric acid, hydrocyanic acid, hypericine, and saffrole. See the original standard for details. Source: SKYTE (2011-11-14)

On December 2, 2011, the Official Journal of the European Union published European Commission resolution 2011/786/EU, concerning European safety standards that bicycles, children's bicycles, and bicycle racks must comply with. According to Directive 2001/95/EC on general product safety, European standardization bodies are required to establish European standards to ensure that products sold in the EU comply with the general safety requirements of the directive. Recently, the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) announced revisions to European standards EN 14764:2005 for urban bicycles, EN 14766:2005 for mountain bicycles, EN 4781:2005 for racing bicycles, and EN 14872:2006 for bicycle racks. As for children's bicycles, which are not covered by the Toy Safety Directive, their European standard EN 14765:2005+A1:2008 will also be revised. Bicycles sold in the EU must meet new general safety requirements, primarily concerning: Bicycles must also meet certain physical characteristics, such as stability, durability, front and rear braking systems, and the treatment of sharp edges. Other regulations include mechanical characteristics, such as requirements regarding folding systems and fasteners, to ensure practical safety and prevent user injury. Furthermore, there are specific regulations for different types of bicycles. For example, children's bicycles must adhere to saddle height and average load limits, and braking regulations are more stringent. Bicycle racks must also be designed for user and child safety and load capacity.

The British Standards Institution (BSI) recently published a new standard, EN 71-8: 2011, "Toys for Home Recreation." This standard replaces EN 71-8: 2003 + A4: 2009 and will become an enforceable harmonized standard upon its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Compliance with this standard is considered equivalent to compliance with the relevant provisions of the new Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC. Furthermore, conflicting national standards must be withdrawn no later than March 2012. Challenge: Source: Intertek

The Multnomah County Health Department in Oregon unanimously voted to ban the sale of baby bottles, cups, and reusable beverage containers containing bisphenol A (BPA) throughout the county. The policy, supported by Multnomah County Board President Jeff Cogen, will take effect in the summer of 2012. The American Chemistry Council (ACC) had previously proposed to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that manufacturers ban the use of BPA in reusable beverage containers for infants and young children. The FDA responded to Multnomah County's policy by stating that the use of BPA in food and beverage containers may pose minor health risks. On October 27, Multnomah County held a hearing in support of the BPA ban. Evidence was provided by organizations including the Oregon Nurses Association, labor agencies, environmental election groups, and environmental working groups, but representatives from the ACC or other industries did not participate in the hearing. This policy was reportedly proposed after Oregon failed to pass a BPA ban. Multnomah County, which includes the city of Portland, is the most populous county in Oregon. Previously, California and Washington state had passed laws restricting the use of BPA in baby and children's products. Currently, only Oregon on the West Coast of the United States has not passed state regulations restricting the use of BPA. (Source: CHEMICAL WATCH)

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has released a new family of standards in the ISO 14000 series to help organizations reduce the negative environmental impact of their products and services. All products and services have an environmental impact throughout their entire lifecycle, from resource extraction to final disposal. Eco-design aims to incorporate environmental factors into product development and service processes to reduce environmental harm and continuously improve their lifecycle performance. The ultimate goal is cleaner products and services, and a greener planet. The newly released ISO 14006:2011, Environmental Management Systems – Guidelines for Incorporating Ecodesign, provides guidance on how to integrate eco-design into management systems for products and services related to the environment, quality, etc. This standard will help organizations establish, demonstrate, implement, and continuously improve eco-management within their Environmental Management Systems (EMS). It applies to organizations that can control or influence the environmental aspects of their products/services. Advantages of incorporating eco-friendly design: 1. Economic benefits, such as increased competitiveness, reduced costs, attraction of financing and investment, and improved efficiency; 2. Fostering innovation and creativity, establishing new business models; 3. Reducing environmental impact and improving product knowledge, thereby reducing...