{"id":6613,"date":"2011-09-01T20:25:16","date_gmt":"2011-09-01T12:25:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/li-on.biz\/?p=6613"},"modified":"2025-11-17T15:42:06","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T07:42:06","slug":"%e9%8e%98%e7%a6%81%e4%bb%a4%e6%93%b4%e8%87%b3%e5%a1%91%e6%96%99%e7%89%a9%e5%93%81%e5%8f%8a%e9%a6%96%e9%a3%be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/li-on.biz\/en\/%e9%8e%98%e7%a6%81%e4%bb%a4%e6%93%b4%e8%87%b3%e5%a1%91%e6%96%99%e7%89%a9%e5%93%81%e5%8f%8a%e9%a6%96%e9%a3%be\/","title":{"rendered":"Cadmium ban extended to plastic items and jewelry"},"content":{"rendered":"

On May 21, 2011, the Official Journal of the European Union published European Commission Regulation No. 494\/2011, expanding the ban on cadmium-containing products to include plastic articles, jewelry, and brazing rods. Since 1992, the EU has banned the use of cadmium in most plastics, and the ban was further extended to batteries and electronic products in 2004. Under the 1992 ban, due to the difficulty in finding suitable alternatives, cadmium could still be used in certain types of rigid plastics, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the European Commission determined that suitable alternatives already exist on the market and therefore extended the ban to all plastic articles. Under the new ban, articles and mixtures made of plastic with a cadmium content equal to or greater than 0.01% by weight cannot be placed on the market. However, the Commission will continue to promote the recycling and reuse of low-cadmium PVC waste, but only for a limited range of products, such as building products. Recycled low-cadmium PVC must be labeled with a specific mark to inform users of its cadmium content before it can be placed on the market. Regulation 494\/2011 will review this specific mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, because certain types of jewelry, such as synthetic jewelry, have been found to contain dangerous levels of cadmium, the European Commission has decided it is necessary to implement a ban to regulate the cadmium content in jewelry. Cadmium is a carcinogen that can enter the bloodstream through skin contact. Therefore, the European Commission believes that the use of cadmium in jewelry must be completely banned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regulation No. 494\/2011 contains provisions prohibiting the placement of products containing more than 0.01% cadmium by weight on the market. These products include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n