EU's frequent environmental regulations force technology upgrades

Regulatory measures are increasingly strict and market threshold is getting higher and higher

Sinochem Xinxun recently recently launched a new environmental protection law that involves chemicals. Following the official release of the revised RoHS directive on July 1, the European Commission recently passed a resolution: Since May 1, 2013, the EU market will ban the use of creosote unless the company is allowed to use it. In this regard, relevant experts believe that these measures reflect the EU’s intention to raise industry standards, create market demand for new technologies, and further promote technological innovation. At the same time, the new regulations have also created a barrier to trade in order to maintain the economic growth of the EU and enhance the competitiveness of local products. Chinese companies should pay full attention to these new regulations because they can only withdraw from the EU market if they do not meet the standards.

The European Commission’s revision of the directive stems from the risk assessment of creosote oil on human health and the environment. The assessment report showed that any concentration of creosote oil has a certain carcinogenic effect. In addition, wood containing creosote oil and soil or water can also have a serious impact on the environment.

Creosote oil is mainly used as a protective coating for the prevention of microorganisms in wood products. The products include railway sleepers, telephone poles, garden fences, houses and wooden frame structures. Studies have shown that creosote is a complex mixture of several hundred different substances, including bicyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Janez Potocnik, Commissioner for the Environment of the European Commission, has high hopes for chemical manufacturers to develop alternatives to creosote: "Limiting the use of creosote will help create a safer environment. The use of phenol oil can not be completely avoided, but these restrictions are still to ensure safety as the first prerequisite. The chemical industry's primary task is to strive to find a sustainable, environmentally harmless alternative substances."

Prior to this, on July 20, the EU began to implement the most stringent EU Directive on Toy Safety in the history of the European Union. It requires that toy products must pass through the production of raw materials (such as paints, plasticizers, etc.), first products, and finished products. Strictly tested. Restrictions on heavy metals in toys have been increased from 8 to 19, and 55 allergenic fragrances have been banned, such as Acer fragrans root oil, allyl iso-cyanate, phenylacetonitrile, and soil oil, etc. When the sensitizing aroma exceeds 100 mg/kg, it needs to be marked on the packaging or leaflets, such as anisic alcohol, benzyl benzoate, and benzyl cinnamate. The new Toy Safety Directive puts higher demands on toy companies' chemical raw material suppliers, triggering a new round of industry reshuffle.

In addition, the European Commission announced on July 1 the revised RoHS Directive, which further expanded the scope of the new directive, involving lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers. The new directive also proposes to include HBCDD, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), butyl benzyl phthalate during the review process. BBP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) are prioritized for review, paving the way for expanding the scope of regulatory substances in the future. On May 20, the European Union promulgated a new law that stipulates that starting from December of this year, plastic products with a cadmium content equal to or greater than 0.01% by weight are prohibited from being placed on the market and are prohibited from being used in jewelry and brazing rods used to connect different materials. cadmium. As early as the early 1990s, the European Union banned the use of cadmium in plastic products. However, due to the lack of suitable alternative products at that time, cadmium could still be used in some plastic products. In recent years, with the continuous development of science and technology, a variety of alternative products of cadmium have appeared on the market. Therefore, the European Union decided to extend the ban on cadmium use to all plastic products.

In response to the new environmental protection regulations promulgated by the European Union, Prof Dai Qixiu, an expert on EU issues at Shanghai International Studies University, pointed out in an interview with the media that European companies have technological advantages and have a dominant position in the formulation of rules, which all provide conditions for European countries to establish green barriers. The current economic situation in Europe has deteriorated, the number of social unemployed has risen, and the rise of trade protectionism is unavoidable. Some experts believe that Chinese companies should take this opportunity to update their product design concepts. When designing products, comprehensive consideration should be given to factors such as safety, environmental protection, low energy consumption, and high performance.