TOMORROW’S CLEANING MARCH 10
“In between we are likely to have some
confusion with different symbols being used to
describe the chemical hazard of cleaning
chemicals depending upon whether the
supplier is working with the existing system or
decides to adopt CLP early.”
The CLP Regulation also complies with REACH
(the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and
Restriction of Chemicals), which addresses the
production and use of chemical substances,
and their potential impacts on both human
health and the environment.
Reach will affect every chemical that is sold or
supplied in the EC, with a direct impact on
environment, from these Biocidal Products,
chemical ingredients with a knock on cost to
through risk assessment” and as well-
formulated cleaning products.
intentioned as this may be phrased, the fact is
Confused yet? So are we. With enough rules
that these risk assessments that must now be
and regulations to keep any company busy,
conducted, by law, will cost a small fortune.
with deadlines looming, large sums of money
Under this regulation, the competent authority
will need to be found if they are to reach them.
of the product is required to charge a fee to the Although morally we wish to save the earth, for
manufacturers for the work done to assess it. those on a budget, recovering from a credit
This assessment must take place before the crunch, as a business, there will surely be a
product can even be authorised for testing. It is
temptation to push the eco-friendly option by
also essential that the company do research on
innovate or develop new safer alternatives
the wayside, and choose a cheaper option.
the product, as a method of further testing, and
with such astronomical testing costs?
Martin added: “As is often the case with
this unfortunately also comes hand in hand
Quite a disincentive.
with a fee as well. So how much money are we
legislation, what starts off as a well meaning
talking here?
In a similar fashion, in order to “harmonise”
sensible control measure evolves into a
communication of hazardous information of
monster losing track of the original good
In 2009, the HSE gave an estimate of costs to
chemicals, the CLP (Classification, Labelling intentions and ending up as an expensive
comply with these regulations. The cost to
and Packaging) Regulation aims to align exercise in technical bureaucracy that not only
provide data and testing for a manufactured
exactly how these products are presented to us,
confuses the end user but results in more work,
Biocidal Product is estimated at €90,000 to
across the European Union and to comply with
time lost, and money wasted. Considering there
€200,000, as well as €19,000 for
the Globally Harmonised System (GHS).
are plenty of companies as well as individuals
authorisation. On top of this, there is also the
potential charge of 27 x €2000 to allow the
Chemical substances have been given a deadline
who are more than willing to jump onto the
product to be sold in all Member States. For
of December this year to comply with the CLP “save the earth” bandwagon, it’s a real shame
the companies who make the Biocidal
and a deadline of 2015 for formulated products. that it’s being made so difficult.”
ingredients themselves, the costs are This issue is not one that is taken lightly in the
www.hse.gov.uk
significantly higher with estimates of three to industry. We spoke to Martin Carroll, Technical
http://ec.europa.eu
five million Euros (as well as €160,000 in Director at RP Adam Ltd, who voiced his own
fees). So why on earth would anyone want to concerns relating to the sought after green label. www.rpadam.co.uk
The future of our cleaning industry | TOMORROW’S CLEANING |
39
SUSTAINABLE CLEANING
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