RECYCLING | FLAME RETARDANTS


FR majors hit out at EU eco-design regulation


Producers of brominated flame retardants have hit at looming EU eco-design regulations banning their use in electronic displays.Peter Mapleston finds out more


The European Commission published a regulation (Commission Regulation EU 2019/2021) containing new eco-design requirements for electronic displays in October 2019. Due to come into force in March next year, it includes a ban on the use of halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) in enclosures and stands of certain types of electronic information displays. In response, BSEF, the International Bromine Council representing bromine producers and producers of bromine technologies — members include Albemarle, ICL Industrial Products, Lanxess and Tosoh — have hit out at the move on the grounds of legal process and challenged its intended aim of improving WEEE recycling. Addressing the legality of the European


Commission’s move, BSEF said the regulation is “unjustified and disproportionate and not coherent


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with EU legislation on chemicals [REACH] as it targets a whole class of flame retardants, including several brominated flame retardants, and bans them even though they are correctly registered and not subject to any regulatory restriction.” BSEF Secretary General Dr Kevin Bradley said:


“The European Union has legislative instruments for addressing restriction of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment and it’s called RoHS. Equally, REACH provides for the restriction of chemical uses in articles and prod- ucts. Clearly, the Commission has made a mistake and it needs to correct it.” However, BSEF goes on to criticise the main


rationale for including the ban on the use of HFRs, which is that they hinder the effective recycling of WEEE plastics. “The facts on the ground within the


December 2020 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 35


Main image: The Interna- tional Bromine Council (BSEF) argues EU eco-design pro- posals to ban brominated flame retard- ants from electronic displays are based on misperceptions


IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK


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