REACH Update nr. 3, 2022
Events
- Webinar: Forever chemicals PFAS – How far can we go for elimination, May 25th, 4pm HK
REACH
- European PFAS ban looks set to be delayed
- 22 harmful chemicals added to PIC - exporters must notify from July
- Forecasting the number of applications expected for five substances added the Authorisation List
Company news
- Which Brands Flunked Their PFAS Pledges?
- Gap, Old Navy Apparel Flagged in Toxic-Chemical Investigation
- Bluesign, ZDHC, Oeko-Tex to phase out PFAS
NGO news
- Environmental groups want reform Reach
Events
Webinar: Forever chemicals PFAS – How far can we go for elimination, May 25th, 4pm HK
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have made headlines around the world over the past few years. PFASs are groups of chemicals that bear water and oil repellence properties and are used to provide specific functional properties on a number of consumer products. However, recent studies from scientists showed that PFASs can place adverse effects on our wellbeing as well as the environment, which led to many regulations controlling these chemicals in support of global sustainability and environmental concerns. These regulations place great challenges on suppliers and manufactures to find alternatives so that functional properties on products are not compromised. In this webinar, we will provide you an overview of PFAS and discuss concerns for PFAS among different industry stakeholders.
Our webinar will cover:
• Overview of PFAS – What are they? Why are they common and important? Where can we find them?
• PFAS related regulations
• PFAS voluntary/NGO requirements
• Possible alternatives and challenge
• QIMA’s solutions to client
If this webinar is not in a suitable time zone for you, we still recommend that you register and we will email the recording after the session is completed. Read more>>
REACH
European PFAS ban looks set to be delayed
Proposed European Union (EU) restrictions on the use of all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) look set to be delayed beyond the target date of 2025.The five countries preparing the proposal, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, have pushed back their submission to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) by six months to January 2023 due to the complexity and amount of information received, reports Eco-Textile News. Read more (you may need a login to read the complete article).
22 harmful chemicals added to PIC - exporters must notify from July
EU exporters are now required to notify their intention to export 22 chemicals following an amendment to the PIC Regulation. The amendment also bans the export of four chemicals. The update was published on 20 April 2022 and will start to apply on 1 July 2022. Read more>>
Forecasting the number of applications expected for five substances added the Authorisation List
ECHA has published a report forecasting the number of applications expected for five substances added to the Authorisation List on 8 April 2022. The report estimates that ECHA should receive 12 to 23 applications in 2023. It also investigates the availability of potential alternatives. ECHA conducted similar work in 2019 for 11 substances that were added to the Authorisation List in 2020. Read more>>
Assessment of regulatory needs reports published
Reports have been published for the following groups of substances:
• dialkyl (and diaryl) dithiophosphates (DDPs);
• esters from branched or non-aromatic cyclic dicarboxylic acids and aliphatic alcohols;
• imidazoles;
• N-alkoxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine derivatives;
• phthalic anhydrides and hydrogenated phthalic anhydrides; and
• simple lithium compounds.
You can filter the list with the group name to get a full list of the substances in the group and access the report.
Assessment of regulatory needs list
Committees’ opinions on a restriction available
The consolidated opinions of the Committees for Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic Analysis on a proposal to restrict substances in single-use baby diapers submitted by France are available.
Registry of restriction intentions until outcome
Commission decisions on applications for authorization
The European Commission has granted four authorisations for uses of 4-nonylphenol, branched and linear, ethoxilated (4-NPnEO) (EC -, CAS -) (review period expiry dates are in brackets):
• one use applied for by DiaSorin S.p.A. (4 January 2033);
• one use applied by BioMérieux SA (4 January 2025);
• one use applied for by Hospira Zagreb d.o.o. (4 January 2033); and
• one use applied for by DIAGAST (4 January 2033).
Company news
Which Brands Flunked Their PFAS Pledges?
Despite the growing furor over so-called “forever chemicals” seeping into the environment, outdoor brands are struggling to ditch per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS or PFCs, from their stain-resistant and water-repelling gear, according to a scorecard that rates fashion brand pledges.
In fact, the highest-ranking brand in the first-of-its-kind rating by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Fashion FWD and U.S. PIRG Education Fund isn’t an outdoor brand at all. It’s Levi Strauss, which earned an A- for successfully eliminating the hormone and immune-system disrupting substances from its supply chain. Columbia Sportswear (which also owns Prana), REI, Wolverine Worldwide (which also owns Merrell) and others received Fs. Even Patagonia only mustered a B, the sector’s highest score. It’s the only outdoor brand, the report said, to commit to nixing PFAS in all products by 2024, writes Sourcing Journal. Read more (you may need a login to read the complete article).
Gap, Old Navy Apparel Flagged in Toxic-Chemical Investigation
Not even so-called “eco-friendly” children’s clothing is safe from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, otherwise known as PFAS, a new study claims.Published Wednesday in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, the study found that many kid-targeting products, including those boasting green certifications, contained “forever chemicals” that were not listed on their labels. Among them were children’s pants from The Children’s Place and Columbia Sportswear, baby jeggings from Gap, toddler polos from Lands’ End and girls’ shirts from Old Navy.The products were among 93 stain- and water-resistant, “green” or “non-toxic” textile items, including apparel, bedding and furnishing, that scientists from the Silent Spring Institute, Alpha Analytical Laboratories and Galbraith Laboratories picked for testing. Most of them hailed from major U.S. retailers.PFAS imbue many products with stain and water resistance but are known to pose a long-term threat because they don’t break down in the environment. In people, they have been linked to hormone and immune-system disruption, liver and kidney damage, developmental and reproductive harm and certain cancers, reports Sourcing Journal. Read more (you may need a login to read the complete article).
Bluesign, ZDHC, Oeko-Tex to phase out PFAS
Chemical management specialists Bluesign, ZDHC and Oeko-Tex have all confirmed they are committed to phasing out the use of potentially hazardous PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in textiles.Dubbed 'forever chemicals' because of their durability in the environment, PFAS are widely used in the textile industry for their water, stain and oil-repellent properties, writes Eco-Texile News. Read more (you may need a login to read the complete article).
NGO news
Environmental groups want reform Reach
The European Commission should streamline the process of restricting hazardous chemicals and place more responsibility for safety assessments on industry. In a joint document, a group of 21 environmental and health NGOs calls for the reform of the European chemicals regulation REACH, reports Dutch website Afval Online. They see a revision of this regulation as an "opportunity to adapt the existing regulatory framework to environmental and health challenges resulting from continued exposure to a mix of toxic industrial chemicals." The revision of REACH should aim to speed up, simplify and reduce the burden on national authorities of regulatory processes for substances of very high concern. In order to achieve a non-toxic environmental vision, the group wants an accelerated phase-out of the most dangerous chemicals and a transition to safe and sustainable chemicals and products. The NGOs refer to the ambition expressed by the European Commission in its chemicals strategy.
According to the organisations, the 'polluter pays' principle is at the heart of EU policy and the revised REACH regulation. Therefore, industry must have a responsibility to demonstrate that a substance is safe before it gains access to the internal market. In theory this is the case, but not yet in practice. In addition, this principle must be integrated into all reform decisions. In addition, an EU-wide substitution and green innovation centre should be set up to help industry (in particular SMEs) to reduce the use and production of toxic substances. More financial resources are also needed for ECHA and EU Member States, among others, to implement and enforce the chemicals legislation. This extra money should be obtained from companies that produce and use hazardous chemicals, the NGOs said. The group of NGOs includes the European Environment Agency EEB, Ciel, Plastic Soup Foundation and Zero Waste Europe.
Consultation
This letter is part of the consultation of the REACH revision, which runs until mid-April. The Approval of the European Commission is expected to follow in the fourth quarter of this year.
