Deadline Regarding Labelling Requirement for Formaldehyde – We are Prepared!
We have implemented the 6th adaptation directive of the CLP regulation. In this new regulation the classification, labelling and packing requirements for chemical substances and mixtures with respect to H350-relevant substances have been tightened. For this purpose the limits of emitting formaldehyde-containing materials have been reduced from less than 1% to less than 0.1%. The reduction of these limits resulting from extensive research studies does not only refer to our cooperation but also to that of our customers, as along with the new definition of the H350 substances their work safety regarding the long-term effect has also been improved. Therefore, we have been working for several months on the project „Raw material replacement H350“ to achieve this reduction. We have already successfully reformulated the majority of the aqueous BLC coatings and are under the required limits. Therefore these coatings need no longer be labelled with H350 – a big advantage for our customers, as the stipulations acc. to ChemVerbotsV (Chemical Prohibition Ordinance) can be considered as cancelled, i.e. special instruction of staff, keeping a register with a 40-year archiving and the burden of proof of a „toxic substance note“.
It was the essence of our work to identify the free formaldehyde content for the purposeful reformulation of the coatings. Based on a sulphite process the product-specific data has been determined by the manufacturers concerned acc. to DIN EN ISO 11402 and they are used as a calculation basis for our product specifications. Thanks to intensive raw material research and precise product tests we are able to maintain to a large extent the original characteristic profiles of our coatings. Already now part of our customers have changed their complete system structures. „We are pleased to be able to offer our customers added value by future-orientated products at no additional costs“, states Christina Baumann, Decor Foil Coating Management.