Legislation Plastics

CSWS Reports on Solid Waste Legislation. Plastics Engineering, p. 5, Dec. 1989. 

These lower prices make it more difficult for recycled plastics to compete with virgin resins in the absence of legislation mandating plastics recycling. 

Di-/ l -butyl-4-methylphenol /2j5 i77-2/-i72,6-Di-/ l -butyl-4-methylphenol (di-/ l -butyl-/)-cresolDi-/ l -butyl-j )-cresol or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)) is most commonly used as an antioxidant in plastics and mbber. Use in food is decreasing because of legislation and it is being replaced by butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA) (see Antioxidants Eood additives). 

None arc inogenic mineral oil-based plasticizers and extender oils are being utilized more and more in elastomer and tire formulations and this interest is prompted by the health and environmental concerns as well as by the coming EU legislation. 

For nonparenteral/ophthalmic use the plastics should meet the requirements of relevant EU food use legislation, and if the material has not been so approved then toxicology data will be required. If the container is to be used for ophthalmic or parenteral products then compliance with the relevant requirements of the Ph Eur or other relevant member state pharmacopeial requirements will be required or appropriate additional data provided. 

This article outlines the food contact legislation in the UK that applies to plastic articles and materials that come into contact with food. Key requirements are that materials must not transfer chemicals to food in quantities that cause a hazard to human health, or cause the food to become tainted with a strange taste or odour. The regulations also set out testing conditions that enable compliance with the requirements to be demonstrated. 

This presentation discusses current EU chemical legislation and examines the shortcomings of some of the regulations in place with respect to dangerous chemicals. The Commission White Paper is discussed, and in particular, the REACH system which involves the registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals used in food-contact applications. The impact of the REACH system on food-contact plastic manufacturers is examined, with respect to suppliers of monomers and additives, plastic manufacturers, converters and packagers. 

It is briefly reported that the European Parliament s environment committee has proposed a ban on the use of brominated flame retardants octabromodiphenylether and decabromodiphenylether, used in plastics and textiles, on health and environmental grounds. The two substances are scheduled to be banned from use in electronic and electrical equipment under separate EC draft legislation. The committee s decision has been announced before risk assessments of octa-BDE and deca-BDE for the commission have been completed. 

Modern Plastics International 30, No.9, Sept.2000, p.56 EU LEGISLATION TURNS THE HEAT ON BROMINATED FLAME RETARDANTS... 

Although European Directives have been issued on legislative requirements for food contact plastics, European harmonisation of regulations for rubber or thermoplastic elastomers used in contact with food is yet... 

Developments in plastics materials and processing techniques for the manufacture of food packaging are examined, and Spanish and European Union legislation relating to packaging materials for use in contact with foods is reviewed. 

TECHNOLOGICALAND LEGISLATIVE UPDATING FOR PLASTICS MATERIALS USED IN AGRICULTURE... 

Fire behaviour of products constitutes a major and permanent preoccupation in multiple areas building and construction, transport, electric and electronic engineering, furniture, etc. This theme possibly involves the largest number of standards, regulations or legislations at national level as well at international level. It is in this context that the use of flame retardants for plastics must be envisaged. Several themes are outlined. 

Abstract Phthalates are chemicals that have been used for over 80 years in large quantities due to their wide range of applications, mainly in the plastic industry. For many years, these compounds were not considered dangerous for humans due to their low toxicity shown in the preliminary studies and their low persistence. However, research conducted in recent years has evidenced their activity as endocrine disrupters, and they are now considered as emerging contaminants and included in the priority list of dangerous substances in the legislation of many countries. This chapter provides an overview on the properties, major uses, emission sources, environmental and human levels, current legislation, behavior and fate of phthalates, and their metabolites, with special emphasis on their toxicity and human exposure. 

The global production of DEHP in 1994 was estimated to be between 1 and 4 million tons per year. The production volume of DEHP in Western Europe was 505,000 tons per year in 1997. In 2000, the European Union (EU) estimated a production of phthalates around 1 million ton per year in Western Europe (worldwide approximately 7 million tons), being DEHP the 60% of the production [36]. More recent information from industry shows that the use of DEPH in the EU has decreased to 221,000 in 2004, whilst the use of diisononyl phthalate (DiNP) and diisodecyl phthalate (DiDP) has increased during the same period. In fact, the annual production of DiNP in the EU in 2005 was estimated around 500,000 tons [37]. DiNP and DiDP are replacing DEHP as plasticizer because the use of DEHP has been limited due to it has been classified as CategorylA reprotoxin and it is included in the Annex XIV of the EU REACH legislation [38]. Between 1999 and 2004 the proportion of DEHP to total phthalate usage decreased from 42% to 22% and the proportion of DiNP and DiDP rose from 35% to 58% [37]. 

The first warning against the use of phthalates in toys was the Recommendation adopted by the European Commission on 1 July 1998 concerning toys and childcare articles intended to be placed in the mouth by children under three years of age, made of soft PVC and containing phthalates. The Commission Decision of 7 December 1999 (1999/815/EC) [58] made it possible to prohibit the use of certain phthalates on the basis of the legislation on general product [59]. Since 1999, The Commission Decision 1999/815/EC [58] was extended more than 20 times in the name of the precautionary principle until the adoption of Directive 2005/84/EC [60]. This Directive restricted the use of DEHP, DBP, and BBP in the manufacmre of toys and childcare articles intended for children and DiNP, DiDP, and DnOP are limited only in toys and childcare articles which can be placed in the mouth. The restriction states that the amount of phthalates may not be greater than 0.1% by mass of the plasticized material part of the toys. The member states of the EU applied this directive from 16 January 2007. 

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