NEWSLETTER September 2008
COMMITTEE ACTIONS
The First Annual Conference of Committee on Plastics Sustainable Development & Forum on Sustainable Development of Automobile Plastics
Chongqing Municipal People's Government and CCPIA (China Plastics Processing Industry Association) will co-hold The First Annual Conference of Committee on Plastics Sustainable Development & Forum on Sustainable Development of Automobile Plastics in Chongqing Hilton Hotel from Oct 22 to 23, 2008. This conference will take green environmental protection, energy-saving and emission reduction, and fire safety as the topics, deliberate the policies, laws, standards and future trend related with the automobile plastics, introduce the plan of sustainable development of the western automobile industry, and explore the applications of plastics in green environmental protection, energy-saving and emission reduction, fire safety and recycling use.
As far as the future of China’s plastics industry is concerned, all of industrial insiders agree that the sustainability is the main rhythm of the development. Thus, during the conference, some relevant leaders will make speeches on the vision for the development of the plastics industry, state relevant industrial policies and practical application in the industry. Meanwhile, the conference will specially invite the leaders in the relevant state departments, the experts in relevant industrial associations at home and abroad and well-known enterprises to discuss the future development of the plastics industry. Such global leading enterprise in the automobile industrial chain as Ford, Celanese, Kingfa and Albemarle will jointly explore the corporation between the upstream and downstream to drive the sustainable development of automobile plastics; representatives from the international automobile plastics industry will communicate with each other on the sustainable development and trends of automobiles and plastics.
China’s plastics industry is one of the new-type industries of importance in the national economy. Plastics is applied anywhere. Such plastics properties as green environmental protection, energy-saving and emission reduction, and renewable utilization, as well as its application in fire safety, will bring vast gains to society. Therefore, Committee on Plastics Sustainable Development established by CCPIA hopes that its principles could be realized via this Conference, i.e. to organize and unite with more key enterprises in the plastics industry, jointly develop and promote green, safe and energy-saving technologies and products, set up and better the environment safety standard of plastic products, promote with great effort the exploration, communication and practice for the sustainable development of the plastics industry and the related industries.
REGULATION
RoHS cost: $32 billion and counting
According to a study done for the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) by researcher Technology Forecasters Inc. (TFI), the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive cost the global electronics industry more than $32 billion for initial compliance and about $3 billion annually to maintain compliance. TFI conducted a survey that found the average cost per company was $2,640,000 to achieve initial RoHS compliance and another $482,000 for annual maintenance. For the investment, some companies said they improved their supply chain processes, while others pruned their product offerings and a few even gained market share. The environmental benefits were less clear, however.
Norway Refines Product Chemical Restriction Plans
11 July 2008
The Norwegian Pollution Authority (SFT) has proposed stricter content requirements in consumer products for a number of substances including HBCDD.
Regarding TBBPA, the SFT recommends waiting until the “ongoing separate process” in the EU has been concluded before putting forward new proposals on this, and other substances.
The SFT notes in the press release that an impact assessment has shown that the measures proposed are “fully technically possible to fulfil the requirements.”
Announcement from Ministry of Environmental Protection
Announcement from Ministry of Environmental Protection of People’s Republic of China 2008 Issue No. 26
Announcement about the promulgation of 11 national pollutants discharge standards, like Discharge standard of water pollutants for pulp and paper industry
To implement Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China, Law of the People's Republic of China on Prevention and Control of Water Pollution，and Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, prevent and control pollution, protect and improve environment, and safeguard human’s health, presently, eleven standards including Discharge standard of water pollutants for pulp and paper industry are approved as national standards of pollutant discharge, which will be jointly issued by Ministry of Environmental Protection of People’s Republic of China and State General Administration of the People’s Republic of China for Quality Supervision and Inspection.
Names and serial numbers of such eleven standards are as followed:
I. Discharge standard of water pollutants for pulp and paper industry（GB 3544—2008）
II. Emission standard of pollutants for electroplating（GB 21900—2008）
III. Discharge standard of water pollutants for down industry（GB 21901—2008）
IV. Emission standard of pollutants for synthetic leather and artificial leather industry（GB 21902—2008）
V. Discharge standards of water pollutants for pharmaceutical industry---Fermentation products category（GB 21903—2008）
VI. Discharge standards of water pollutants for pharmaceutical industry---Chemical synthesis products category（GB 21904—2008）
VII. Discharge standard of water pollutants for pharmaceutical industry---Extraction products category（GB 21905—2008）
VIII. Discharge standard of water pollutants for pharmaceutical industry---Chinese traditional medicine category （GB 21906—2008）
VIIII. Discharge standards of water pollutants for pharmaceutical industry---Bio-pharmaceutical category（GB 21907—2008）
X. Discharge standard of water pollutants for pharmaceutical industry---Mixing/compounding and formulation category （GB 21908—2008）
XI. Discharge standard of water pollutants for sugar industry（GB 21909—2008）
In accordance with relevant laws and regulations, the above standards have obligatory execution force.
The above standards will be implemented since August 1, 2008.
The above standards will be published by China Environmental Science Press, and the contents of the standards can be searched at bz.mep.gov.cn.
Since the start date of standard implementation, Discharge standard of water pollutants for paper industry（GB 3544－2001）will be abolished.
This is hereby announced.
(The announcement is countersigned by Sun Xiaokang, who is from State General Administration of the People’s Republic of China for Quality Supervision and Inspection.)
June 25th, 2008
Key words: environmental protection pollutants discharge standards announcement
NEWS
Apple iPhone 3G arrives in UK
On Friday 11 July 2008, Apple releases its updated mobile phone--the iPhone 3G--in UK. Greenpeace criticises the new phone, saying that the phone still contains “toxic substances” such as BFRs. Apple has said that it plans to phase out the use of BFRs in its products by the end of the year.
UK media calumniate Chinese “Toxic sofa” of injuring thousands
On July 21, the Times maligned Chinese sofas as being toxic, purporting that thousands of consumers have been injured by Chinese sofas sold in UK and Northern Europe, even with two alleged death from allergy. The sofas accused were manufactured by Linkwise, a Chinese furniture manufacturer based in Dongguan, and retailed by English retailers, one of whom being Argos. Argos has sent personnel to conduct inspections in China, from the raw materials to the whole manufacturing process, without finding any proof of Linkwise’ sofas being poisonous. The Times’ falsely accusation has caused great damage to the image of Made-in-China products.
Sharp to test LCD recycling
Consumer electronics manufacturer Sharp Electronics Corp. (Mahwah, New Jersey) is beginning a pilot program to recycle flat-panel televisions. Kansai Recycling Systems Co. (Osaka, Japan) will administer the trial, set to take place at the company’s Iga, Japan facility starting this September. Sharp owns a 43-percent share of Kansai, a cooperative venture comprised of Mitsubishi Materials Corp., Sony Corp., Hitachi Compliance Group, Fujitsu (all of Tokyo) and Sanyo Electric Co. (Osaka, Japan).
LCD and plasma screen televisions are expected to fall under electronics recycling laws by the end of 2009. Sharp’s Aquos-brand television, one of the more popular brands sold in Japan, accounts for approximately half of all televisions sold. In addition to the recycling trial, the company also is examining ways to reuse LCD panel glass, collect indium and other heavy metals, and reduce power consumption among its television models.
MBA Polymers secures $40 million
Global e-plastic recovery concern, MBA Polymers, Inc. (Richmond, California) has secured $40 million in funding co-led by Citgroup's Sustainable Development Investments (New York) group. The company, which uses a proprietary method to recover plastics from such complex waste streams as scrap computers, automobiles and household appliances, will use the new funds to further expand its operations.
In addition to its 90,000-square-foot headquarters facility in Richmond, MBA also has plants in Austria and China.
Polyurethane Flame Retardants: Never cease to Innovate -- Albemarle introduces highly effective flame-retarding solutions for premium automobiles and furnitures in Asia
Albemarle Corporation, the Global leading flame retardants manufacturer introduced brand-new flame-retarding technology and products in the PU China technology forum held in Shanghai in September 3, 2008.
Antiblaze TL-10-ST/LV is a flame-retarding product developped by Albermarle specifically for the automobile industry, basing on the V6 technology. The product was initiatively used in the premium cars of Mercedes-Benz. Antiblaze TL-10-ST/LV has excellent performance in volatilization and atomization : it has a VOC（Volatile Organic Compounds）value of nearly zero, which is hardly possible for any halogenated or halogen-free flame retardants to reach; a extremely low Fog value that completely meets the requirements of VDA-278 and helps flexible foam to pass emission test more easily; meanwhile, the product has extremely low TCEP content (<0,1%), which is non-toxic and non-hazardous to human health.
In the meantime, Antiblaze TL-10-ST/LV can also be wildly used in luxury furnitures. In cooperation with the global well-know furniture manufacturer IKEA, Antiblaze TL-10-ST/LV, with its excellent performance on volatilization, reaches and meet the organic emission requirements of IKEA.
In allusion to the new trend of halogen-free flame retarding, Albemarle also introduces Antiblaze 117-HF. The product is a highly effective halogen-free flame retardant, with a phosphor content of 9.6wt%, and a flame-retarding effect comparable to halogenated flame retardants.
Chen Xing, senior business manager of the flame retardant sector of Albemarle Asia-Pacific, said that, "As global leading manufacturer of flame retardants, Albemarle has been taking up with the development and promotion of effective and environment friendly flame retardants. As the world's fastest growing and most promising market, China is receiving notable attention. Albemarle hopes to make use of our technical advantage and R&D expertise to provide the Chinese market with highly performing and environment friendly flame retarding solutions."
VIEWPOINTS
Companies have to take green IT more seriously
A survey result from US's Gartner Research shows that presently, the number of computers being used worldwide has exceeded 1 billion, and will be quadrupled by 2010.
Such an electronic flood will bring a negative impact on deteriorated environment. Each year, nearly 30 million personal computers consume electric power with the cost of 360 million€ under the Standby mode. In accordance with the resolution of European Parliament, since 2010, the highest power consumption value is required at 1 Watt under the Standby mode. It is the first resolution passed by the member states of European Community, which has complied with the guidelines of sustainablility, high efficiency, endurablility and environmental protection and is aimed at enabling computers beyond their total lifecycles to decrease the load on the environment via improved design.
As early as 2005, Greenpeace began to use environment friendly electronic technologies. Also since then, many manufacturers have improved their guidelines on environmental protection. Last year, Apple announced "Green my Apple" to correspond to Greenpeace's campaign and abandoned the application of PVC and BFRs in their products.
The result of Gartner also shows that much CO2 will be emitted in the IT industry, which is as much as the CO2 volume that planes emit. Thus, companies have to take green IT more seriously in the future five years.
Key links
Recently, European Union has modified such two obligatory-executed green directives---RoHS directive and WEEE directive again. In accordance with the directive attachment of European Union’s official announcement, the products related to such two directives include ten categories and nearly 200,000 types, almost covering all electronic information products including communication products.
China established Environmental Standardization Workgroup for Electrical and Electric Products and Systems to undertake relevant corresponding works. Recently, the workgroup is officially upgraded as Technical Committee on Environmental Standardization for Electrical and Electronic Products and Systems SAC/TC297. A relevant principle in the secretariat of the committee told the reporter with Science Times that as far as Chinese enterprises were concerned, the constant upgrading of the international green standards was a challenge rather than an opportunity. If Chinese enterprises intended to stabilize their market shares, they had to race against time and cope with the problems of four key links.
Material declaration---an important show of a big manufacture country
Material declaration refers to a declaration of the manufacturers of electrical and electronic products to the toxic or hazardous substances or materials contained in those products in accordance with a certain format, so that such information relevant to environment could be transferred from the top down along with the supply chain.
Material declaration is a vital part in the whole work of the environmental standardlzation for electrical and electronic products. For the moment, many countries have developed relevant laws and regulations to limit the usage of the hazardous substances in the electrical and electronic products, such as EU’s WEEE and RoHS Directive, Japan’s Law about Promoting Recycling and Utilization and China’s Regulation on the Pollution Control of Electronic Information Products.
Environmental design: governing source for pollution
After releasing RoHS Directive and WEEE Directive, EU released Framework Directive on Ecodesign requirements for energy-using products i.e. EuP Directive in July, 2005. This Directive requires manufacturers to take into consideration the impact of the products on the resource consumption and environment in the whole lifespan, when the manufacturers intend to design energy-using products.
After the implementation of EuP Directive, almost all of energy-using products except for vehicles are required to be pasted with a CE sign, only by which can they be introduced into European market.
Toxic substance testing: timeliness means taking priority
Corresponding to RoHS, China’s Regulation on the Pollution Control of Electronic Information Products was officially carried out on March 1, 2007. It had confirmed that the list management would be adopted to control the electronic information products containing such six-type toxic and hazardous substances as lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB and PBDE, in order to promote the usage prohibition or restriction gradually.
The testing for toxic substance is related to various phases of production and distribution for products, which is necessary to ascertain the conformity of products to requirements. Meanwhile, manufacturers shall produce such products that meeting requirements and identity all of raw materials and parts that make up of the products one by one to make sure the absence of hazardous substances.
Recycling of waste electronic products: an unsound system is a key factor
After the official implementation of WEEE Directive (Directive on Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment) in EU, all enterprises involved in electronic product distribution in EU’s market shall be tolled additional fees on electronic waste recycling. Manufacturers shall take charge in recycling and dealing with those waste electronic products entering into EU’s market, and paste recycling signs on the electronic products to launch into the market.
China’s Regulation on the Pollution Control of Electronic Information Products that corresponds to EU’s RoHS Directive was officially carried out on March 1, 2007. But in allusion to EU’s earlier WEEE Directive, China’s Regulation on Recycling and Utilizing Waste Household Appliances and Electronic Products has not yet come into being.
EVENTS
GROUP MEMBERS
Shanghai Jiazhi Luen Tai Yake Kingfa
Changhong Midea Selon Albemarle
Sanyou Celanese Hailong
(Members are listed in random order)
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