EU to ban cadmium ban in all plastics except limited construction products and thin-film solar panels

The European Union (EU) announced on May 20 that cadmium in plastic products will be banned in the EU from December 2011, along with that in jewelry and brazing sticks.

Cadmium was used as a coloring agent or stabilizer in some plastic articles in the past. It has been prohibited in the EU in a number of plastic articles since 1992, but was still allowed in some rigid PVC as at that time alternatives were not available on the market. Since alternatives became available the European PVC industry decided to phase out cadmium from all PVC as part of a program called "Vinyl 2010". The use of cadmium in batteries and electronics has been restricted since 2004.

To encourage the recovery of PVC waste for use in a number of construction products, the new legislation also allows the re-use of recovered PVC containing low levels of cadmium in a limited number of construction products, without danger for the public or environment. In order to fully inform buyers, construction products that will be made of this recovered PVC will be marketed with a specific logo.

The new ban will be listed in Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation (Regulation No. 1907/2006 for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals). However, it does not apply to cadmium in electrical and electronic products which are controlled by the Regulation on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, according to a news report on the Royal Society of Chemistry website on May 27.

According to a news report on businessgreen.com on May 30, solar panels will also be exempted from the ban.