Vecap gains signatories

04 June 2007 00:00  [Source: ICB Americas]

Plastics and textile companies in North America and Japan have become the latest signatories to the brominated flame retardant industry's voluntary emissions reduction control action program (Vecap).

According to the second Vecap annual report, published by the Bromine Science Environment Forum, 23% of the total tonnage of deca-BDE used by the plastics industry and 64% of the tonnage used by the textile sector in North America has been subject to a commitment to cut emissions of the flame retardant.

Japan, with the backing of the government, has also committed itself to reducing emissions of HBCD, which is used extensively in the electronics sector. An assessment is also under way as to the feasibility of introducing Vecap in China.

As well as the global expansion of Vecap, which was launched in the UK's textile sector during 2004, targeting the reduction of deca-BDE, the initiative now includes the flame retardants TBBPA and HBCD.

According to Dieter Drohmann, of the European Brominated Flame Retardant Industry Panel (EBFRIP), Vecap has allowed the users of brominated flame retardants to focus on product stewardship.

"Previously, there was no data on the presence of deca-BDE in the environment," he said.

"Monitoring, which began in 2002, has allowed us to establish baseline data for plant emissions and in so doing, has provided a basis to demonstrate control and identify areas for reducing emissions. In turn, the latest environmental monitoring data has shown early indications of falling levels of deca-BDE in the environment where Vecap has been implemented."

Vecap is currently active in the textile and plastics sectors of six EU member states: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK.

The annual report indicates that in the plastics sector, 82% of deca-BDE tonnage is covered by plants that have calculated an emissions baseline. A similar picture is seen in the textile sector, with 97% of deca-BDE tonnage covered by a baseline calculated under Vecap.

The report also indicates that within 12 months of implementing Vecap in the UK's textile sector, emissions of deca-BDE to water fell by 75%.

DECA-BDE USER BASELINE DETERMINATION PLASTICS (% TONNAGE)

Country	Plastics*
	Target(January 2007)	Actual status(April 2007)
UK	80%	73%
Belgium	70%	100%
Netherlands	100%	100%
Germany	40%	94%
France	30%	83%
Italy	40%	44%
Above EU-6 member states	45%	82%
NOTE: *Covers plastic resin producers, masterbatchers and plastic compounders, handling deca-BDE dry applications

SOURCE: VECAP Europe - Annual Progress report 2007

WHAT IS VECAP?

Vecap was developed following the completion of the EU's risk assessment on deca-BDE in 2004. The assessment, which took 10 years, did not identify any risk from the use of deca-BDE in plastic or any other applications. But the European authorities were concerned that the substance was being found in the environment close to industrial sites. It was found that as well as production processes, poor handling and housekeeping were contributing to the presence of the flame retardant in the environment.

The European Brominated Flame Retardant Industry Panel (EBFRIP) implemented Vecap in 2004, beginning with the use of deca-BDE in the UK's textile sector. It was then expanded to include plastic and moved on to cover the EU's member states where deca-BDE was mainly used.

Vecap has developed Best Available Technique guidance which is said to have proved "extremely effective" in reducing emissions. One area that has proved to be particularly significant has been specific guidance on emptying bags that contain brominated flame retardants. By implementing specific guidance, it is said that the amount of material left in the bags, and therefore going to waste when the bag is disposed of, can be cut by 90%.

For more on this, visit www.vecap.info

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