ECHA Publishes Data Requirements for SVHC Database
The ECHA has announced which information companies will have to supply when they market products containing substances of very high concern (SVHCs). The Waste Directive that has been in effect since July 2018 is the background for the announcement. The goal of the Directive is to eliminate SVHCs from material streams step by step. But if manufacturers fail to replace SVHCs with substitutes, recycling firms must recognize SVHCs and undertake the extra effort needed to remove them from the material stream.
The information requirements that companies have had to meet since January 5, 2021 should help. The information is to be entered into a database that the ECHA is still developing. According to the ECHA, a prototype of the SCIP (Substances Of Concern In Articles, As Such Or In Complex Objects [Products]) database should be available at the beginning of 2020 and be improved and enhanced throughout the year.
The information that companies must supply includes:
- Information for unique identification (product and product category (machine, vehicle, plastic product, and so on)
- Concentration range and an indication of whether the product was produced inside or outside the EU
- Directions for safe use
Numerous industry representatives criticized the scope of the requirements and the planned database. They expressed their concerns at the end of last year in a position paper.
In an interview with Chemical Watch, Timo Unger, environmental affairs manager at Hyundai, an automotive manufacturer, states that the requirements for concentration ranges go far beyond what is defined in Article 33 of REACH. The automotive industry wants to continue use of the system it developed 20 years ago, the International Material Data System (IMDS), which is used to exchange and administer material data for the industry. According to Unger, the tool supplies all the information required by Article 33 of REACH.
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