Will Discarded Upholstery Become Hazardous Waste?

摘要

I had thought that my article, published in Issue 4, 2013, of the International Dyer, on the situation with regard to bis-Pentabromodiphe-nylether (DecaBDE) would have been the last thing I had to write on the subject. From the point in December 2012, when DecaBDE - based upon a report submitted by the UK environment department, DEFRA - was declared to be an SVHC by a decision of the Member States Committee of ECHA (European Chemicals Agency), it seemed to be only a matter of waiting for Prioritisation and for the Authorisation process. And then in July 2013 we hear that Norway has applied to have DecaBDE added to the list of POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants), ie. substances controlled under the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). This is nothing new. Norway has been looking to achieve the same thing for this substance for many years and has made applications in the same way previously -which were not accepted.