China - Banning Five Persistent Organic Pollutants

​The Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) of the Mainland China, together with other 10 ministries, published an announcement on 6 June 2023 banning the following five persistent organic pollutants (POPs), effective immediately. 

1. Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD)
2. Polychlorinated naphthalene​ (PCN)
3. Pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters (PCP)
4. Decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE)
5. Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCP)

Basically, five POPs are prohibited from production, use, import and export in China with certain exemptions for decaBDE and SCCP.

Exemptions for decaBDE:
- Textile products that need to be flame-retardants, excluding clothing and toys, i.e. decaBDE shall not be used in clothing and toys.
- Additives in plastic enclosure and components used in household heating appliances, iron, fans and immersion heater with density less than 10% by weight of the component.
- Polyurethane (PU) foam used for building insulation

Exemptions for SCCP:
- Additives used in the production of conveyors belts in the natural and synthetic rubber industry
- Spare parts for rubber conveyor belts used in mining and forestry
- The leather industry, particularly in fatliquoring of leather
- Lubricating oil additives
- Outdoor decorative lamps
- Water- and oil-resistant paints
- Adhesives
- Metal processing​
- Plasticizer in polyvinly chloride (PVC) (but shall not be used in any toys and children's products)

All exemptions will be expired on December 31, 2023.