Special Environmental Standards For Zippers
December 26, 2019
In addition to the general environmental standards, the zipper manufacturing industry also adopts special environmental standards, which are specifically targeted at certain harmful substances or materials.
1.2005/84/EC
The EU phthalates directive numbered 2005/84/ EC, as the name suggests, is specifically forced to ban the use of phthalate substances in PVC and other plasticized materials in all children products including toys and clothing.
Phthalates are chemical substances commonly added to plastics to increase flexibility, transparency, and durability. The thing is, phthalates are vulnerable to rapid degradation, and can contaminate the air easily, especially phthalates with lower molecular weight.
This directive limits the use of lower-molecular-weight phthalates such as DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP and DNOP to a maximum of 0.1% by mass.
2.94/62/EC
This EU directive addresses the issues of packaging waste, which is one of the largest contributors to global waste. Also, it addresses the usage of heavy metal contents in packaging.
This directive is especially focused on:
Setting target for recovery and recycling
Essential requirements for packaging, including minimization of volume, weight, and the design of the package to allow recovery process
Restricting certain heavy metals in packaging (Hg, Pb, Cr6+, Cd), which are hazardous to the environment
3.2009/425/EC
Very similar to the phthalates directive we have discussed above. However, the substance addressed this time is organotin instead of phthalates.
Organotin is a tin-based compound with hydrocarbon substituents, and is commonly used as stabilizers in PVC materials. Certain organotin substances are hazardous both to humans and the environment, which is addressed by this directive.
The directive limits the usage of Dioctyltin (DOT) and Dibutyltin (DBT) by 0.1% according to mass.
4.ZEK 01.4-08
The ZEK 01.4-08 supersedes the ZEK 01.2-08 is a GS-Mark certification, which is the German standard certification for product safety (GS stands for Geprüfte Sicherheit meaning “Tested Safety”.
This certification specifically addresses PAH (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon) substances, which has been suggested as one of the primary causes of cancer.
To pass this GS-Mark, the consumer product must have a very limited amount of under 0.2% for 10 different dangerous PAHs, as well as below 1% for the sum of 7 specified PAHs.
5.2006/122/EC
This EU directive addresses perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) substances, which are mainly used in the production of fluoropolymers, common in the textile industry.
PFOS and PFOA are easily degraded to the environment, and are dangerous both to humans and the environments. In humans, they can affect stomach, liver, and thyroid hormones. The 2006/122/EC directive now prohibits the use of PFOS, while PFOA is severely limited.
6.2009/251/EC
This directive addresses the use of dimethyl fumarate (DMF), which has been found as an allergic sensitizer even at a very low concentration. DMF can cause difficult to treat eczema, and so this directive now prohibits the use of DMF on any products.
