The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced in December that it had negotiated agreements with several companies to phase out over the next three years a popular plastics flame retardant, decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE), also known as decabromodiphenyl oxide (DBDPO) or “decabrom.” This product has been used for close to 40 years and has been studied extensively. EPA is not banning decaBDE but is encouraging its discontinued sales and use. EPA statements call it a “persistent and toxic chemical” that “potentially causes cancer and may impact brain function” and also “can degrade to more toxic chemicals that … are hazardous to wildlife.” Companies announcing that they will phase out decaBDE include Albemarle Corp., Baton Rouge, La.; Chemtura Corp., Middlebury, Conn.; and Israel’s ICL Industrial Products, said to be the largest importer of the material to the U.S. (ICL-IP America is in St. Louis.) Statements from these companies call decaBDE “one of the world’s most effective and widely used flame retardants” and note that hundreds of scientific studies show that “DecaBDE does not pose any significant risk to the environment or human health.” In fact, a European Union risk assessment in May 2008 found no need for restricting decaBDE, and the Swedish Chemicals Inspectorate decided last March not to pursue any national restrictions.
As we reported last month, Albemarle recently announced an alternative FR product, called GreenArmor. Chemtura and ICL both say they are developing alternatives also, some of which Chemtura plans to introduce this year.
(800) 535-3030 • albemarle.com;
(800) 243-2650 • chemtura.com
(877) 661-4272 • iclfr.com
Polymer Resources responds to sustainability push by upgrading plant with grinding and shredding equipment to take on both postindustrial and postconsumer reclaim.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Loading
Next Up
Why am I seeing this?
Dear Plastics Technology Audience Member:
Starting on Thursday August 8, 2024, PT will begin “gating” its premium content, asking all new website users to provide some information about themselves — name, title, employer, email address — before they are provided free access to the content.
We are doing this because the ways PT’s audience finds and accesses our content is changing. Google’s search algorithms, increasingly, make it difficult to connect PT’s content with the people who might make use of it. On top of that, generative AI like ChatGPT is serving up PT content to internet users without attributing that content to PT.
As a result, it has become increasingly important for PT evolve its audience development strategy and learn as much as possible about who is accessing our content, what content they are accessing and how they are accessing it.
With this audience development strategy, we hope to do two things:
First, we will be better able to deliver directly to our audience the editorial content that aligns with plastics materials, processes and technologies that interest them.
Second, we will be better able to connect the materials, equipment and services our advertisers supply with the audience that is most interested in them.
PT plays a distinctive role and has earned a place of esteem within the focused and specialized industry it serves. Large developments in the media landscape are forcing us to change the way we communicate with our audience. We are confident that our audience values the role PT plays in their professional lives and will join us in this effort to stay connected to them.
We thank you for your continued interest in and support of PT and welcome any questions you might have about the brand’s new content gating strategy.
