NPE Or A New Barrier To The Textile Industry: Social Responsibility Caused By Environmental Hormones

Recently, the mainstream British media announced that members of the European Union have banned the ban on NPE (nonylphenol polyethoxylates) in textiles by anonymous vote, and are expected to begin implementation in August.

The ban has set a five year pition period.

The content of NPE is more than 0.01% (i.e. 100mg/kg), and it is not allowed to enter the EU market.

The news has attracted worldwide attention since it was reported. As a big exporter of textile and clothing, the ban will also have an impact on China.

Industrial uses are widespread and environmental hazards attract attention.

NPE, called nonylphenol polyoxyethylene, is a commonly used surfactant component in industrial detergents and detergent products. It is widely used in textile industry and will remain in textile fibers.

NPE residues in clothing will not directly threaten human health, but NPE can enter the environment with water washing.

NPE can easily decompose nonylphenol (NP) in water.

NP is a recognized environmental hormone, which simulates estrogen, interferes with the sexual development and endocrine of organisms, and affects animal breeding. Even low concentration is also very harmful.

Moreover, NP can accumulate continuously through the food chain, which eventually leads to precocious puberty and the decline of reproductive quality.

Greenpeace, an international environmental group, conducted a survey of NPE residues in textiles in 2011 and released a public report in August of that year, saying that 2/3 of its garments contain NPE, including many world-renowned brands.

Under the long-term efforts of all parties, the prohibition of NPE has attracted widespread attention, and many well-known garment enterprises have begun to work out a progress plan for eliminating harmful chemicals.

The guardian's ban is in fact a revised draft of the REACH law referred to in the G/TBT/N/EU/280 notification issued by the European Union on April 16th to the WTO member states on the grounds of environmental protection on the grounds of environmental protection.

According to the draft, the European Union will implement the NPE ban on imported textiles in addition to the many second-hand goods or recycled textiles that have been washed for many times.

Disable NPE to become consensus control measures frequency code

In the context of the increasing demand for consumer products "safety, health and environmental protection", such incidents as bisphenol A storm and plasticizer have repeatedly struck the manufacturing industry, and the control measures of NPE in various countries are frequently overweight.

As early as July 2012, Germany proposed the inclusion of nonylphenol in the REACH regulations, which was highly concerned about the list of substances. In December of the same year, nonylphenol was found in the eighth batch of highly concerned substances list, and was defined as potentially harmful to the environment.

According to the European Chemicals authority, the latest European Union's latest ban was put forward by Sweden in 2013 and strongly supported by European Chemicals authority scientists.

In 2013, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identified 8 NPE substitutes that met safety standards through the assessment plan, and in October 2014, the 15 categories of NPE chemicals were included in the "important new rules of use".

This means that the import and production of these substances need to be fulfilled 90 days in advance for strict reporting procedures, so that EPA can take effective NPE risk prevention and control measures.

The standard CNS15290, revised in July 2014 in Taiwan, China, has increased the NPE and NP content limits for children under 12 years of age.

At the beginning of 2011, NP and NPE were listed as prohibited substances for import and export in China's catalogue of strictly prohibited import and export of toxic chemicals.

But in the short term, it is difficult to completely eliminate NPE.

Social responsibility is hard to avoid. Green manufacturing is the way out.

Although the NPE hazard has reached a consensus, the ban on NPE will still be given at this stage.

The development has brought great impact. After the European Union issued the ban, local enterprises have protested to the EU authorities, saying that NPE is widely used in the supply chain and is difficult to comply with.

The technical level of China's textile industry still has a certain gap with the European Union objectively. Even though the new regulation has provided a pitional period of five years, China's export enterprises still have a long way to go.

Suggested Enterprises:

First, we should pay attention to the laws and regulations of safety, hygiene and environmental protection in time.

In recent years, the developed countries such as the European Union and the United States have continuously strengthened the control of harmful chemicals in consumer goods. Enterprises should pay close attention to the research developments of the European Chemicals authority and the EPA, and grasp the opportunities.

Two is to strengthen the sense of social responsibility.

In the long run, the elimination of environmental hormones and other harmful substances in consumer products is an unavoidable social responsibility for enterprises. Enterprises should increase investment in research and development of green consumer goods, improve production processes, reduce harmful emissions, accelerate pformation and upgrading, and win social respect.

Three is to improve product inspection gatekeeper.

For hazardous substances which are temporarily unable to be completely avoided, such as technology and other factors, enterprises should strictly check and ensure products.

It meets the requirements of domestic and international regulations and standards, and avoids economic losses caused by foreign notification and return.