REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) has been around in some form or another since 1998. It entered into force in 2007, registration began in 2008 and the full timeline runs into the future. It is a piece of chemical legislation governing all products sold in the EU with an aim to keep nasty things out of everything from your slippers to your hair wax.
If you find yourself here wondering if the banner materials and textiles you are using from Ultraflex Europe are REACH compliant then this is going to a short read. Yes, it is. We go one step further and ensure none of our materials contain any substances of very high concern (nasty things). You won’t be gaining superpowers or growing an extra arm from being in contact with our products. Sorry.
Satisfied but still curious? Wondering what a substance of very high concern is? OK, read on.
The candidate list is one step in the authorisation process of REACH. Chemicals that are substances of very high concern (SVHCs) are placed on the candidate list for authorisation. Authorisation is intended to drive out problem substances. A substance on the candidate list is short listed for consideration for restriction or banning of use.
If a material contains a substance of very high concern (SVHC) in a concentration of <0.1% you have a duty of care to inform your customers of the presence of the substance. This is often done via a declaration on the invoice and delivery paperwork.
As our banner materials and textiles contain no SVHC it means you don’t have to worry about it. We only work with production partners who can provide proof that they have been audited and can produce materials to our standards and that of REACH.
We insist on the latest plasticizers and had a no heavy metals policy long before it was required.
This information is intended as a guide only. The purchaser should independently determine, prior to use, the suitability of materials for their specific purpose. That is to say REACH is probably the most complex piece of legislation in EU history and is 848 pages longer than this article.