Stricter requirements for ETAD（Ecological and Toxicological Association of Dyes and Organic Pigments Manufacturers） companies

During the last years ETAD has discussed, both internally and in collaboration with other stakeholder associations, the topic of more stringent impurity requirements for colorants in consumer applications. As a first step, ETAD issued recommendations for impurity profiles of dyes and pigments in different applications, with the aim to facilitate compliance with existing regulatory requirements and standards.

In 2016, however, the ETAD Board decided for a more incisive approach: to strengthen ETAD’s Code of Ethics in order to underline the high level of commitment of the association’s member companies. A corresponding proposal was prepared by the Secretariat and approved unanimously during ETAD’s General Assembly in May 2016.

In its new version, the Code of Ethics requires that all dyes sold by ETAD’s members for consumer applications have to comply with limits for heavy metals, potential aromatic amines from reductive cleavage and other organic impurities, e.g. the limits of CMR primary aromatic amines from potential reductive cleavage of dyes are laid down as less than 150 ppm; PCBs are laid down less than 50 ppm etc. The list of impurities can be downloaded from ETAD’s website (www. etad.com).

Additionally, it is now required that members register as a member of the UN Global Compact, or issue an own binding Code of Conduct, embracing as a minimum the standards and values of the UN Global Compact.

Following the official approval during the 2016 General Assembly, companies will have time until May 2018 to implement the new Code of Ethics.