Brussels, 16 May 2019 – VECAP, the Voluntary Emission Control Action Program, turns 15 today and celebrates its anniversary with the launch of its new Code of Best Practices. 

 

VECAP, a pioneering product stewardship scheme, aims to reduce the potential emissions of flame retardants by promoting environmental good practices among users and downstream users of polymer additives. 

 

Since their creation, VECAP best practices have helped to dramatically reduce polymer additives emissions. VECAP’s advice helped ensure that in Europe in 2016, over 83% of all brominated flame retardants sold by members of BSEF - The International Bromine Council - were handled correctly by producers and users. In under a decade, the results of the European Progress Reports show that potential emissions of TBBPA and HBCD have fallen to less than 0.001% of the volumes sold. 

 

The new Code of Best Practices includes comprehensive guidance for industry on how to reduce emissions of flame retarding chemical additives. It is based on extensive experience at production and downstream user installations around the globe since 2004.

 

BSEF Secretary General, Dr. Kevin Bradley, welcomes the new Code of Best Practices. “VECAP has demonstrated its value over the years and given industry clear guidance for managing emissions of polymer additives during production of polymers.”

 

The new Code of Best Practices will be widely disseminated and made available via EU and other global sector associations representing compounders, masterbatchers and polymer producers. The Code is voluntary, but companies will be encouraged to incorporate it into their environmental management systems. This way, the code can be mainstreamed into company/facility operations. 

 

In the EU, the existing VECAP programme is already recognised as “best practice in handling and use” by the sector “Use map for masterbatching, compounding, and converting processes” on the ECHA website . Specifically, the guidance recommends “Therefore, registrants are encouraged by EuPC/EuMBC to communicate downstream as a best practice a reference to the VECAP initiative.”

 

The Code has four main elements: 

 

VECAP was established in 2004 by three of the leading global producers of flame retardants – all members of the BSEF, - together with the UK Textile Finishers association. VECAP member companies voluntary commit to VECAP´s easy-to-implement best practices and encourage its customers to implement the code of Best practices.