Course Description:
Although polymers were initially excluded from Europe's REACH obligations, the European Commission has proposed that polymers now be included within REACH's scope. A study published in 2020 estimated that there are over 200,000 polymers in commercial use in countries under REACH jurisdiction, and that about 33,000 of them, representing roughly 11,000 'unique polymers,' could require registration. Revoking REACH's exclusion of polymers presents a monumental challenge to implement. To reduce the total of 200,000 polymers in use down to the 33,000 polymers requiring registration, or PRRs, the study proposed a method of classification that includes a category for polymers of low concern (PLCs) and recommended that registration of PLCs should not be required. The report did not disclose any systematic method for identifying PLCs, although, in late 2020, the European Commission suggested using Canada's criteria to identify PLCs. In this presentation, the speakers will discuss the origin and evolution of the PLC concept, PLC criteria, and how incorporating the concept into REACH could significantly minimize the regulatory burden on industry and authorities.

Contact Hours:
1 Contact Hour

Presentation Date:
09/30/2021

Presenters:
Jeffrey Hafer, knoell USA, LLC