Several German recycling industry associations have issued a letter jointly questioning the practicality of the pending SCIP (Substances of Concern in Products) database planned for the European Union. The four associations, the Federal Association of German Waste Management, Water and Raw Materials Management (BDE), the Federal Association of German Steel Recycling and Disposal Companies (BDSV), the Federal Association of Secondary Raw Materials and Disposal (BVSE) and the Association of German Metal Dealers (VDM), also have called for a dialogue or forum on the SCIP database.
The associations have expressed concern that the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and its SCIP database shows a “lack of practical suitability,” and they point to three points of contention:
- That high volume processing, such as shredding, of different types of products with different compositions is absolutely necessary for recycling to take place economically. Such work is done “on a ton scale and not on a single piece scale,” say the groups, making consulting a SCIP database impractical.
- Each of the many components in an old appliance or electronic item “cannot in reality be individually identifiable” during processing, again making ongoing consultations with the SCIP database impractical.
- Old vehicles, appliances and electrical cables—among other items—may date back to a time when they will not be in the database at all.
Source: Recycling Today
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