Tag: compliance eu

Phthalates are chemicals used to improve the flexibility and durability of certain plastics. Some of them have been linked to certain cancers, metabolic disorders, and male infertility. As a result, the European Union strictly regulates the usage of phthalates in consumer products.

Still, consumer products, including toys, PVC plastic products, and food packaging, might contain restricted phthalates as these are not restricted or banned in all countries. In this guide, we explain what importers and manufacturers must know about phthalate restrictions in the European Union.
Continue reading Phthalate Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

All products sold in the EU must be safe for consumer to use, even if no specific directive, regulation or standard exist for the product in question. This is also the purpose of the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD).

Note that, even if you sell products that are mainly covered by other regulations (e.g. electronics, which are covered by several CE marking directives) it is still possible that the GPSD still apply for some aspects, such as mechanical safety.

In this guide, we explain what producers must know about harmonised standards, documentation, labelling, and lab testing.

Continue reading General Product Safety Directive (GPSD): An Overview

Products ranging from jewellery and watch cases to electronic components and toy paints may contain heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury. The European Union strictly regulates – and in some cases, prohibits – the usage of these substances, due to their toxicity.

In this article, we summarise several EU regulations and directives covering heavy metals, including REACH, the RoHS Directive, and the Toy Safety Directive.
Continue reading Heavy Metals Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy that makes manufacturers and importers responsible for what happens to the packaging of their products after it has reached its post-consumer stage. This means that companies must pay a fee to a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO), which in turn collects, disposes, and recycles their packaging.

In this guide, we introduce Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) in different EU countries, that can help your company comply with national EPR requirements. Every EU member state has a list of recognised Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO). In this article, we only list organisations that are PRO Europe members, which covers most EU countries. Continue reading List of Extended Producer Responsibility Organisations (PRO) in the EU

Are you planning to use packaging recycling and sustainability symbols on your products or packaging in the EU? This article covers several symbols, such as the Mobius Loop, the Green Dot, and the OK compost labels.

While most of the symbols we cover are voluntary, some might be compulsory in some countries.

Note: This article has been updated since the video was recorded. The video may contain some errors.

Continue reading Packaging Recycling and Sustainability Symbols in the EU: An Overview