The BV Glas member companies deal with environmental issues on a daily basis. On the one hand, they have to obtain approval for their production plants and equipment and, on the other, there are environmental issues associated with the production and use of their products. Glass is produced from various raw materials, resulting not only in waste, but also emissions in the air, water, and ground, which is why politicians are increasingly calling for sustainable production practices that conserve natural resources.
The glass industry has been satisfying these demands for decades already, and it is a pioneer in efficient technologies and innovative products. The glass industry’s activities play an important role in climate and environmental protection.
The REACH Directive (EC 1907/2006) is the European Community regulation on chemicals and their safe use. It went into effect on June 1st 2007. REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. The aim of REACH is to encourage the safe use of chemicals to protect human health and the environment. All substances, their properties and uses must be recorded in a central database run by the European Chemicals Agency in Helsinki. Under REACH, companies are required to register substances and to pass on information about the substances along their supply chains.
The glass industry can be affected by the requirements of the REACH Directive as producer, importer and, more importantly, user of chemical substances. It is what is termed a downstream user. As downstream users, one mandatory requirement for glass manufacturers is to use only substances that are already registered by their manufacturer or importer. Although glass is defined as a substance under REACH, it is generally not subject to the registration requirement (Annex V, no. 11, REACH).
The Industrial Emissions Directive (IED, 2010/75/EU) is the EU-wide basis for the approval, operation, monitoring, and decommissioning of installations. The IED has been revised as part of the European Green Deal's zero-pollution target for a toxic-free environment. Political agreement has been reached following an intensive legislative process. The directive is expected to be published in the Official Journal of the EU in summer 2024. 20 days later, the directive will enter into force and the 22-months implementation period for the member states will begin.
The amendment is intended to channel industrial investment in the direction required for Europe's transition to a toxic-free, competitive and climate-neutral economy by 2050. As before, pollution from industrial installations is to be prevented and reduced, best available techniques (BAT) for industrial installations are to be defined and limit values for emissions to air and water are to be derived from the BAT. The main changes are
- that environmental performance limit values or environmental performance levels are derived from BAT for consumption levels, resource efficiency levels and reuse levels covering materials, water and energy resources and waste.
- that an environmental management system including chemicals inventory of hazardous substances and a transformation plan must be drawn up for each plant.
Implementation into German law is to begin shortly, as the Federal Ministry for the Environment has set itself the goal of completing implementation by the German parliamentary elections in autumn 2025.
Your contact at BV Glas
Ulrike Aldenhoff
Head of Environmental Law and Environmental Policy
Tel. +49 (0)211/ 902278 - 22
E-Mail: aldenhoff@bvglas.de
