DENR bans lead in consumer products, packaging

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has banned the use of lead and its compounds in the local production of consumer products and packaging.

Environment Secretary Ramon Paje has issued a chemical control order (CCO) that prohibits the use of lead and lead compounds in the manufacture of packaging for food and drink, toys, school supplies, cosmetics, water pipes and other consumer products, as well its use as fuel additive. Importation of such products is also prohibited.

“The chemical control order for lead and lead compounds is a result of numerous consultations with various stakeholders with the intention of reducing unreasonable risks and injuries to people as a result of their exposure to the chemical as well its negative impact on the environment,” said Paje.

Lead is a highly-toxic heavy metal that could cause severe damage to the nervous system upon exposure or ingestion.

“With the CCO, existing prohibitions by other agencies of the government governing the use of lead and lead compounds in various consumer products are further strengthened,” he added.

The order also mandates compliance to global standard for lead content in locally produced paints at 90 parts per million (ppm).

By 2016, paints intended for architectural, decorative, household applications must comply with this lead content while  paints for industrial applications must conform to the content standard by 2019.  

“The reason for setting the implementation phase for paints is to enable our paint industry to shift to lead-free  production. There is now a global action for the elimination of lead in paints, and certainly this CCO is our way of showing our oneness with this advocacy,” Paje said. 

He noted that the new regulation on lead is consistent with Republic Act 6969, otherwise known as the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990, as it also addresses the transport and treatment of lead-containing wastes prior to disposal.

The law was passed in response to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.

“Since lead is a toxic substance, the regulation covers not only the production process, but starts at the importation of the chemical to transport, recycling and even up to disposal of lead-containing wastes. Thus, the order also covers not only the manufacturers or industrial users but also the importers, distributors, recyclers, as well as the waste service providers like the transporters, waste treaters and disposers,” Paje said.

As such, persons or entities involved in importation, manufacture, distribution, use, recycling, treatment, storage and disposal of lead and lead compounds, are required to register with the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB). Applicants are also required to provide a safety data sheet to ensure the environmentally-sound management of the chemicals.

To ensure proper implementation of the new policy, the DENR will conduct continuous consultation with its partner agencies under the Departments of Health, Trade and Industry, and Finance; as well as the Philippine Association of Paint Manufacturers, the Ecological Waste Coalition, and International POPs Elimination Network  (IPEN) Philippines.

The order also tasks the EMB to lead the development of standards or threshold limits relative to the other existing uses of lead, and to monitor compliance with these standards.  Violators shall face administrative and criminal sanctions.