REACH

PVCu beads that comply with REACH

The Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals (known as REACH) controls pretty much every construction material in the EEA as almost every “article” used in construction contains “substances”.

Renderplas PVCu beads are manufactured locally in Britain using PVCu materials that are also manufactured in Britain.  This makes REACH compliance very straightforward, far simpler than imported products from countries such as China for example.

Raw Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is completely benign, it is non-hazardous if ingested and does not contaminate water or the environment in any way.  But in order to make it resistant to impact (important for beads) or even flexible (for use in movement joints), the material is unplasticized by the addition of polymer modifiers.  Even though these are used in very small proportions in beads, the substances are still controlled.

The most common modifier that is used is Bis(2-ethyl-hexyl) phthalate known as DEHP.  This is on the list of “substances of very high concern” (SVHC) within the REACH legislation and Renderplas do not and will not use this substance.

EC Official Journal L104/45 – 13.4.2006 dictates that the modifier that we use is “not harmful when fused in solid form” and can be used in articles provided that the material is used for the purposes for which it is intended.  As the manufacture of our PVCu is intended for use in the manufacture of products (such as beads) then it complies with REACH.

Our final obligation under REACH is to communicate this information with anybody in the supply chain that handles our products, as we are doing here, and to provide a safety sheet to anyone that requires it.  You can find this along with any other documents you require on the Downloads page.