News: VECAP third annual progress report, available here
For the first VECAP annual progress report, click here
VECAP stands for Voluntary Emissions Control Action Programme established by the brominated flame retardant industry. It was set up to manage, monitor and minimise industrial emissions of brominated flame retardants into the environment through partnership with the supply chain including Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
As such, it represents advance practice of the chemical user chain cooperation which will be required under the new EU chemicals policy of REACH.
VECAP is a product stewardship industry initiative that reinforces the reduction of emissions throughout the manufacturing process by fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
The brominated flame retardant industry has voluntarily committed itself to VECAP, serving as a commitment shared by its members.
The VECAP principles:
VOLUNTARY INITIATIVE:
it demonstrates the commitment of the industries involved, to act in a voluntary manner which supports the interests of society and the environment
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT:
on-going efforts focused on what and how to ensure better results.
TRANSPARENCY:
publishing of reports and information via a VECAP competence centre.
BEST PRACTICE SHARING:
VECAP offers all companies - small, medium or large - equal access to industry expertise in process performance resulting in best practice.
SUSTAINABLE USE:
ensuring safe and eco-efficient use of brominated flame retardants.
VECAP CERTIFICATION:
an independent third party VECAP audit procedure, using ISO 9001/14001 principles is under development.
On this webpage you will find all the necessary documents and information to help you to follow the VECAP.
For a general overview, please see the VECAP leaflet
Why VECAP ?
In 2001, the brominated flame retardant industry (BSEF) commissioned the Dutch Fisheries Research Institute (RIVO) to take environmental samples in five EU Member States (the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the UK). The RIVO findings, published in 2002, showed low detection levels of Deca-BDE, mainly in sediment. Importantly, this study showed that the detection levels were substantially more significant near certain industrial production sites where Deca-BDE was used.
The RIVO results prompted the brominated flame retardant industry to initiate the VECAP programme. Since Deca-BDE is not manufactured in the EU, the emissions of Deca-BDE into the environment were coming from operations associated with the formulation and use at downstream production sites. In order to monitor the success of the VECAP program, the
brominated flame retardant industry embarked on what has become a ten-year programme to develop and implement a system for emission monitoring and control measures. The initial focus of the programme are the textile and plastics industries in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands, covering more than 95% of the Deca-BDE EU consumption.
In 2004, the UK was chosen as a pilot for a European-wide programme aimed at controlling and reducing industrial emissions of DecaBDE. Many industrial users of Deca-BDE in the UK textiles industries are currently implementing reduced emissions techniques in line with the VECAP Code of Good Practice (CoP). Experience from these trials has demonstrated that in textile coating processes it has been possible to obtain emission reductions as high as 90% for minimal additional cost.
A VECAP program specific to Decabromodiphenyl ether (Deca-BDE) was launched in the United States and Canada in 2006. To read more about VECAP in North America here (http://www.bsef.com/product_stew/vecap_us/)
How does VECAP work ?
Through VECAP, the manufacturers and users of brominated flame retardants are working together to establish and share best practices on their handling to minimise emissions to the environment.
VECAP voluntarily commits companies to the following practices:
• producers of Deca-BDE provide guidance to their customers on handling and processing of Deca-BDE.
• users analyse product flows and processes to define where efficiency improvement is feasible
• users measure and record Deca-BDE use, gather data on waste flows and product loss of Deca-BDE
• users will manage data, identify process improvements and achieve emissions control of Deca-BDE
The process steps
Which BFRs does VECAP cover ?
Initially VECAP has been focused on the use of Deca-BDE by the plastics and textile industries in Europe.
Its early success has motivated the brominated flame retardant industry to roll out VECAP globally, and to implement it for other flame retardants. A similar initiative was launched in 2006 for the handling of Deca-BDE in North America and Canada, click here for more information (http://www.bsef.com/product_stew/vecap_us/). Also, VECAP has been launched for TBBPA’s use in plastics and HBCD used in textiles and a similar programme, SECURE, for HBCD’ use in expanded and extruded polystyrene.
The VECAP Competence Centre
The VECAP competence centre aims to support VECAP users in addressing their specific needs, as well as to further improve the VECAP system as it evolves and to promote operational implementation of this practice.
A toolkit has been developed to assist the downstream users to perform the self-audit and draw a mass balance. It also provides general principles to monitor and control emissions. It is available in various languages and consists of the following elements:
CODE OF GOOD PRACTICE:
working procedures and good housekeeping measures aimed at controlling and reducing emissions.
Please click here to download the Code of practice for textile processes and the Code of practice for plastic processes
BEST AVAILABLE TECHNIQUE FOR EMPTYING BAGS CONTAINING BFRs:
appendix to the Code of Good Practice valid for all use-processes where BFRs are delivered in 20-25 kg bags or 500-1000 kg big bags. The objective of this document is to offer advice to minimize emissions when emptying and disposing of BFR packaging.
Please click here to download the document
SELF-CONTROL GUIDANCE DOCUMENT:
Supports users in defining where they stand in respect of the Code provisions
PROCESS FLOW CHART:
Assists the user to identify where the potential material losses can occur within the processes
MASS BALANCE SHEET:
Assists the user to complete and close the mass balance scheme
For the textile processes and others involving the use of Deca-BDE in aqueous dispersions you will find the following documents to help you to put in place a VECAP programme:
1. Textile toolkit including
a. guide to closing the mass balance and reporting charts
b. process flow charts and
c. self audit questionnaires,
2.. Greening the Textile Supply Chain Brochure
For plastics and other non-aqueous use applications:
1. Plastics toolkit including self audit questionnaire
a. guide to closing the mass balance and reporting charts
b. process flow charts and
c. self audit questionnaire
VECAP PRODUCT STEWARD:
Supports users in addressing their specific needs and questions. For contact details see below.
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How can I join VECAP?
You can join the VECAP programme by signing the “Company commitment” included in the last page of the Code of Practice for textiles or plastics. You can also contact directly the VECAP Product Steward to discuss your individual needs and further steps (see contact details below).
What people think about VECAP
"I welcome this voluntary industry programme to reduce emissions of the flame retardant Deca-BDE to the environment. DG Enterprise supports voluntary industry action where this can result in environmental improvement hand in hand with economic development. I look forward to the further expansion of VECAP with a view to this providing an example of best practice for other industrial sectors"
Michel Catinat
Head of the Competitiveness Aspects of Sustainable
Development Unit, DG Enterprise, European Commission |
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“Our customers expect us to control carefully the use of chemicals in the products we sell. VECAP is just the type of proactive response we are looking for our suppliers to adopt to meet these growing customer expectations.”
Mike Barry
Head of Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Marks & Spencer |
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“Ford Motor Company supports the objectives of this voluntary initiative to further minimise brominated flame retardant environmental emissions.
Based on pan-regional rollout of VECAP, application of the program to Ford's affected supply base
would be encouraged.”
Andy Taylor, Director
Corporate Citizenship/Sustainability, Ford of Europe |
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"The Environment Agency (England and Wales) is pleased to see chemical producers working so effectively with their downstream users to introduce a process to monitor and control emissions.
Had VECAP been a regulatory measure, with overall UK emission reductions of 75% in its first year, it would have been hailed
as a major success. That it was achieved as an industry voluntary commitment means that this level of environmental protection was attained far faster and with great savings. We look forward to the next year's developments."
England and Wales Environment Agency |
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VECAP in practice – some examples
FOR TEXTILES: Implementation of the VECAP Code of Good Practice at a UK textile company has resulted in low cost adaptations of the production process. An example is scraping out barrels, instead of just draining them, which reduces the Deca-BDE loss per barrel by 90% reducing correspondingly the water emissions as well as increasing manufacturing process efficiency. An example of "Good ecology" = "Good economy".
For more details on this particular case study, please click here
FOR PLASTICS: Analysing the mass balance indicates that air emissions during emptying of the Deca-BDE packaging is a potential emission source in plastic applications. Feedback from the users indicates that they are installating ventilation equipped with adequate filters as part of their commitment to VECAP resulting in at least 95% reduction of air emissions for that operation.
For more details on best technique for emptying bags containg BFRs, click here
VECAP contacts
VECAP Product Steward:
Paul Adriaenssens
Tel: +32 475 74 34 41
e-mail: qualipa@skynet.be
The VECAP process for the Textile Industry in the UK is administered by the Textile Finishers Association. For further details please contact:
John Lambert
Textile Finishers Assoc.
Merrydale House
Roydsdale
Bradford BD4 6SB
Tel: 0044 (0)1274 470040
Fax: 01274682293
e-mail: john@cbwt.co.uk
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