The Belgian and Luxembourg association for producers and distributors of cosmetics, cleaning and maintenance products, adhesives, sealants, biocides and aerosols.
The Belgian and Luxembourg association for producers and distributors of cosmetics, cleaning and maintenance products, adhesives, sealants, biocides and aerosols.
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In Belgium, as in many European countries, the tax system is being repositioned as regards the environment with a view to easing the burden on work, on the one hand, and supporting environmental policies and the fight against climate change on the other. In the current context, this is clearly a good direction in which to take taxation, even if, in some cases, the proceeds from such a tax are not used for environmental protection.
On 16 February 2023, the COSMILE Europe database went online in 14 languages across the European Union. COSMILE Europe is a European initiative based on German and French models and is supported by numerous national associations in the cosmetics sector, including Detic. It provides access to data on almost 30,000 cosmetics ingredients as well as general information on these products.
The list of ingredients that, by law, must be included on cosmetics labels is increasingly giving rise to fanciful interpretations and misunderstandings. It is seen as complex gibberish that is inaccessible to consumers because it is credited with virtues, qualities and informative significance that it does not have. In short, it is being called upon to provide something it cannot. People tend to make conclusions through ignorance, so let’s clarify the situation.
There is no miracle solution when it comes to making the circular economy for plastic a reality. It can only be achieved by an intelligent combination of complementary solutions that respond to the complexity of the plastic value chain (with numerous different products, types, qualities and applications). As well as increasing prevention and the reuse of plastic waste, existing and new recycling solutions need to be developed in parallel. This is where chemical recycling can make the difference.
Greenwashing, false information, toxicological dramaturgy or even disinformation have become the common fate of some product communication, whether it comes from third-party players or unscrupulous companies. From Yuka to cruelty-free labels or the myth of manufactured natural products, clearly some people take consumers for idiots. It’s a situation that engulfs the average consumer in a storm of claims that create confusion, phobias and incredulity. Three ‘toxic’ ingredients for those wishing to place consumer goods on the market in a healthy competitive context and provide consumers with the facts they need to make fully informed choices, free of any grey area.
Preserving agents are subject to a host of stringent legislative procedures: in cosmetics, they are governed by the cosmetics regulation and in other products, the biocide regulation applies. But it does not stop there. There is also the regulation on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (the CLP Regulation), which can impact significantly on the authorisation to include preserving agents in these products, and specifically in consumer goods. And that’s the snag.
DETIC members support the need for eco-design to encourage end-of-life reuse and recycle solutions for electronic products and components. The goals for reducing waste and ensuring full circularity of the economy go far beyond what economic actors alone can achieve.
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Everyone knows how important packaging is for a product. It protects and preserves the contents, provides information for the consumer and contributes to the product’s image and marketing. The Flemish Government has decided to set a major challenge for packaging in the form of a Green Deal designed to promote bulk selling or the reuse of packaging in the DETIC sectors.
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The full title of this project, launched by the European Commission last October, is ‘Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. Towards a Toxic-Free Environment’. This long and ambitious tirade in fact conceals a general overhaul of the chemicals strategy so as to adapt the existing legal frameworks and possibly add further tools if the need to do so is felt. When it was announced, the project seemed feasible, but…
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For over a year, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed life for several billion people around the world. A dramatic, disastrous situation with a high mortality rate and one to which we in Western countries had become unaccustomed. The major plagues, cholera, poliomyelitis and other scourges, were part of a distant past, largely forgotten thanks to the improvement of individual and collective hygiene.
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A number of sectors have been forced to close down because of the coronavirus crisis. However, this has not been the case for most DETIC members, beginning with the disinfectant producers which have been among those most in demand. In addition, on 18 March, DETIC sectors were recognised as key sectors providing services that are essential to society and necessary for the socio-economic functioning of the country. This is why these companies have continued to work while restrictions have been imposed on others.
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On closer inspection, a law is not really a regulatory instrument that empowers people. A law is imposed, must be complied with, and those who do not are penalised. And that is far removed from corporate social responsibility, which implies a voluntary commitment, not necessarily altruistic – we would not go that far – but consciously and steadfastly. Is there an alternative to the law? An alternative that does indeed “empower”? Yes indeed. The sectoral agreement.
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For almost 20 years now, the DETIC sectors have focused on solutions, production methods and products that are part of a ‘sustainable development’ approach. More specifically, in terms of the environment, two focal points clearly govern most current initiatives: the quest for sustainable sources of supply and the change in consumption patterns in favour of responsible consumption. In fact, the life-cycle approach applied to our sectors highlights two crucial phases for assessing the environmental impact of our products: the selection and the use of raw materials. These are the stages where action is necessary to further reduce the environmental footprint of our products, particularly their impact on biodiversity.
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The European CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging) regulation, which classifies products that are ‘dangerous’ (according to the legal definition rather than to common sense), is based on the type of danger they represent and requires ‘communication’ associated with that danger. It should be noted that the classification is based on the properties of the substances within a product, but does not take into account how the substances are actually exposed. Thus, it is an assessment of the potential or ‘theoretical’ risk rather than the actual risk. It should also be noted that the associated communication merely indicates the classification of the product (corrosive, inflammable, etc.), but does not state how to guard against the potential dangers related to it. The CLP is a regulation for chemists, not a communication tool for end-users – and certainly not for the average consumer – which is a great shame.
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As a professional association, DETIC represents an interface between civil society (the authorities, NGOs, consumers) and one or more industrial sectors. As such, its mission is clear: to support, assist and advise its members on the responsible marketing of the products, services and solutions they offer. DETIC provides expertise in regulatory and technical matters as well as in communication and sustainable development. It acts as a spokesperson for its sectors with a view to creating and maintaining a positive and sustainable image. All this is founded on a philosophy: DETIC works to develop the potential of its members in the new Sustainable Development social model.
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