ECHA publishes new guidance on waste and recovered substances

05-17-2010: ECHA publishes new guidance on waste and recovered substances. This new guidance is for companies who recycle and recover. Recycled or recovered chemical substances do not necessarily need to be registered under REACH. The guidance provides advice on the obligations under REACH and clarifies the criteria that need to be met in order for companies to benefit from that exemption. Companies who do not fulfil these obligations will have to register their recycled or recovered chemical substances. It also explains their obligation to share information on recycled and recovered substances in the supply chain.

The initial draft for the guidance on waste and recovered substances was prepared by the European Commission on the basis of a limited consultation with Member State Competent Authorities and stakeholder organisations. The European Commission handed over the document to ECHA for further development. Recovery operators have asked for more guidance on how to fulfil the requirements to benefit from the exemption to register and how to obtain the information in the supply chain.

The guidance together with an overview of comments made during the consultation process are available on ECHA’s website.