The wastes produced by the manufacture of water based coatings have been included in the National Inventory of Hazardous Wastes since its launch. This has been one of the obstacles in promoting the manufacture of water based coatings.
The latest official version of the National Inventory of Hazardous Waste was published in 2008. On Sep 1st 2014, Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) issued a draft of Amendments to the National Inventory of Hazardous Wastes (2008) for public comments. In the draft amendments, the wastes produced by the manufacture of coatings, printing inks and pigments were still classified as hazardous wastes (waste code was 264-011-12).
Recently, the coatings industry association revealed that they had received information from the competent authorities that some of the wastes produced by the manufacture of water based coatings might be removed in the latest amendments to the inventory. In the latest amendments (internal file), the waste code 264-011-12 is defined as “wastes produced from the manufacture of printing inks, pigments, dyes, coatings (excluding water based coatings)”. Other wastes from water based coatings are also removed from corresponding waste codes, including 264-012-12, 900-251-12, 900-252-12.
The latest amendments will be examined and approved by competent authorities. Once passed, it will be good news for the water based coatings industry. The reduced compliance burdens and the more rationale treatment of comparatively safer, more environmentally friendly wastes will provide a much needed stimulus for the coatings industry. The amendments will also mean that competent authorities responsible for carrying out environmental protection activities can focus on more hazardous waste.
