Plastics contain a range of different chemicals. These chemicals are added to change and improve the performance of the plastics. Some chemicals make plastic more flexible, some make them more resistant to heat and sunlight, and some are for colouring. It is estimated that by 2050, 2 billion tonnes of chemical additives will have been used in plastic.
While many of the chemicals that are added to plastics are useful and safe, some are chemicals of concern. These chemicals have concerning properties—for example, some do not easily break down and last for a long time in the environment, some are toxic, and some can build up to high levels in animals. Chemicals of concern are released into the environment over time from plastics. This can happen during manufacture, during use, or when the product becomes waste.
The following is a shortlist of chemicals of concern used in some plastics. These chemicals were short-listed based on information currently published in Australian risk assessments and global lists of high-concern chemicals. This list is intended for use by importers, exporters, manufacturers and retailers of plastic products, to inform environmentally sound product choices and contribute to global phase-out efforts.
Careful management of these chemicals, including by phasing them out of plastics, will help to reduce the load of chemicals of concern entering the environment.
The chemicals listed in Table 1 will be prioritised for future regulatory controls under the new Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard (IChEMS).
Abbreviation | Common name | CAS Registry Number | Reason for inclusion on the list | Used in | Concentration | Function |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DEHP |
Diethylhexyl phthalate |
117-81-7 |
|
PVC |
300 g/kg plastic |
Plasticiser |
DBP |
Dibutyl phthalate |
84-74-2 |
|
PVC |
300 g/kg plastic |
Plasticiser |
BPA |
Bisphenol A |
80-05-7 |
|
PVC |
1 g/kg plastic |
Antioxidant |
4NP |
Nonylphenol |
84852-15-3 |
|
PS PVC |
0.9 – 1.8 g/kg plastic 2.6 – 4.2 g/kg plastic |
Antioxidant |
NP |
Nonylphenol |
25154-52-3 |
|
PS PVC |
0.9 – 1.8 g/kg plastic 2.6 – 4.2 g/kg plastic |
Antioxidant |
HBCD |
Hexabromocyclododecane |
3194-55-6 |
|
Nylon PS ABS/SAN/ASA PP |
- 5 – 30 g/kg plastic - - |
Flame retardant |
decaBDE |
Decabromodiphenyl ether |
1163-19-5 |
|
ABS/SAN/ASA Nylon |
85 – 140 g/kg plastic 85 – 140 g/kg plastic |
Flame retardant |
Dechlorane Plus |
Dechlorane Plus |
13560-89-9 |
|
ABS/SAN/ASA PU Nylon PP |
30 – 350 g/kg plastic 30 – 350 g/kg plastic 30 – 350 g/kg plastic 30 – 350 g/kg plastic |
Flame retardant |
SCCP |
Short-chain chlorinated paraffins |
85535-84-8 |
|
PVC |
330 g/kg plastic
|
Plasticiser/flame retardant |
MCCP |
Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins |
85535-85-9 |
|
PVC |
150 g/kg plastic |
Flame retardant |
UV 328 |
|
25973-55-1 |
|
PVC PU ABS/SAN/ASA |
1 – 10 g/kg plastic - - |
UV stabiliser |
TTS |
Tetralead trioxide sulphate |
12202-17-4 |
|
PVC |
10 – 40 g/kg plastic |
Heat stabiliser |
- |
Lead distearate |
1072-35-1 |
PVC |
10 – 40 g/kg plastic |
Heat stabiliser |
This information was drawn from publicly available, peer reviewed sources. For more information, email: chemicals@awe.gov.au
Key for Table 1:
PVC: polyvinyl chloride; PS: polystyrene; ABS: acrylonitrile butadiene styrene; SAN: styrene acrylonitrile; ASA: acrylonitrile styrene acrylate; PU: polyurethane; PP: polypropylene; PE-LD: Low Density Polyethylene; PE-HD: High Density Polyethylene; PET: Polyethylene Terephthalate. 1 Substitute It Now (SIN) list. 2 Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) list.
Chemicals of concern aren’t used in all plastics
Many of the chemicals used in plastics are low concern. Only some plastics contain high concern chemical additives.
How to determine if a plastic product contains chemicals of concern
The best way to find out whether a plastic product contains high concern chemicals is by requesting this information from the product manufacturer or retailer. Reading the ingredients list on a product label won’t normally tell you what’s in the plastic. For example, reading the ingredients list on a shampoo bottle tells you about the ingredients in the shampoo, not about the ingredients in the plastic bottle. To find out this information, you could contact the shampoo manufacturer.
Disposing of a product that contains chemicals of concern
To find out how to dispose of a plastic product that contains a chemical in Table 1, contact your state or territory government.
Australian Capital Territory |
|
New South Wales |
|
Northern Territory |
|
Queensland |
|
South Australia |
|
Tasmania |
|
Victoria |
|
Western Australia |
Government action on chemicals of concern
The Australian Government has recently established the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Standard—or IChEMS—to help industry and governments manage the environmental risks of chemicals. Through IChEMS we can manage chemicals of concern, including those listed in Table 1.