Product Safety Community Discussion with Defra on Mercury Added Products

Join us on 20th June at 10.30am to discuss mercury added products (MAPs) with Defra. Defra are looking to gather information on import, export and manufacturing of a numbers of MAPs which are being phased out under the Minamata Convention on mercury. Defra want to understand the impact the phasing out of the MAPs will have. 

• Products which are mercury added products 
• Questions to think about before the session

Some example of mercury added products are..

• Mercury vacuum pumps
• Compact fluorescent lamps with an integrated ballast (CFL.i) for general lighting purposes that are ≤ 30 watts with a mercury content not exceeding 5 mg per lamp burner
• Cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL) and external electrode fluorescent lamps (EEFL) of all lengths for electronic displays
• Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) for general lighting purposes that are > 30 watts
• Compact fluorescent lamps with a non-integrated ballast (CFL.ni) for  general lighting purposes that are ≤ 30 watts with a mercury content not  exceeding 5 mg per lamp burner
• Linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) for general lighting purposes: Halophosphate phosphor ≤ 40 watts with a mercury content not  exceeding 10 mg per lamp and Halophosphate phosphor > 40 watts
• Linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) for general lighting purposes: a. Triband phosphor < 60 watts with a mercury content not exceeding 5 mg/lamp b. Triband phosphor ≥ 60 watts with a mercury content not exceeding 5 mg per lamp c. Triband phosphor ≥ 60 watts with a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp
• Non-linear fluorescent lamps (NFLs)  (e.g., U-bend and circular) for general lighting purposes: a.Triband phosphor, all wattages b.Halophosphate phosphor, all wattages
• Tyre balancers and wheel weights
• Photographic film and paper

Questions to Consider before the Call...

• Do you currently manufacture, import, or export these items? If so, could you specify the product types, volumes, and value of these products. For imports, please also specify whether these items are used by the importer or sold to consumers and other businesses.
• How much mercury in mg does each product contain?
• Does your business hold stockpiles?
• Do you expect to incur, or has your business incurred any costs (e.g. staff time/labour costs) associated with identifying, sourcing and testing alternatives to mercury or reducing mercury content within the relevant MAPs? If so, could they please specify this.
• Do you expect to incur, or has your business incurred any costs associated with the manufacture, import or export of alternative products that are mercury free or have lower mercury content? This could, for example, include an increase in the price of the material or relevant product from using mercury free alternatives or less mercury content.  If so, please specify this. 
• Would you expect to face, or has your business faced any other costs or burdens associated with a requirement to import, export and manufacture mercury free alternatives or lower content mercury added products? If so, please specify this.
• Is your business aware of any potential impacts on either their downstream users or their suppliers?