The German aerosol association, the Industrie-Gemeinschaft Aerosole e.V. (IGA), invited participants to its members’ meeting in Bad Homburg on May 10, 2019. Numerous representatives of member companies were in attendance. As usual, the program was both extensive and exciting. IGA Chair Volker Krampe, Beiersdorf AG, opened the meeting with a brief overview of the association’s activities in the past year. He thanked all active members for their support and their commitment in the last year, especially Dr. Rolf Bayersdörfer, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, who, after more than 9 years as FEA President, has handed that role over to Gilles Baudin of L’Oréal.
In his report from the PR committee, Bernhard Meier, Ardagh Metal Packaging Germany GmbH, explained the development of the aerosol market in 2018; it recorded a significant production decline, although demand for deodorant sprays increased. In total, 1.19 billion aerosol products were filled, according to Meier. This represents a decline of 8% as compared to the previous year. The decline in production figures can be traced back to the shift of a large filler’s production to a foreign country. For body care products, production figures dropped by 11.6%, to a total of 782 million cans. For household products, production remained on the same level as the previous year and technical sprays increased by 5.5%, to a total of 77 million filled aerosol cans. Paint and lacquer sprays also increased, by 4.6%, to a total of 91 million filled aerosol cans.
However, market developments look different depending on the area of application. Despite a general downward trend, the deodorant sector remained a bright spot, as in recent years. With an increase of 2.5% as compared to the previous year, 251 million deodorant spray cans were sold in 2018, according to Meier.
Next, Matthias Ibel, CEO of the IGA, presented the 2018 annual financial statement, about which there were no additional questions and to which there were no objections in the meeting. In addition, Matthias Ibel provided a brief explanation of the budget plans for 2018-20, which were then accepted and approved unanimously.
After that, Dr. Thilo Fessmann, Zellaerosol GmbH thanked the management and Executive Board of the IGA for their work in 2018. The Executive Board and management were then unanimously relieved of their duties.
After the opening and official business, the focal point of this year’s spring meeting was on the various specialized topics of the Chemical-Technical Committee CTA), which were presented in detail by the committee chairs.
Further development of the aerosol directive/updates on current topics: report from the CTA
Matthias Ibel began by sketching the current state of consultations about a possible adjustment directive for plastic aerosol cans. Although there is complete unity with regard to safety requirements for such aerosol packaging with the EU Commission and experts from member states, the project for adjusting the aerosol directive has been put on hold by the Commission. First, all of the very detailed questions it has asked about the recycling of plastic aerosol cans need to be clarified. These questions were raised against the background of the Commission’s plastic strategy, according to which all plastic packaging on the EU market should be recyclable by 2030, according to Ibel. At the same time, according to this strategy, consumption of single-use plastics is supposed to be reduced significantly. Mr. Ibel explained the essential content of a single-use plastics directive that should be published soon. Aerosols will not be affected, however this directive indicates very clearly the significance that the goal of reducing the effects of plastic products on the environment has assumed.
12th Adjustment of the CLP regulation
About the consultations held on the CARACAL level concerning the health and environmental classification of aerosols according to the CLP regulation, Ibel said that the FEA is present at each session of the member states about this topic in order to defend its interpretation of the CLP regulations. Given the different views of the representatives of member states, however, it is expected that the consultations on this topic will take more time.
Ibel then explained the intermediate report on the “Workability Study” commissioned by the EU Commission; it concerns recipe reporting according to Annex VIII of the CLP regulation, as well as the proposals made to change this annex by the Europäischer Waschmittelverband A.I.S.E.
In December 2018, the regulation drafts for “Chemicals under pressure” were passed in a UN working group. The FEA’s concern was taken into account so that in the future, these products should be regulated by the GHS within the same section as aerosols, but in a separate subchapter. This new classification should especially affect large pressure containers for applying paint in road construction.
Matthias Ibel then described the essential content of the “Enforcement Regulation” already passed in the EU parliament. The new regulations, which should also take affect for the market monitoring of aerosol products insofar as there are no appropriate special legal specifications, should take effect in 2022.
Presented also was a tightening up of the regulation about explosive material raw materials passed by the EU Parliament. According to the reworked regulation, only homogeneous mixtures should be excepted from the notification requirement for suspicious transactions, those which have more than five components and in which the concentration of the explosive raw material (e.g. acetone or hydrogen peroxide) is less than 1% by weight. Manufacturers of products that fall under this notification requirement should be obligated to inform trading companies of this. People who are involved in the delivery of the affected products to private or commercial consumers must be trained with respect to the duties existing according to the regulation.
Finally, Ibel explained the planned regulations about the “dual quality” of products that should be introduced with a change of the directive 2005/29/EU about unfair commercial practices.
Standardization/test methods
After Matthias Ibel’s remarks, Michael Fürst, Ardagh Metal Packaging Germany GmbH, reported about the current consultations on the following FEA and CEN standards:
CEN Standard 14854:2005: Aerosol containers - Glass containers - Dimensions of the neck finish
With respect to this standard, the standards organizations of 5-6 countries (incl. DIN) have in the meantime declared themselves prepared to cooperate.
CEN Standard 15006:2006: Metal aerosol containers – Aluminium containers – Dimensions of the 25.4 mm aperture
This standard has been reworked from the point of view of the working group, however not yet forwarded to CEN since agreement on the shoulder height and contact height is still lacking. Here, BAMA has announced that it will present a compromise proposal.
CEN Standard‚ EN 15007:2017 (ex-FEA 214): Aerosol packaging – Tinplate containers – Dimensions of two- and three-part containers
Here too, BAMA announced a briefing paper, which has not yet been presented and in which the most relevant dimensions of an aerosol can (distinguished according to ‘major,’ ‘minor,’ and ‘non-critical) are defined, as the basis for further discussions.
Hazardous materials update
In his hazardous materials update, Volker Krampe discussed the new ADR, which will go into force on 7/1/2019.
In this context, Krampe reported about various incidents relating to the transport of aerosol cans.
In addition, he spoke about a reworking of the “FEA Guide on the Transport of Aerosols,” in which the hazardous material specifications for all types of transport considered for aerosols will be explained in detail.
The crowning touch on this year’s IGA members’ meeting was the talk by future researcher Michael Carl, 5 Sterne Team, on the topic “Customers in 2030: Dialogue with many Strangers,” which was received enthusiastically by everyone in attendance.
