China products - packaging regulations

[kangalou]

I am just about to import my first product from China, it is coming in a PVC bag with a printed cardboard insert. I thought I had everything covered but i've just discovered that there are legal requirements for packaging, the packaging essential requirements 2003 and they seem pretty stringent.

Before I really start to panic, can anyone advise on this? Should I be asking for a report from the supplier on heavy metals etc?

Any advice would be really appreciated, thanks!

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

"Should I be asking for a report from the supplier on heavy metals etc?"

Whats that got to do with packaging?

Products need to meet their own specific requirements e.g. CE, RoHS etc. If your supplier works to these, they should understand what is needed!

As for packaging, plastick bags need to marked with suffocation warnings, maybe have breather holes...

 

[Liybpg]

It's the first time I hear anything about packaging regulations. I don't think there will be any problems if you are dealing with somewhat experienced suppliers - they should know how to package it. Just to confirm, you can ask them.

 

[kangalou]

Thanks for the advice, i'll ask the supplier and hopefully they will know. I was referring to the Packaging Essential Requirements 2003 which are below. I'm not sure how enforced these are though because I see a lot of packaging around that can't be recycled.
Main legal requirements

No packaging can be placed on the UK market unless it meets the essential requirements and the heavy metal content is within the limits set.
The essential requirements are:

1. The volume and weight of the packaging must be kept to the minimum amount to ensure the necessary levels of safety, hygiene and consumer acceptance for the packed product.
2. Hazardous substances and materials must be kept to a minimum in terms of their emissions when incinerated or landfilled - for example from ash or leachate (the liquid that drains from a landfill site).
3. The packaging must be suitable for one of:
   • recycling
   • energy recovery (meaning that burning it must produce more energy than the incineration process)
   • organic recovery such as composting.
   
   If reuse is claimed, the packaging must be suitable for that purpose as well as at least one of the recovery methods stated above.
4. The total heavy metal limits should not exceed 100 parts per million. These apply to cadmium, mercury, lead and hexavalent chromium. However these limits do not apply to:
   • glass packaging, providing the person responsible can show to the trading standards authority that none of the above mentioned substances have been added during the manufacturing process and that the average concentration of them in the furnace does not exceed 200 parts per million.
   • plastic crates and pallets that have been made from at least 80% recycled plastic that have not intentionally had any heavy metals added. This exemption only applies from 4 March 2009.

 

[Recycling Man]

Please do not import PVC - it is the hardest to recycle
Packaging regulations mainly refer to over £2M turn over and/or producing 50MT/annum.

 

[skyhi2]

Kangalou it is a minefield.

For example :-

If the bag is large enough for a baby/child to get its head in,it has to be punched,and have a "warning of suffocation" label ( although weirdly enough,this is not compulsory,but your end user may require it to be part of the packaging ).

If the item/s you are importing have been tested at source,do they have the appropriate certificates,and will they meet current UK standards ?

Packaging aimed at children should have the appropriate CE marking.

Chinese suppliers have strange ideas of UK requirements,and may not advise you correctly.

Recycling information on the packaging would help,and be to your advantage in this Eco friendly world we all now live in

Heavy metals i know nothing about,sorry.

Can you mention what you will be importing at all ?

Skyhi2.

 

[kangalou]

Thanks very much for the advice.

It is a textile product for babies and will be supplied in a standard PVC bag.

I would like to make the packaging more eco-friendly in the long run but that is going to cost money and first I need to know if the product is going to sell or not.