“The move has been 12 months in discussion and was unanimously approved at the recent NPPD annual general meeting,” said TTF technical and trade officer Nick Llewellin.
“From June 1 this year, members should not be placing orders for panel products that have an formaldehyde emission release class of E2. It must be E1, or E0.”
He added that the market has been moving toward lower emission products, but to his knowledge the NPPD was taking a lead among European industry organisations in making it a compulsory criteria for membership.
“There is no legal obligation, so it’s a demonstration of members being ahead of the game and their commitment on emissions and to provide a better product and modern construction materials,” he said.
“They see it as part of their corporate social responsibility.”
The E1 clause is now part of the TTF Code of Conduct and, said Mr Llewellin, there is a “course of action” for any non-compliance. Members must ensure that manufacturers’ claims on formaldehyde are backed up with test results, and test themselves, if these are not sufficient.
All product packaging must also be correctly and legibly marked according to the terms of the NPPD Code of Practice.
This must include information on glue type, thickness, visual grade, and the manufacturer’s mark and country of origin.
