CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND RETAIL E-SSENTIALS

Scope of restriction

Articles produced from polymers or copolymers of PVC

Limit

< 0.1% by weight of PVC material

a) Articles covered under existing legislation: 

• Articles covered by paragraph 1, in accordance with paragraphs 2 to 5, and by paragraph 7 in accordance with paragraphs 8 and 10 of Entry 63 of REACH Annex XVII;
• Food contact materials covered by Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004;
• Electrical and electronic equipment covered by RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU;
• Packaging and packaging waste covered by Directive 94/62/EC;
• Toys covered by Directive 2009/48/EC;

B) PVC-silica separators in lead acid batteries until 28 May 2033;

C) PVC articles containing recovered flexible PVC until 28 May 2025;

D) i) Following article types containing recovered rigid PVC contain lead less than 1.5% by weight of the recovered rigid PVC until 28 May 2033;

a) profiles and sheets for exterior applications in buildings and civil engineering works, excluding decks and terraces;
b) profiles and sheets for decks and terraces, provided that the recovered PVC is used in a middle layer and is entirely covered with a layer of PVC or other material for which the content of lead is lower than 0.1% by weight;
c) profiles and sheets for use in concealed spaces or voids in buildings and civil engineering works (where they are inaccessible during normal use, excluding maintenance);
d) profiles and sheets for interior building applications, provided that entire surface of the profile or sheet facing the occupied areas of a building after installation is produced using PVC or other material for which the concentration of lead is lower than 0.1% by weight;
e) multi-layer pipes (excluding pipes for drinking water), provided that the recovered PVC is used in a middle layer and is entirely covered with a layer of PVC or other material for which the concentration of lead is lower than 0.1 % by weight; 
f) fittings, excluding fittings for pipes for drinking water.

ii) From 28 May 2026, rigid PVC recovered from the categories of articles referred to in points a) to d) shall only be used for the production of new articles of any of those categories;

iii) Suppliers of PVC articles containing recovered rigid PVC with a concentration of lead equal to or greater than 0.1 % by weight of the PVC material shall ensure, before placing those articles on the market, that they are visibly, legibly and indelibly marked with the statement: “Contains ≥ 0.1 % lead”;

iv) Suppliers of PVC articles containing recovered rigid PVC shall submit to national enforcement authorities upon request documentary evidence to substantiate the claims on the recovered origin of the PVC in those articles.