Surface treatment of wood, plastic and/or metal
Level: Core
Surface treatment products used for furniture may contain hazardous substances that can cause, for example, cancer, damage to the genome, impaired fertility and birth defects. This requirement helps to reduce the use of these products. Surface treatment products used with furniture may also contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which contribute, among other things, to the greenhouse effect and to the formation of ground-level ozone, this requirement helps to reduce the use of these substances. The requirement should not be used if there is a need for repeated disinfection of the furniture.
Details
- Type:
- Technical specification
- ID:
- 10028:4
- Group:
- Furniture
Criterion text
The furniture shall not be surface treated with such products that are classified, either in EU-binding classification or in case of self-classification, with the following hazard statements as per Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging (CLP Regulation)1.
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Classification according to the CLP-regulation |
|
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Hazard category |
Hazard statements |
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Acute toxicity |
H300, H301, H310, H311, H330, H331 |
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Organ toxicity |
H370, H372 |
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Carcinogenicity |
H3502, H351 |
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Germ cell mutagenicity |
H340, H341 |
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Reproductive toxicity |
H3602, H3612, H362 |
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Respiratory/skin sensitization |
H334 |
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Hazardous to the aquatic environment |
H400, H410, H411 |
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Hazardous for the ozone layer |
H420 |
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If, for technical reasons, such as alcohol disinfection requirements on surfaces, the use of surface treatment products marked as environmentally hazardous according to the above is required, it is acceptable if the applied amount is less than 14 g per m2 of surface. |
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Surface treatment with chromium or nickel
Products supplied in accordance with the contract shall also not be surface treated with surface treatment products containing chromium III or chromium VI.
Components intended for regular contact with skin (e.g. armrests) should not be surface treated with chromium or nickel.
NOTE! The surface treatment of metals with trivalent chromium (III) in combination with nickel and/or zinc is acceptable for components (for example, the underframe, legs) of stackable furniture, folding furniture or furniture that may be subjected to heavy wear and tear intended for, in particular, public environments.
Exceptions: small parts/components such as staples, screws, nails, hinges or fittings corresponding in total to <5% by weight of the total weight of the furniture are not subject to the requirement.
VOC
If the products offered are surface treated with substances containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs)3 the amount of organic solvents shall be less than 60 g per m2 surface.
Exception: if the total amount of VOCs applied is less than 5 % by weight of the total amount of the applied surface treatment product OR if the amount of VOCs applied is a maximum of 60 g/m2 of the surface calculated on the total surface or coated surface (e.g. laminate, linoleum, melamine film).
The supplier shall be able to prove, on request, that the requirement has been fulfilled. [The contracting organisation] may request that the data be verified by an independent third party.
1Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, amendment and repeal of Directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC and amendment of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006.
2If it is definitively proven that the hazard cannot be caused by any other routes of exposure, the route of exposure may have been indicated as part of the hazard statement. For reproductive toxicity, the type of effect should have been specified if this is known (effect on fertility or on foetal development). One or two letters after the hazard statement indicate the route of exposure (for example, H350i – May cause cancer when inhaled) and/or type of effect. All additional codes are included in the criteria.
3Volatile organic compound is defined under Directive 2010/75/EU as an organic compound and the fraction of creosote which at 293,15 k has a vapour pressure of at least 0.01 kPa or which has equivalent volatility under the specific conditions of use.
Verification
When requested, the supplier must be able to present for example one of the following:
- Labellings that meet the requirement, such as a valid license for
- Möbelfakta
- Nordic Swan Ecolabel, Furniture and furnishings 031
- EU Ecolabel
- Technical documentation indicating the products used for surface treatment and the relevant safety data sheets, i.e. a complete account of the composition of the product, indicating the quantities and CAS numbers of the constituent substances, and
- a certificate that all substances have been reported, and
- the number of layers applied and the amount applied per square metre.
Information about the criterion
For some environments, such as care areas and washrooms, there may be a need for regular disinfection with alcohol. Since repeated use of alcohol can put a lot of strain on surfaces, surface treatment that does not meet the requirement may be needed. This requirement should not be used therefore where the procurement requires regular disinfection.
Labelling:
Follow up on the contractual condition by verifying that there is a valid license for the product in question. This is checked as below:
Technical documentation:
In the documentation submitted, check that the substances used for surface treatment do not contain substances or metals with the hazard statements specified in the requirement, or that the amount of VOC applied does not exceed the requirement.
Environmental goals
Versions history
The version date indicates when the sustainability criterion was created or last updated. Last reviewed dated tells when we last checked that the sustainability criterion still is relevant.
- Current ID
- 10028:4
- Version date
- 2024-05-27