DSM withdraws APEOs from European coating resins

Royal DSM, a global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, is eliminating alkylphenol-ethoxylates, commonly known as APEOs, from its European coating resin product lines, as it looks to offer a leading and sustainable portfolio of coating resins within Europe.

The decision is in line with EU-wide legislation prohibiting the sale and import of products containing APEOs from January next year.

DSM will be working side by side with customers and partners to ensure all parties are fully compliant and ready for a brighter future.

The European phase-out of APEOs is therefore an important step forward in DSM’s ambition to eliminate CoHCs from all of its coating resins products by 2025 and to develop the most sustainable product portfolio in the industry by 2030.

Since this strategy was unveiled in March 2019, DSM has also begun optimising the preservative package for many of its key products and phasing out the use of methyl-2-pyrrolidone, commonly known as NMP.

DSM’s decision follows the addition of APEOs to the list of chemicals subject to authorisation under EU REACH legislation.

Due to the change in regulation, the sale and import of APEO-containing products will be prohibited in the EU from January 4, 2021.

The ban applies to both branched and linear APEOs.

DSM will cease production of APEO-containing products in Europe from December 1, 2020, and customers will be asked to place their final orders of the affected products by September 1, 2020.

Martin Vlak, Managing Director, DSM Coating Resins: "Over the coming months, we will be working closely with our customers and partners as we remove APEO-containing products from our European portfolio, by helping them to make the transition to the many APEO-free alternatives DSM offers.

"Our approach resonates with our wider efforts to offer a clean and sustainable portfolio and to lead the industry toward a more sustainable future that will mean brighter lives for all.”