Vol. 892 | 04 Feb 2016

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and Ministry of the Environment (MoE) have proposed an Enforcement Order relating to “Act on Preventing Environmental Pollution of Mercury,” which implements the Minamata Convention on Mercury to protect human health and the environment from mercury.

Under the Act, the manufacture, import or export of specified mercury-added products is restricted after the phase-out dates, which are set earlier as compared to Part I of Annex A in the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Table 1: The highlighted products are listed below:

Specified mercury-added productsPhase-out date

Batteries (excluding the following)

  • Button zinc silver oxide batteries (Button cells with a mercury content <1% by weight)
  • Button zinc air batteries (Button cells with a mercury content <2% by weight)

End of 2017

(End of 2020 for button alkali batteries)

Switches and relays

End of 2020

Compact fluorescent lamps and self-ballasted fluorescent lamps for general lighting purposes that are less than or equal to 30 watts of rated power consumption with a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp burner

End of 2017

Linear fluorescent lamps (LFLs) for general lighting purposes:

  • Triband phosphor < 60 watts with a mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp;
  • Halophosphate phosphor ≤ 40 watts with a mercury content exceeding 10 mg per lamp

End of 2017

High pressure mercury vapour lamps (HPMV) for general lighting purposes

End of 2020

Cold cathode fluorescent lamps and external electrode fluorescent lamps (CCFL and EEFL) for electronic displays:

  • Short length (≤ 500 mm) with mercury content exceeding 3.5 mg per lamp
  • Medium length (> 500 mm and ≤ 1500 mm) with mercury content exceeding 5 mg per lamp
  • Long length (> 1500 mm) with mercury content exceeding 13 mg per lamp

End of 2017

Cosmetics

End of 2017

Pesticides, biocides and topical antiseptics

End of 2017
(End of 2020 for topical antiseptics)

Non-electronic measuring devices except non-electronic measuring devices used for high precision measurement, where no suitable mercury-free alternative is available:

  • barometers
  • hygrometers
  • manometers
  • thermometers
  • sphygmomanometers

End of 2020

 

For more information, please contact:

John Wong
john.wong@intertek.com 
852 2173 8637

Subscribe to Insight