Excellent Product Stewardship and Sustainable Use of Flame Retardants

The use of flame retardants reduces ignitability, delays the spread of fires and delays the time of flashover in order to give people more time to escape, and facilitate the intervention by firefighters. The ultimate purpose of their use is to save lives, reduce injury, reduce destruction of property, and reduce local pollutants that result from fires.

Industry is responding to the challenge to ensure that flame retardants are sustainable. As part of the commitment to responsible production and use of flame retardants, the Bromine Science and Environmental Forum (BSEF) has launched an emissions reduction program. By focusing on excellent Product Stewardship, the responsible management of the health, safety, and environmental aspects of flame retardants throughout the life cycle are addressed. This program is called the Voluntary Emissions Control Action Program (VECAPTM). This unique emissions control program was developed to address emissions of chemicals, with flame retardants being the first to utilize the program.

Reducing or eliminating emissions of chemicals to air and water can help to insure the safe, environmentally responsible, and sustainable use of these products. The flame retardant industry is firmly committed to providing needed resources and leadership to help provide safe and sustainable products that provide a valuable service to society. This paper addresses the details and progress of VECAP and potential benefits to the plast