Adrian Beard (Clariant), Chairman of pinfa emphasised that this proposed generic category “flame retardants” is not logical, because it refers to a function and not a family of chemicals. In fact, flame retardants face the same challenges as other plastic additives, in particular ensuring durability (enabling product longevity and recycling). He underlined that EU Ecodesign is proposing a new category of “Substances of Concern” which could include any substance which impedes recycling (see Newsletter n°138). pinfa sees the Green Deal Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability as opening opportunities for safer PIN flame retardants, taking into account environmental footprint, social value of performance in use (fire safety) and recyclability. To achieve this, data sharing with downstream user industries is essential, as is enforcement by regulatory authorities, including for chemicals in imported products.