Japan includes three POPs to the Class I Specified Chemical Substances List

The Manufacturing Industries Bureau of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has unveiled a groundbreaking decision to include three POPs (persistent organic pollutants) to the Class I Specified Chemical Substances List. The announcement, issued on 10 August 2023, follows the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention (SC COP-11).

Stockholm Convention COP-11

At the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Stockholm Convention on 5 May 2023, over 120 countries collectively agreed to include two plastic chemicals and a pesticide in the Convention's list of substances earmarked for global elimination (Annex A). The three substances—UV-328, Dechlorane Plus, and Methoxychlor—were identified as meeting the Convention's criteria for persistent organic pollutants (POPs), thereby necessitating a global prohibition.

Details of three POPs

This decision to add the three POPs to the Class I Specified Chemical Substances under the Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL) was made after thorough discussions during the 229th meeting of the Chemical Review Committee held in July 2023.

Details of the three newly listed substances are:

Each of these substances has raised concerns due to their persistence, high bioaccumulation potential, and long-term toxicity. More information about the substances can be found here.

Future schedule

Specific measures such as the designation of import-prohibited products and restrictions on the use of the three substances other than for specific applications will be decided after a joint meeting between the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) and the Ministry of the Environment (MoE). The implementation of these measures is expected after the fall of 2024, providing industries and stakeholders with a transition period to adjust their practices accordingly.