Register of Specific Exemptions: Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether

Parties may register for specific exemptions listed in Annex A or B pursuant to paragraph 3 of Article 4. In accordance with paragraph 2 of part IV of Annex A to the Convention, at its sixth ordinary meeting and at every second ordinary meeting thereafter the Conference of the Parties evaluates the progress that Parties have made towards achieving their ultimate objective of elimination of hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether contained in articles and review the continued need for this specific exemption. This specific exemption shall in any case expire at the latest in 2030.

Specific exemptions

Activity Specific exemption Party Expiry date Estimated quantity of production / use Purpose(s) of
production / use 		Reason for exemption Remarks
Use Articles in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of Annex A Brazil At the latest in 2030 Not known at this time  In accordance with Part IV of Annex A Some articles containing this commercial mixture could still be in use in Brazil and some may be recycled.  None
Use Articles in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of Annex A Cambodia At the latest in 2030 Not known In accordance with Part IV of Annex A CRT casings of TVs and of monitors of PC containing HexaBDE and HeptaBDE are recycled within the country. None
Use Articles in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of Annex A Japan At the latest in 2030 N/A Recycling plastics from post-consumer use specific home appliances (Air-conditioner, TV sets, refrigerator, freezer, washing machine and clothes dryer) and personal computers to construction materials and daily necessities such as hanger and bookends. Recycling post-consumer use specific home appliances is an obligation for home appliances manufacturers and importers under Home Appliance Recycling Law. It is necessary to enable recycling of plastics from post-consumer use specific home appliances to maintain appropriate management system of the post-consumer specific home appliances and establish a sound material-cycle society. Recycling of such plastics is operated in environmentally sound manner under the law.

Recycling used personal computers is an obligation for personal computers manufacturers and importers under Law for the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources. It is necessary to enable recycling of plastics from used personal computers to maintain appropriate management system of the used personal computers and establish a sound material-cycle society. Recycling of such plastics is operated in environmentally sound manner under the law.

Approximately 108,000 tons of plastics from post-consumer use specific home appliances which might contain the chemicals are recycled annually. Approximately 6,000 tons of used personal computers are recycled annually. On average, the weight of plastics which might contain the chemicals listed above is approximately 15% of total weight of personal computers.
Use Articles in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of Annex A Republic of Korea At the latest in 2030 Not known In accordance with Part IV of Annex A While manufacture, import and use of hexa- and heptaBDE are prohibited, some products and articles containing the chemicals could still be in use and recycled None
Use Articles in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of Annex A Türkiye At the latest in 2030 Not known as yet
In accordance with Part IV of Annex A Country data not yet established
Use Articles in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of Annex A Viet Nam At the latest in 2030 Not available Articles in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of Annex A Currently, recycling of articles that contain or may contain hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether, and the use and final disposal of articles manufactured from recycled materials that contain or may contain hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether in Viet Nam still exists. Since 2020, Viet Nam has internalized the requirements on POPs management of the Stockholm Convention in Viet Nam's environmental protection legislation.

Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether and the articles containing Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether in management have been regulated under the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 and the Decree No. 08/2022/ND-CP dated 10th January 2022 of the Government guiding the implementation of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 whose purpose is to protect human health and the environment from POPs’ adverse impacts.

Expired and withdrawn specific exemptions

Activity Specific exemption Party Expiry date Estimated quantity of production / use Purpose(s) of
production / use 		Reason for exemption Remarks
Use Articles in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of Annex A Canada Withdrawn on 11/02/2020
 Not known at this time In accordance with Part IV of Annex A (Decision SC-4/14) While manufacture, import and use of C-OctaBDE commercial mixtures are prohibited, some articles containing this commercial mixture could still be in use in Canada and some may be recycled. On registration: Paragraph 1(b) of Part IV does not apply to Canada as Canada has not set levels/concentrations on articles for permitted use, import or manufacture at this time.
Withdrawal notification
Use Articles in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of Annex A Czechia Expired on 26/08/2015 Not provided In accordance with Part IV of Annex A Not provided On registration: None.
Use Articles in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of Annex A European Union Withdrawn on 28/11/2019 Unknown In accordance with Part IV of Annex A While the production, placing on the market and use of hexabromodiphenyl ethers and heptabromodiphenyl ethers are prohibited, some recycling articles containing these substances and produced before introduction of the ban cannot be excluded. On registration: None.
Withdrawal notification
Use Articles in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of Annex A Iran (Islamic Republic of) Expired on 26/08/2015 Not known as yet Use Country data not yet established On registration: Country data not yet established.
Use Articles in accordance with the provisions of Part IV of Annex A Japan Withdrawn on 21/04/2014 N/A Recycling Automobile Shredder Residues (ASR) to Refuse Paper and plastic Fuel (RPF).     
Recycling ASR to Recycled Sound-Proofing Products (RSPP).
Recycling plastics from used specific home appliances (air conditioner, television sets, refrigerator, freezer, washing machine and clothes dryer) and personal computers to construction material and daily necessities such as hangers and bookends.		 Recycling of ASR is an obligation for automobile manufacturers and importers under the Law for the Recycling of End-of-Life Vehicles. It is necessary to enable recycling of ASR to maintain appropriate management system of End-of-Life Vehicles. Recycling of ASR is operated in environmentally sound manner under the law.
Recycling used specific home appliances is an obligation for home appliance manufacturers and importers under the Home Appliance Recycle law. It is necessary to enable recycling of plastics from used specific home appliances to maintain appropriate management system of the used specific home appliances and establish a sound material -cycle society. Recycling of such plastics is operated in environmentally sound manner under the law.
Recycling used personal computers is an obligation for personal computer manufacturers and importers under the law for the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources. It is necessary to enable recycling of plastics from used computers to maintain appropriate management system of the used personal computers and establish a sound material-cycle society. Recycling of such plastics is operated in environmentally sound manner under the law.
 Withdrawal notification
Note by the Secretariat: Japan submitted a new notification replacing this notification.