China's SCC and Aster Graphics Named As Main Source Of Toxic Chemicals

[news]

German Publication Name China's Static Control Components and Aster Graphics As Main Source Of Toxic Chemicals In Toners.

China cartridges obviously contaminated with pollutants on a massive scale
CHINESE SCAMMERS AND GERMAN FALL GUYS.
(Translated to English from it's original version)

New tests conducted by ETIRA show that Chinese new built cartridges (NBC) are

contaminated to a far greater extent with the banned toxic flame retardant

decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE) than originally assumed. This is supported not only by

the fact that eight out of nine cartridges tested to date have been heavily contaminated, but

also by the high degree of specialization in the Chinese hardcopy industry: Insiders assume

that a large proportion of the housings for Chinese NBC come from a single supplier, Huiwei

(not to be confused with the smartphone manufacturer Huawei). Further tests, which are

just starting, will soon bring clarity. Meanwhile, the nervousness among German online

retailers is increasing significant: they rightly fear that they will end up having to take the rap

as distributors of the cartridges and will be left standing in the DecaBDE rain by their Chinese

suppliers.

 

(Careful, dangerous substance! New tests suggest that Chinese new built cartridges are

contaminated to a far greater extent with the prohibited flame retardant DecaBDE than

previously assumed.)

 

DecaBDE-loaded China cartridges.

Seldom has such an avalanche of news reports from us started such an avalanche as the

investigative report "Ruthless Chinese Free Riders" in our September issue DI – Digital

Imaging 5-2018: We were the first to discover that certain Chinese new built toner cartridges

(NBC) were contaminated with extremely high concentrations of the banned toxic flame

retardant decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE). The substance is evaluated by the Federal

Environment Agency as persistent, bio accumulative and toxic (PBT) and is suspected of

having long-term harmful effects on embryonic development. Therefore, it is also on the list

of 'Substances of Very High Concern' (SVHC) of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

All important hardcopy tickers worldwide had taken up the topic at that time, and it was

hotly debated in the industry. Also, in the Middle Kingdom the reports were followed

attentively. Daniel Orth, Managing Partner of Tonerdumping, comments: "I know from

Ninestar, our most important Asian supplier, that they started to convert production to DI –

Digital Imaging just one week after the publication of the report. At Aster, too, the topic

quickly reached the top floor, and they reacted accordingly." This shows how much the large

Chinese hardcopy manufacturers are aware of the explosive nature of the whole thing. But

even if Ninestar & Co. were to convert their entire production within a few weeks, the

problem is far from being solved: since the Asians have literally flooded the European

market with their new-builts in recent years, one must assume that hundreds of thousands,

in the worst case even millions, of loaded China-cartridges are doing their job in European

printers.

 

(In order to be able to accurately assess the health hazards for users of the DecaBDE

contaminated China cartridges, we asked two renowned environmental toxicologists for

their expertise. As soon as we receive their comments, we will publish them on the DI

homepage.)

 

Shocking: Eight of nine cartridges heavily contaminated.

In the original report in September it was 'only' about two cartridges from Static Control

heavily contaminated with DecaBDE. In order to get a more accurate picture of the scale of

the scandal, the European Remanufacturer Association ETIRA has commissioned its own

tests in recent weeks. ETIRA has bought various new-built cartridges from Asian

manufacturers via Amazon and had them tested by TÜV Rheinland/LGA.

The results are shocking: out of five new-built cartridges tested, four contained DecaBDE in

extremely high concentrations – between 2,000 and 17,000 mg/kg (!). The following newbuilt

toner cartridges are specifically affected:

– Bubprint brand (compatible with HP17A), sold via Amazon dealer Printer Cartridges Express

(Germany)

– Prestige Print brand (compatible with HP17A), sold through Amazon dealer J&H Greentech

and Trading Ltd. (U.K.)

– Brand Koala (compatible with HP26X), sold through Amazon dealer Lucky Suppliers Handels

GmbH (Germany)

– Yellow Yeti brand (compatible with HP26X), sold through Amazon distributor Simple

Printing Ltd. (U.K.)

ETIRA could not tell us which manufacturers produced the contaminated cartridges of the

more or less exotic brands. The only difference was that the four cartridges from Bubprint,

Prestige Print, Koala and Yellow Yeti had high DecaBDE concentrations of 2,000 to 17,000

mg/kg. ETIRA Secretary General Vincent van Dijk said that his main concern in selecting the

test cartridges was that they should be products that any consumer could easily buy online.

He therefore specifically bought cartridges that were prominently listed on Amazon. Of

course, it would have been desirable to have the cartridges of the major Chinese

manufacturers Ninestar, Print-Rite and Aster tested directly. But it was not postponed and

ETIRA would have further tests carried out in January, including the major brands.

Van Dijk was also shocked by the new results: "Our tests give cause for real concern. They

show that in the case of DecaBDE we are not dealing with individual cases but with a

systemic problem of Asian new-built cartridges containing extremely high concentrations of

a dangerous substance. Many Asian manufacturers even complain that their cartridges are

REACH- and RoHS-compliant – but obviously they are not. We at ETIRA therefore call on the

responsible EU and national authorities to remove the contaminated cartridges from the

market as quickly as possible!

 

(When it comes to profit, European laws are sometimes ignored by Chinese companies –

even when consumer health is at risk.)

 

And the 'DecaBDE Oscar' goes to – Static Control...

In addition to the five cartridges now tested by ETIRA and the two Static Control cartridges

already analysed in September, a further cartridge was tested in November: It was a HP

412X from Tonerdumping. The client was the same Remanufacturer who had already tested

the two Static Control cartridges and who trusted us with the results at the time. The toner

dumping cartridge was also heavily contaminated: The TÜV Rheinland/LGA laboratory

measured a DecaBDE value of 14,000 mg/kg while the HP reference cartridge was clean. As

Daniel Orth informed us upon request, the contaminated toner dumping cartridge is without

a doubt a static control cartridge. When he bought this batch, he even wondered about its

extremely low price, but didn't think much of it. Thus, Static Control is currently leading the

not very praiseworthy 'DecaBDE hit list' with three contaminated cartridges…

 

Welcome to the DecaBDE Club: Aster.

Last but not least, we have already had the analyses of a ninth cartridge tested since June:

These also come from our anonymous source. Since no HP cartridge was analysed as a

reference for this test and the cartridge was not intended for the European market, we had

previously kept the manufacturer's name under lock and key. We are now moving away

from this because the analyses from TÜV Rheinland/LGA are trustworthy even without

negative control. It is an HP 18A laser cartridge (black) from Aster. Specifically, it was

purchased in Moscow in May and tested in June. Also, with this Aster cartridge a high

DecaBDE load of 5,600 mg/kg was measured.

 

The HP 18A is almost identical in construction to the HP 17A and is used in the HP LaserJet

Pro M104A and M104W. These printers are sold in Eastern Europe, not in this country.

Formally legally this cartridge may not be to be sued, because it was not intended for the

European market – in the moral sense though it makes no difference whether I poison

Europeans, Russians or Africans…

 

This means that eight out of nine China cartridges tested to date contain a high

concentration of DecaBDE – a rate of just under 90 %. And it is a real scandal: If there had

been a need for proof that we are not dealing with a specific problem here, but with a

problem covering the whole area, then this has been achieved at the latest with the new

results of the ETIRA test series.

 

(View of the Huiwei company building in Zhuhai: The first building of the new Ninestar

factory can be seen on the left in the background – only 400 meters away.)

 

Many contaminated cartridges – few suppliers.

In addition to the high hit rate, there are other strong indications that Chinese NBCs are

broadly contaminated with DecaBDE. Our research has shown that the diversity of suppliers

in the Chinese hardcopy industry is not too far off: there has been strong consolidation in

recent years, both at the level of finished cartridge manufacturers and suppliers. Insiders

therefore assume that a large part of the housings for Chinese NBC come from a single

supplier: Huiwei Corp. based in Zhuhai. Volker Kappius, Managing Director at Delacamp and

spokesman for the network of German Cartridge Reprocessors (DKWU), has been closely

monitoring developments in the Chinese hardcopy industry in recent years. Asked about the

DecaBDE issue, Mr. Kappius explains that an estimated 60-80% of all housing parts for

Chinese new-built toner cartridges are produced by Huiwei. In addition to the figures

described to him, Kappius cites another indication: "Take a look at who set up a huge

production facility right next to Ninestar's new, modern factory in Zhuhai two to three years

ago: Huiwei…"

 

To avoid any misunderstandings: So far there is no proof that Huiwei supplied the housings

of the contaminated cartridges. But in view of the Chinese company's high market share in

this segment, it is quite likely that Huiwei plastic parts were also used in the contaminated

cartridges. Conversely, this would be a clear indication that we are most likely dealing with a

problem on a large scale.

 

(Cling together – swing together: The big German online traders are rightly insecure,

because as distributors of contaminated China cartridges they are the first to be held liable.)

 

Growing mistrust of Chinese suppliers.

It is not surprising that the dealers of China cartridges are very unsettled by this

development – especially the big online players on Amazon & Co.: They rightly fear that as

distributors of the cartridges they will have to turn their heads and end up being left

standing in the DecaBDE rain by their Chinese suppliers. We know from several

conversations that our report of 17 December has further increased the nervousness of

many online retailers: They immediately went into crisis mode, and the telephone wires to

the Asian suppliers were really glowing after the publication. The Chinese answered the

questions of their German sales partners about the contents of the cartridges in their own

way: with long documents about the alleged REACH and RoHS conformity of their products.

But paper is known to be patient. "If only one person in the entire supply chain – from the

plastic granulate supplier to the finished cartridge manufacturer – is lying, then such a

declaration of conformity is not worth a straw," complains a large retailer who does not

want to be named. Another expresses his growing mistrust as follows: "It will go on as usual:

the Chinese will continue as before. And we traders, who imported and sold the cartridges,

are the fall guys." That's why he is also considering having his own tests carried out to be on

the safe side.

 

Further tests are currently being initiated by WTA and a second German remanufacturer.

Both companies are not ETIRA members and want to create their own facts – as well as solid

arguments for their sales team. "Which dealer wants to sell their customers cartridges that

are heavily contaminated with harmful substances?" is the rhetorical question posed by

WTA marketing manager Thomas Lentes. There is a need for clarification – and Suhl will

gladly face up to this task. The fact that the Thuringian hardcopy specialist had twelve newbuilt

cartridges from the major Chinese manufacturers purchased from various German

online dealers on 21 December shows how willingly they are doing this. As soon as the

cartridges are available, they are immediately transferred to the meanwhile DecaBDE-tested

test laboratory of TÜV Rheinland/LGA.

 

Giant opportunity for the European remanufacturing industry

Of course, we will publish the new results as soon as they are available and place them in

the overall context. In addition, we are in contact with colleagues from the public media

with a large reach, so that they can also take up the topic: The high contamination of tens of

thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of China cartridges with banned, toxic

substances is no longer just an issue for the hardcopy industry: it is about the endangerment

of millions of European consumers who are unsuspectingly exposed to dangerous pollutants.

We therefore call on the German and EU authorities to finally apply existing laws

consistently and to stop the import of Asian new-built cartridges into Europe until all

suppliers have provided proof that their products are actually 'clean' and legally compliant.

That is the least they owe their citizens!

 

We firmly believe that this scandal is a real opportunity for the European remanufacturing

industry to regain ground against the Asians. Not because we are opposed to global

competition, but because we are opposed to this nasty form of distortion of competition. To

grossly disregard laws and endanger human health is not a trivial offence. Here we share one

to one the view of our US colleagues from Actionable Intelligence who wrote in their report

of 18 December: "The problem of banned substances in new-built cartridges is a huge issue –

and it gives both OEMs and remanufacturers a real chance to drive many new-built

cartridges out of the market. (…) The DecaBDE scandal seems to have the potential to ban a

broad range of new-built toner cartridges from Europe."

 

Facts and Myths

The harmful flame retardant DecaBDE has been banned from more and more product

categories in recent years. After March 2, 2019, the substance may no longer be

manufactured or placed on the market in Europe according to the REACH regulation. In

electrical and electronic equipment, DecaBDE has been banned throughout Europe since 1

July 2008. Since printer cartridges with microchips fall into this product category, they have

not been allowed to contain DecaBDE for more than ten years. This is the unequivocal

assessment of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), and this is also the unanimous

opinion of the experts we interviewed in the field of waste disposal.

 

Here is the statement of the Federal Environment Agency in the original language: "In the

case of toner cartridges, it must first be checked whether they fall within the scope of the

Electrical Substances Ordinance or RoHS Directive 2011/65/EU. This only applies to electrical

and electronic equipment. In this respect, toner cartridges with an electronic component,

e.g. a chip, are covered by the scope of application. The use of DecaBDE for these has been

prohibited since 1 July 2008."

 

Some affected suppliers falsely suggest in their blog that contaminated cartridges may still

be placed on the market until 1 March 2019, even if they contain DecaBDE concentrations

> 0.1 %. Only after 2 March 2019 would the substance no longer be permitted in the EU. This

is wrong and misleading. In fact, the deadline for a general DecaBDE ban in electrical and

electronic equipment was a little longer ago – exactly ten years and seven months…

 

Chinese Cartridge Pollutant Statistics for Beginners.

Assuming that 400 million toner modules are sold worldwide each year, the German market

accounts for 5-10 % of this, i.e. 30 million cartridges. Every second of these is an HP/Canon

cartridge, which makes 15 million units. Conservatively, China new-builts in Germany have a

market share of 20-30%. This brings us to 3.8 million China cartridges for HP laser printers

sold in Germany each year. If the previous analyses were representative of the overall market – and there is no evidence to the contrary – then almost 90 % of all new-builts from China would be contaminated with DecaBDE. This would mean that 3.4 million contaminated cartridges were sold in Germany –projected for the full year 2018. Even if one does not consider the previous tests to be representative and arbitrarily makes the assumption that "only" every third China cartridge

is contaminated, one would come up with 1.3 million contaminated cartridges per year.

Broken down, this means that approx. 3,500 DecaBDE cartridges are bought here every day.

While you were reading this report alone (15 minutes), statistically 35 German consumers

received a contaminated China cartridge. Unsuspecting consumers who know nothing about

the dangerous ingredients of their cheap toner cartridge. Dear authorities: Wake up and

protect the health of German consumers!

 

Evil raw material supplier…

On 21 December Static Control issued a statement on the DecaBDE scandal via the 'Recycler'

and other channels. According to this statement, the company's own cartridges have been

analysed in recent weeks and the majority would comply with current environmental

regulations. With a small number of cartridges, a prohibited substance was found in the

plastic parts. The contaminated plastic would come from a "roguish raw material supplier".

The company reacted immediately to ensure that all cartridges would be legally compliant in

future.

 

If Static Control thinks that this waxy statement, which does not even name the substance in

question, is a remedy, then it is a huge mistake. Transparency looks completely different,

and the explanation raises far more questions than it answers: Who was the "roguish

supplier of raw materials"? How many Static Control cartridges are affected in total? Which

other hardcopy manufacturers source their plastic parts from the "roguish" supplier? And

above all: How many DecaBDE-polluted cartridges has Static Control already sold to Europe

in recent months? What measures do you want to take to get the contaminated cartridges

back from the market as quickly as possible? What about product recalls? Will Static Control

compensate its European trading partners, who have been deceived just as much as the

unsuspecting end customers, financially for the damage? Last but not least: What happens

to the contaminated cartridges that dealers still have in stock? Do they get financial

compensation for this…?

 

By the way, the scandal is not only about European environmental regulations, as the

statement by Static Control suggests. DecaBDE is a toxic substance that has been banned in

European electronic equipment since 2008 and is suspected of having a long-term

detrimental effect on embryonic development. That is a rather striking difference!

http://www.di-branche.de/digital-imaging/topthemen/default.asp?top_item=47932&i_item=47932&top_step=15&top_start=1&rb=topthemen&top_rb=topthemen&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter+2019-01-08

[Author]

January 10, 2019 at 11:06 AM