Current standards on plastics
The wide world of plastics
Plastics are ubiquitous. This all-round product is used for everything - from bags and toys to water pipes. Standardised quality tests as well as highly specialised quality standards have contributed to the success of this product.
The trend increasingly goes to new aspects: health, safety and environmental protection become more and more important.
- Credit: ASI prm
Well tested is half done
It all begins with reliable quality. European test standards regulate the quality of varied products: high-pressure laminates (HPL), moulding compounds (SMC/BMC) or components made of unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (PVC-U) are just three examples for materials covered by standardised quality requirements and test specifications. After all, plastics are not created equal. For each application, a special recipe and special standards need to be followed.
Plastics test standards (examples):
ÖNORM EN 438: High-pressure decorative laminates (HPL) (eight parts)
ÖNORM EN 12654: Textile glass - Yarns
ÖNORM EN 13207: Silage thermoplastic films
- Credit: ASI prm
When children play
Plastics, however, should not only be high-quality products in terms of materials. When children’s eyes start to shine at the sight of colourful toys, safety is of prime importance as well. In the 11-part ÖNORM EN 71 that complements legislation, European standardisers focused on the safety and health of your children.
Standards on toys in the series EN 71:
ÖNORM EN 71-1: Safety
ÖNORM EN 71-2: Flammability
ÖNORM EN 71-3: Migration of certain elements
ÖNORM EN 71-8: Swings and slides for family domestic use
Two legal acts - the Toy Ordinance and the Toy Labelling Ordinance - implement these European safety requirements in Austrian legislation.
The trend goes more and more to protecting health: For several years, intensive standardisation work has been under way to eliminate all cancerogenic effects of plastics. That is the future of plastics standards.
- Credit: ASI prm
Protecting the environment
For many decades, plastics have been considered to be all-rounders. Initially, there was only little awareness of their impact on the environment. But that belongs to the past.
Today, standardisation focuses on the entire life cycle of the material used, its harmlessness as well as disposal and recycling.
In this field, Austria contributes its long-standing experiences with regard to environmental standardisation.
- Credit: ASI prm
Well packaged
One of the most important applications of plastics is packaging. Be it hard or transparent, for dangerous goods or simply for waste - packaging is an important subject of standards.
There is a Europe-wide trend to more effective and more ecological products, which is reflected in related specifications and test methods.
Plastic packaging:
ÖNORM EN 13592: Plastics sacks for household waste collection
ÖNORM EN 14867: Plastic freezer bags
ÖNORM EN 15386: Laminate and plastic tubes
ÖNORM EN ISO 20848: Packaging - Plastics drums
ÖNORM EN ISO 23667: Transport packaging for dangerous goods
- Credit: ASI prm
Many applications
The number of standards relevant for plastics in Austria depends on the different applications. The standards are mainly developed at the European and international level. Safety, ecology and health are values that are increasingly reflected in standardisation.
