The Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) governs the use of biocides in all types of products sold in the UK, mirroring similar regulation in place in the EU.
In the case of cleaning products, all products containing biocides need to be registered to prove that they are safe and that the biocidal materials they contain are as specified on the packaging.
BPR is a lengthy and complicated piece of legislation, with 22 separate sections in total, but what does it mean for buyers and users of biocidal cleaning products in the UK?
The main onus is on manufacturers of biocides to get their products registered – but this can be an expensive business. To mitigate this cost, some companies are using ‘frame formulations’ where the company buying the biocide from its manufacturer to put into their own products makes a contribution towards the cost.
The deadline in the UK for getting all biocides registered is 2026 but understandably many companies are acting early to avoid the risk of being left with product which is unsaleable after that date.
The good news is that two of the most common biocides used for surface cleaning – benzylkonium chloride and didecyl ammonium chloride – were approved in January of this year.
However, the cost of the accreditation for each formulation means the number of biocides in use in the UK market is likely to decrease.
It is well worth reviewing your requirements to ensure your preferred products will still be available. If not, you should consider acting early to try out and select a suitable alternative. In some applications, a biocide may not be the only option – and a reputable supplier should be able to recommend safe and legal alternatives which do not compromise on cleaning performance. Quaternary ammonium compounds – commonly known as ‘quats’ can offer an effective alternative.
If you use biocidal products in your business, you should also not be afraid to ask your supplier as to whether their products are BPR-compliant. They should not be selling them to you if not. It’s worth knowing that if a biocide is currently going through the approval process, it can still legally be sold – but those sales must stop if for any reason approval is not given.
Similarly, if a product which already contains an approved biocide, has a secondary biocide added, that product can also continue being sold while the secondary biocide undergoes approval.
For further information or to discuss your requirements further then please contact us!
