We believe customer health and safety in the products’ application and utilization phase are crucial, for example through the avoidance of harmful components, solvents, and emissions in indoor spaces.

At UZIN UTZ protecting the health of product users and end consumers is a key focus. This approach is not only reflected in the fulfillment of legal requirements, but is also an expression of our own commitment to developing products that are both, environmentally friendly and safe, in the application and use phase. This commitment is a central component of our development and quality processes and is implemented consistently and with foresight at all our production sites and across all brands. In the manufacture of construction chemical products, the use of certain ingredients that may require labeling is often unavoidable. Thanks to our strict management of hazardous substances and the close cooperation between the product development teams and the regulatory specialists in our product safety department, we are able to identify potentially problematic ingredients at an early stage and substitute them if necessary. For example UZIN UTZ does not use any of the substances with a proven endocrine effect defined in the revised CLP Regulation in 2023, nor does it use any of the substances in the hazard class of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances (PBT substances) that are to be newly labeled. This strategy not only enables us to continuously improve the safety and health of our customers, but also to demonstrably and credibly fulfill our responsibility towards the environment.

Furthermore, our efforts are not limited to product development, but also include comprehensive training and information programs for our customers and employees. These measures ensure that everyone involved is fully informed about the safe and effective use of our products. UZIN UTZ is therefore not only committed to complying with legal requirements, but goes beyond this by continuously seeking ways to improve our products and processes in order to protect the health and safety of our customers and the environment.

Sustainable construction and building certification systems

In 2023 the focus was on sustainable building more than ever before, with social and economic benefits in addition to protecting the environment and resources. Both national and international building certification systems such as BNB or LEED, are exemplary for the implementation of these principles. A significant further development, especially in the area of flooring installation materials, took place in 2023 with the tightening of the product evaluation criteria in accordance with the DGNB standard. To achieve the best possible DGNB quality level 4, only installation materials that are labeled with EMICODE EC 1 Plus or the Blue Angel according to DE-UZ 113 may now be used. This tightening reflects the trend towards ever stricter environmental and health standards in the construction industry. Almost all UZIN brand products, as well as other products in the brand ranges, meet the new, more demanding DGNB standards and therefore continue to achieve the highest quality level 4. We are also receiving more and more inquiries about the German government's Quality Seal for Sustainable Buildings (QNG). This seal is awarded to products that set an example in terms of environmentally friendly production and use and thus contribute to improving sustainability in the construction sector. The labeling of the product with EMICODE EC 1 Plus and/or the Blue Angel is also a reliable fulfillment criterion for this seal.

Product information and safety data sheets

UZIN UTZ provides comprehensive product information such as technical data sheets and safety data sheets to ensure that our products are used correctly. UZIN UTZ manages around 7,000 safety data sheets for all Group brands in up to 20 different languages and keeps them up to date on our websites and in various product databases. At the same time safety data sheets are also made available to our customers electronically via an automatic e-mail service. In addition a range of other documents for our products are made available on our brand websites. In addition to the evidence required by regulations, these include emission certificates (e.g. EMICODE EC 1 Plus, Blue Angel, M1, building authority approvals), as well as increasingly important environmental product information such as environmental product declarations (EPD) and sustainability data sheets. These documents can be downloaded from our brand homepages for the respective product by all interested parties without prior registration.

Other regulatory issues

We also closely and proactively monitor the development of other regulatory issues in the area of chemicals legislation, both nationally and internationally. For example, the 2023 reporting year was characterized in particular by the measures to implement the newly introduced regulatory training requirement for processing products containing isocyanates, which had to be implemented throughout the EU. This new restriction stipulates that all commercial users of products containing isocyanates must receive training on the safe handling of isocyanates from August 2023 at the latest. This obligation affects not only our customers, but also all employees of our Group companies who come into contact with these products. At the same time we are of course also supporting our customers affected by this obligation by providing corresponding information on our brand websites and offering various contact options - by telephone or email - including training courses (Arturo brand).

In September 2023 after years of preparation the EU's microplastics restriction was adopted, which provides for a ban on synthetic polymer microparticles (SPM) and mixtures containing SPM from 0.01 % in order to reduce their negative effects on humans and the environment. Due to the broad definition of SPM, products such as dispersion adhesives, primers, levelling compounds and tile adhesives with dispersion powders are also partially affected by the restriction regulation. However, as the use of these products does not result in the release of microplastics into the environment, as the plastic particles they contain are firmly bound into the resulting product matrix, these products are not subject to a ban, but rather an exception. Only certain labeling and reporting obligations must be fulfilled when placing them on the market. The products may continue to be sold and processed in the usual way. Due to the nature of the polymer particles, some of these products could even fall completely outside the scope of the restriction, which would also mean that the labeling and notification requirements would no longer apply.

Finally UZIN UTZ will continue to keep a close eye on all new developments in the field of construction products relating to chemicals legislation and the environment in the coming years, particularly those that emerge in connection with the EU's Green Deal. One example of this is the revised Construction Products Regulation. UZIN UTZ is directly affected in all Group companies by the announced font size requirement on labels as part of a further revision of the CLP Regulation, which is expected to be adopted in 2024. This will massively increase the space required for label texts, particularly on multilingual product labels and will result in the complete revision and redesign of product labels.