New Zealand Bans Three Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Substance    

Main points regarding permissible use or storage

Effective Date

LC-PFCAs, their salts and related compounds (does not include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and PFOA-related compounds as listed in this Schedule)

Specified time-limited uses for(a)-(c);
Use (d): no expiry date.
(a) Semiconductors designed for replacement parts;
(b) semiconductors designed for replacement parts for combustion-engine-powered vessels;
(c) replacement parts for motor vehicles that have ceased mass production;
(d) articles present in New Zealand on or before 16 December 2026 in which long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, their salts, or related compounds have been used as additives in any of the following (in applications such as construction, land-based motor vehicles, power equipment, industrial machinery, marine machinery, garden machinery, forestry machinery, medical and analytical equipment and devices, electrical equipment, electronic equipment, air conditioning, and heat pumps)

December 16, 2026

MCCPs (unintentional trace contaminants of MCCPs in products or articles are POPs if the total concentration of linear C14-17 chloroalkanes of any molecular formulae in point (ii) of the definition mentioned above, in substances in those products or articles is more than 3%)

Specified time-limited uses for(a)-(m);
Use (n): no expiry date.
(a) flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC), limited to the following uses:
(i) construction sector (other than flooring in indoor spaces that are not used for commercial purposes), including maintenance of buildings and other structures;
(ii) wires and cables in the construction sector;
(iii) wires and cables in medical devices and in-vitro diagnostic devices;
(iv) calendared films in the packaging field, excluding food packaging.
(b) solid woven conveyor belts used in underground coal mines;
(c) flexible elastomeric foam for thermal insulation;
(d) adhesives and sealants, limited to the following uses;
(i) polysulfide sealant and 1-component polyurethane foam used in sealing for doors and windows;
(ii) waterproof coatings and anticorrosion coatings;
(iii) aerospace and defense applications (for example, polyurethane adhesives and tamper-proof putty);
(e) tape used for non-structural bonding in aerospace and defense products;
(f) fat-liquoring component in leather, except in children’s products:
(g) emergency response pyrotechnic devices;
(h) paints and coatings for ammunition and ammunition markings:
(i) metalworking fluids;
(j) polymers and rubbers (including PVC, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber, chloroprene (CR), nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), and chlorinated polyethylene (CPE)) used in repair and replacement parts;
(k) ammunition pyrotechnic defense devices to achieve specific effects (for example, sound, smoke, light);
(l) intumescent coating and paint for space and defense equipment and it’s packaging to protect against extreme temperature;
(m) coating and paint for the repair of, and use in replacement parts for, space and defense equipment;
(n) articles present in New Zealand on or before 16 December 2026 in which medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) have been used as additives in any of the following (in applications such as construction, land-based motor vehicles, power equipment, industrial machinery, marine machinery, garden machinery, forestry machinery, medical and analytical equipment and devices, aerospace, defense, electrical equipment, electronic equipment, air conditioning, and heat pumps).

December 16, 2026

Chlorpyrifos

None

July 8, 2027