Marketing teams are still playing catch-up in the wake of GDPR which landed earlier in 2018. However we’re now urging you to turn your attention to another acronym, an EU regulation which the UK will be keeping on after Brexit; the BPR.

In brief, the BPR (Biocidal Products Regulation) is an EU regulation which tells us which biocides we can and cannot use. Before you switch off thinking this blog isn’t for you, it also crucially states what must be included on your labelling and details what you may claim as a function, eg: hypollergenic, antibacterial, etc…

The BPR will affect many more businesses than its predecessor, the Biocidal Products Directive, which restricted the use of certain biocides that could cause harm to humans, animals and the environment. This is because the BPR also shines a light on any product that has been treated with a biocide too, suddenly this opens up the scope for this to include hundreds of thousands of products manufactured in the UK and Europe.

And if you’re selling a product that includes a biocide or makes a biocidal claim, eg: mould resistant, you must ensure you’re compliant. The penalties are significant and the company selling the product is responsible for its BPR compliance, that means brands and not necessarily the manufacturer. 

Marketing claims are a big part of the BPR, so if you’re thinking your products will be fine because you don’t use a biocide, think again! BPR is also clamping down on what it considers to be false claims, ie: biocidal marketing claims where no biocide was used. An example of a marketing claim may be that the inclusion of lavender has an antibacterial effect - scientifically not true, so the marketing team would need to remove this claim to become BPR compliant. If you’re claiming a biocidal effect without a biocide, you’ll need independent test results to backup your claim and keep your product’s marketing messages safe from the BPR.

Compliance is achieved by using an approved biocide for your product type under the BPR and by the correct marketing, labelling and provision of additional consumer information by the brand.

The BPR is complex, that’s why we’ve written an eBook about it. Inside this eBook we have information specifically for marketing teams, as well as details for your technical/product teams to digest. We have examples of compliant labelling, advice on re-formulation for compliance and details on legal accountability.

Download the BPR eBook Now

Our free 30 page eBook has been read and approved by a specialised legal team in conjunction with the technical chemistry team here at Addi-Tec. We’ve put it into plain English, so no matter your specialist area you should be able to find the answers you need about the BPR. It’s also packed with helpful links for those who wish to have a more in-depth knowledge about the BPR.

And remember, Addi-Tec are here to help you achieve compliance. We can help with re-formulation, product sourcing and regulatory advice. Contact us by any of the methods on our contact page to arrange a meeting.