Lappset advocates for the versatile use of wood
Lappset products have been designed to comply with European material safety regulations and do not contain hazardous substances that are harmful to users.
In the future, Lappset wants to further develop the versatile use of locally grown wood. It is also interesting to increase the use of recycled material, and this is where Lappset’s Product Development Manager Matti Posti says we are heading in the right direction.
The industry is developing rapidly, and the quality of recycled plastic, for example, will soon be able to compete with its new counterparts. Although very little plastic is used in Lappset’s products even now, the chemical safety and sustainable development of the products are values that permeate the entire Lappset Group organisation.
Lappset is well prepared to implement environmental responsibility in many ways. Although wood as a raw material is environmentally friendly and renewable in the first place, Lappset does not want to get too stuck in it.
“We don’t want to make things too easy for ourselves. Instead of spending time on small issues, we want to highlight genuinely effective solutions, those that matter in the big picture,” says Matti Posti in summary.
Lappset promotes chemical safety by committing to sustainable production practices
Lappset Group mainly manufactures its products itself and is also responsible for the procurement of raw materials and chemicals. The chemicals used in the products consist mainly of adhesives, as well as wood preservatives and surface treatment agents. Part of the product range is also delivered unpainted at the customer’s request.
The guiding value of EU-level regulations on chemical safety is the safety of the end user, i.e. the consumer.
Suppliers of raw materials and chemicals used in manufacturing must provide the necessary information about potentially hazardous substances in the form of safety datasheets. This information is stored in Lappset’s product data management system.
The REACH regulation, adopted by the European Parliament, guides chemical safety and regulates risk assessment in the EU. The 0.1% weight threshold, according to its requirement, is ensured by comparing the number of possible SVHC components in the recipe to the mass of the part (product) in question. According to the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes), SVHC components refer to substances of very high concern. Details about the mass of each part and the materials and chemicals used in it are stored in the product data management system.
“The EU already regulates quite strictly the implementation of chemical safety in principle. In addition to product manufacturers, all material suppliers comply with the REACH regulation – in the case of Lappset, the supplier of a wood preservative, for example,” Matti says.
A young girl wearing a green coat with a furry hood and black leggings slides down a large, curved plastic tube. She is lying on her back with her legs up. Behind her, a young boy wearing a dark jacket looks on from inside the tube.
Safety is created by testing more rigorously than is required
A young girl wearing a pink puffer jacket and matching pink beanie sits in a large, rope swing at a playground. She appears thoughtful as she looks to the side while the swing is suspended from metal chains. The background includes a wire fence and autumn foliage.
Chemical safety is taken seriously at Lappset. Lappset’s playground equipment is, therefore, certified by a third party (TüV Süd) according to the EN1176:2017 standard. Certification requires eight PAH compound tests, but Lappset uses the more demanding and accurate PAH 15 test. PAHs, i.e. polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, are chemical compounds that can be harmful to humans and the environment.
The threshold value for the PAH 15 test is 0.5 mg/kg for each PAH compound. Lappset carries out tests regularly, as well as whenever there are changes in raw materials or suppliers. The tests are also performed when the certification is updated.
In more than 95% of PAH tests performed by Lappset, the reference values are not exceeded. According to Matti Posti, PAH tests are carried out on products where PAH compounds may theoretically be present.
“Even in materials that pass the test but with values that are too high, in our opinion, we conduct further research and try to find an alternative material that will bring the values down as much as possible,” Matti Posti says.
PAHs are found especially in rubber parts and parts containing soft plastic.
Lappset promotes global chemical safety
At the beginning of 2024, Lappset will introduce a new wood preservative that meets the requirements of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.
“The importance of detailed data in the industry has grown a lot during my career,” Matti Posti reflects.
Nowadays, all kinds of product information are more relevant, and customers have more questions about product manufacturers. Both the law and the reporting required by customers have increased greatly, and according to Matti Posti, this is a clear change in the trend of the industry in general.
Lappset has product sales in approximately 60 countries, so there is a lot of variation in chemical safety requirements from country to country. Compliance with voluntary certifications increases chemical safety.
As a product manufacturer, Lappset also has the opportunity to influence chemical safety through framework agreement requirements, for example. Customers and municipalities are happy to listen to companies on what kind of requirements should be recorded and why.
“Manufacturers are often asked for opinions in their expert capacity, so their views must always be objectively justified. Parties that draw up and comply with framework agreements seek to understand what to record that makes sense from a practical perspective. It’s inappropriate to exclude something important from the perspective of the product’s functionality,” Matti Posti says.
All materials used by Lappset in its products comply with the REACH regulation EC1907/2006.