Non-asbestos accelerated in countries to speed up Walka's production of asbestos seals in China
September 08, 2022
Japan's Walka asbestos seal products, which have been very popular in the Chinese market, will be withdrawn from the market in a few days. Luo Mingde, the head of the China Business Division of the Walka Group, announced at the third Walka seminar jointly organized by the company and the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association that Walka will stop producing and selling asbestos seals in China before December 31st. The asbestos products and equipment of its products located in the Shanghai Songjiang Export Processing Zone will be destroyed and all asbestos-free sealing products will be produced next year.
The reason for Walka’s move is that the Japanese media successively disclosed in July and August this year that a series of residents living around the asbestos products factory had caused a strong reaction due to the death caused by asbestos-induced lung disease and cancer. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan has announced the 2008 ban on the use of asbestos seal products and insulation products. Although the deadline for banned asbestos products in Japan is 2008, non-asbestos in many industries is accelerating, and the total ban on asbestos use may be advanced.
In addition, in the 1980s, Europe and the United States had recognized the harm caused by improper use of asbestos to the human body, and formulated regulations on banned and restricted asbestos products. It is understood that from January 1, 2005, the European Union has banned the sale and use of chrysotile and products containing asbestos (except for existing separators used in electrolyzers). On January 1, 2010, the use of chrysotile asbestos was completely banned. . In the United States, where large asbestos products are consumed, although the use of asbestos products is still allowed for specific products, the use of asbestos products has also been drastically reduced due to the active restrictions imposed by companies.
At present, China has not yet introduced a comprehensive ban on asbestos products, but the building materials industry has proposed to limit the use of asbestos products, sealing material non-asbestos has also become an inevitable trend. Currently, the problems encountered by Chinese companies in comprehensively promoting non-asbestos are mainly the cost-effectiveness of alternative products. Non-asbestos products have a huge market in wholly foreign-owned or joint ventures. BASF, Bayer, BP, DuPont, Roche and other companies have banned the use of asbestos products.
With nearly 80 years of history, Walka has a reputation in the field of sealing technology and products. It has established Fluoroplastic Products Co., Ltd., Sealed Products Co., Ltd. and a trading company in Shanghai, and stopped production of asbestos seals with good sales in China. A piece of product will likely cause it to lose some customers. Luo Mingde said that in this regard, Walka is a socially responsible company, attaches great importance to the hazards of asbestos, the first to stop the production of asbestos products is responsible to customers and the environment. Walka is stepping up research and development of fluorine plastic, glass fiber and other alternative products and a variety of solutions, as soon as possible to meet the needs of the Chinese market, non-asbestos seal products.