Sustainability
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Nickel Institute Product Stewardship Activities - 2002

Notes:

Nickel Institute activities in support of Product Stewardship are reviewed with the Nickel Institute Board of Directors on an annual basis. The most recent report was made on 12 May, 2003, and is re-produced below.

This report has two sections. The first deals with "appropriate use" of nickel, the second deals with sustainable development. For most of the items there are links to further information. Inquiries concerning these activities are welcome.


Part One: Appropriate Use of Nickel

  • Industry stewardship position posted on internet regarding use of nickel in: costume/fashion jewellery, ear and body piercing, gold jewellery.

    http://www.nickelinstitute.org//index.cfm/ci_id/112/la_id/1.htm

  • Extensive contacts made with North American metal finishing industry, dermatologists, jewellery manufacturers and retailers to encourage collaboration on efforts to encourage regulation of jewellery products.

    http://www.nickelinstitute.org//index.cfm/ci_id/208/la_id/1.htm http://www.nickelinstitute.org//index.cfm/ci_id/10631.htm

  • Nickel Institute personnel participated in European Union (EU) expert committees seeking to modify the EU "Nickel Directive" (Directive 27/94/EC). Nickel Institute aim: to make it more practical both as an EU regulation and as a "model" for other regulators.

  • Assistance given to the stainless steel industry as it takes increasing responsibility for the product stewardship of stainless steels, especially related to the selection of appropriate grades.

    • Nickel Institute stimulated and coordinated action with the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) and the stainless steel development associations (SSDAs) to encourage the appropriate use of stainless steels for swimming pools and swimming facilities.

http://www.nickelinstitute.org//index.cfm/ci_id/2566.htm

Part Two: Sustainable Development

  • Website information on disposal and recycling of nickel-containing batteries

    http://www.nickelinstitute.org//index.cfm/ci_id/11039/la_id/1.htm

  • Revision and additions to recycling information; promotion of recycling of plating residues

    http://www.nickelinstitute.org//index.cfm/ci_id/119/la_id/1.htm

  • Nickel Institute participated in discussions with other non-ferrous metals and the intergovernmental study groups to establish common definitions of key recycling information - recycling ratios, average life assumptions for multi-metal products.

    http://www.nfmsd.org

  • Commencement of a nickel "stocks and flows" (mass balance) project with Yale University focussed on Europe; financial assistance from Natural Resources Canada of the Government of Canada permitted extension of the scope of the project to include North America.

    http://www.nickelinstitute.org//index.cfm/ci_id/11029.htm

  • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) activity: Metal recycling is probably under-valued by current LCA methodologies in ways detrimental to long-term environmental trends. Nickel Institute is carrying arguments to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) and the broader LCA community by itself and through the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM).

  • "Nickel" magazine: during 2002 articles relevant to sustainability, durability and recycling have been carried in five languages (English, German, French, Japanese, Spanish)

    http://www.nickelinstitute.org/

 

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