1.  Mercury wastes

2.  Elemental mercury (CAS No. 7439-97-6) and mercury compounds

3.  New mercury uses in products

4.  Dental amalgam

•  Chemical Risk Reduction Ordinance, ORRChem. Amendment of …2017; Draft of 31.10.2016 (16 pages, in German, French and Italian)

•  Ordinance on the Prevention and Disposal of Waste. Amendment of …2017; Draft of 31.10.2016 (1 page, in German, French and Italian)

•  According to the proposed amendment of the Ordinance on the Prevention and Disposal of Waste, elemental mercury and mercury compounds no longer used in processes or gained from the treatment of waste shall be considered as mercury waste from 1 January 2021. Mercury waste shall be permanently disposed of in an environmental sound manner. This principle does not apply for elemental mercury and mercury compounds that are destined for an allowable use.

•  According to the proposed amendment of the ORRChem, any person wishing to import elemental mercury or mercury compounds or export elemental mercury needs an authorisation from the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) . An export authorisation will be granted if elemental mercury is used for research purposes. In addition, an export authorisation can be granted until 31 December 2020 when elemental mercury will be used in the manufacturing of gas discharge lamps or dental amalgam or for the maintenance of seam-welding machines, provided that the importing country has given its consent to the FOEN and the recipient has confirmed to the exporter that elemental mercury is destined for one of the above mentionend allowed uses. Import authorisations will be granted if elemental mercury or a mercury compound is destined for an allowed use.

•  Furthermore the existing restrictions of the ORRChem on mercury shall be amended with a prohibition of the marketing of mercury-added products intended for uses that are not known before 31 December 2017, and the use of mercury or mercury compounds for the manufacturing of such new mercury-added products. In addition the existing prohibition on use of dental amalgam shall be supplemented with an export ban from 1 January 2021.