The tar rescue campaign launched in autumn 2015 has been successful, and the production of domestic pine tar is allowed to continue. The pine tar of the three largest Finnish tar producers was registered with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in mid-May 2018. The deadline for registration was May 31.
The main registrar of Nordic Pine Tar is Saarijärven Hautaterva (entrepreneur Topi Hakkarainen) and the other registrants are Lentiiran Terwa Ky (Toivo Heikkinen) and Puirova (Markku Sutinen). From now on, registered companies will be able to produce 1 to 10 tonnes of tar per year.
For example, village associations or event organizers may continue to produce tar without registration, as long as annual production is less than one tonne.
The goal of the Long Live the Tar Association (Eläköön Terva Ry), which managed tar rescue operations, was to obtain the registration required by the European Community Chemicals Regulation REACH for domestic pine tar and to collect the required funding. The total cost of registration was approximately 150 000 €.
Funding was received from foundations, the Church Council, associations and companies, among others. The largest sponsors have been the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Church Council, the Swedish Cultural Foundation, Kone Foundation, the Paint Industry Association, the Chemical Industry Association and the Forest Industry Association. In addition, there have been several smaller supporters.
The method of financing has been unique in the EU in the implementation of the REACH registration. Without external funding, registration would not have been possible and more large-scale domestic tar production would have ceased from the beginning of June 2018.
Rakennuskemia Oy is a community member of Eläköön Terva Ry (Long Live the Tar Association). The company wants to be involved in maintaining a long tradition of tar usage. The purpose of the association is to preserve the cultural heritage by promoting and enabling the use of tar for traditional and new applications and to promote cooperation between actors in the field and other interested parties. To achieve its purpose, the association collects and shares information on matters related to the use and properties of tar.
Rakennuskemia Oy's own brand WOODCARE.GUIDE offers products for all wood care, and the range also includes tar products for wood treatment in various applications.
WOODCARE.GUIDE Tar products:
