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plans to restrict or ban the manufacture and use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (collectively known as ‘PFAS’). For the tank container sector, the main issue would be in terms of seals and gaskets, which rely on PFAS materials for their operational performance across a wide temperature range as well as their compatibility with most substances carried in tank containers.

ITCO has now put together a case study on the subject (reviewed in HCB October 2022, page 10), which has been submitted to the authorities and calls for PFAS used in seals and gaskets to be designated as ‘materials of essential use’. ITCO has also initiated a pilot project being undertaken at Stolt’s Moerdijk depot on the disposal and, it is to be hoped, recycling of used sealing elements and Bailey appealed for other operators and depots to join in.

The meeting concluded with a toast to the memory of David Jenkins, who as head of Multistar had been one of the founding members of ITCO in 1998 and who died earlier this year. His commitment to the organisation and to the industry in general was recognised by Reg Lee.

Looking to 2023, ITCO’s four divisions will hold meetings online in February and the Organisation is planning a number of other webinars over the course of the year covering such topics as sustainability, safety, efficiency and technical developments. The next big gathering will take place in May, when ITCO will once again take its ‘Tank Container Village’ to the Transport Logistic event in Munich. The Village will comprise 64 stands, of which 46 had already been reserved by the end of October. www.itco.org