Developed countries strictly prohibit the use of non-environmentally friendly cables, and China also attaches great importance to this area. China's relevant laws and regulations expressly require that important buildings prohibit the use of PVC wires and cables, must be halogen-free low smoke cross-linked PVC wires and cables, in order to avoid the occurrence of fires when a large amount of smoke, chlorine gas, resulting in casualties.

Environmentally friendly cable will strongly drive the development of the cable industry, enhance the competitiveness of cable manufacturing enterprises, and in the green practice and innovation, so that the cable industry in the sustainable development of the road more and more stable. In recent years, China's cable enterprises gradually to environmental protection cable, low smoke halogen-free type cable and other directions, as far as possible, does not contain lead, cadmium, mercury and other heavy metals, does not contain bromine flame retardant, does not produce harmful halogen gases, does not produce corrosive gases, burning less heat, not pollute the soil, etc., the environmental protection cable will be more favored by the market in the bidding of the grid company is more likely to get a high amount of orders.

　Users of environmentally friendly wire and cable requirements, summarized in the following points:　　

1. Requirements for the low content of lead and heavy metals

As we all know, lead and certain heavy metals can adversely affect human health, and in PVC formulations, usually need to be mixed with additives such as lead, cadmium, barium and other heavy metal compounds. However, since the 1990s, a number of developed countries and large electrical companies have formulated regulations, in the PVC wire and cable used, there are eight heavy metal content shall not be greater than specified. These new regulations both to the wire and cable manufacturers to bring new business opportunities, but also to the PVC cable manufacturers to bring serious challenges.

2. Requirements for its low smoke and low hydrogen oxide

Good flame retardant properties is a very obvious advantage of PVC wire and cable, however, ordinary flame retardant PVC cable in the fire when burning, will release thick black smoke and a large number of HCI gases, resulting in a fire after the "second disaster", seriously affecting the evacuation of people and fire rescue work. Therefore, in the wire and cable flame retardant requirements at the same time, in some cases will be further put forward in the "low smoke" and "low HCI" requirements.

3. Requirements for low or non-toxic

　For some may be in contact with food, blood products, household appliances, medical and health appliances, as well as children's electric toys used on the cable, in addition to the requirements of lead-free heavy metal-free, but also non-toxic (or low-toxicity). This means that all component materials used in a PVC formulation should be non-toxic. Cable materials contain a large number of plasticizers, but the manufacture of non-toxic materials must be non-toxic plasticizers. Therefore, the requirements of this PVC material is higher than that of lead-free and heavy metal-free materials, and the selling price is naturally more expensive.

4. Other prohibited materials

　Currently, the European Union is trying to regulations on the following items are restricted to ensure that wire and cable can be composite environmental requirements. For example: 1) asbestos; 2) poly by biphenyls and their ethers, polybrominated phenols; 3) polychlorinated biphenyls; 4) short-chain (C10 ~ C13) chlorinated paraffins.

　As environmental issues are getting more and more attention, many countries have already formulated various environmental protection policies, so people are more inclined to use green cables. Low-smoke halogen-free flame retardant cable material is currently one of the more popular environmentally friendly cables. Despite the growing demand for green cable in China's market, but compared with developed countries, China has a long way to go in the development of relevant policies and mandatory application, China should improve the environmental cable standards as soon as possible.