Rhode Island’s Microplastics Reduction Act Would Prohibit Sales by 2030
Rhode Island lawmakers have introduced legislation that would ban products containing intentionally added microplastics and require the development of statewide testing and strategy plans. The Microplastics Reduction Act, SB 2534, would prohibit the sale or distribution of any product containing intentionally added synthetic polymer microparticles starting January 1, 2030. The definitions of key terms used […]
EU Adopts New Textile EPR Requirements
In September, the European Union (EU) took a significant step to address textile waste and recycling through amendments to the EU Waste Framework Directive (WFD). Under Directive (EU) 2025/1892, Member States must implement extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes for textiles, establish national registers of textile producers, and adopt measures to improve the collection, sorting, and […]
European Chemicals Agency Releases Proposal Banning PFAS
On February 7, The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) proposed a ban on per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as part of the European Union’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (“REACH”) regulation. The ban, which would include about 10,000 PFAS substances, could greatly impact US companies that export virtually any product to the European Union […]
European Commission Sets Implementation Dates for New Hazard Classes
The European Commission has released implementation dates for new hazard classes introduced by an amendment to the Classification, Labelling, and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures Regulation. The new hazard classes are as follows: Endocrine disruption for human health (ED HH) in category 1 and category 2 Endocrine disruption for the environment (ED ENV) in category […]
EU court rules on notification requirements for REACH articles.
Under Europe’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation, notifications are required for components of complex products that meet the 0.1% threshold concentration for certain chemicals, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled. The court’s decision, issued last week, overturns guidance issued in 2011 by the European Commission and European Chemicals Agency […]
European negotiating position on chemicals aims for regulatory cooperation in trade deal with U.S.
Last week, the European Commission (EC) published papers describing its negotiating positions on five topics associated with the current EU-US talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The position papers, released as part of the EC’s efforts at increasing transparency, propose improving the compatibility of rules governing chemicals, cosmetics, motor vehicles, pharmaceuticals, and […]
EPA exploring data-sharing possibilities with European regulators.
The EPA is considering ways to share chemical data with European regulators, including research on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and information submitted for REACH compliance. Chemical Watch reports that Jim Jones, EPA Assistant Administrator of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, will discuss sharing EDC data with regulators in Brussels in late June. […]
Report: REACH a primary trade barrier for SMEs exporting to EU.
Last week, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) released a report identifying the high costs of complying with REACH as one of the primary trade barriers affecting American small and medium enterprises (SMEs) seeking to export to the EU. Although SMEs account for as much as 35 percent of U.S. chemicals exports to the EU, […]
ECHA finalizes REACH CoRAP list.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has adopted its final substance evaluation plan for 2014-2016. This updates the REACH Community Rolling Action Plan (CoRAP) list to contain 120 substances, 51 of which will be evaluated by member states this year. The plan provides that 48 more substances will be evaluated in 2015 and 21 in 2016, […]
ECHA committee takes step towards reclassifying BPA as 1B reprotoxicant.
The Risk Assessment Committee of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has adopted an opinion to strengthen the harmonized classification and labeling (CLH) of bisphenol A (BPA), in line with a proposal by France regarding the substance’s adverse effects on sexual function and fertility. BPA is currently classified as a category 2 reproductive toxicant and would […]