California has enacted Senate Bill 258, the “Cleaning Products Right to Know Act of 2017.” SB 258 requires cleaning product manufacturers to disclose the ingredients of their products to consumers. The bill is a victory for disclosure advocates after many
Recent legislation and regulations
Oregon children’s product reporting instructions and portal go live

With less than three months to go before the first biennial reporting deadline, the Oregon Health Authority has opened its reporting portal and issued instructions for reporting under the Oregon Toxic Free Kids Act. The Act requires manufacturers (or…
New Jersey passes new drivers license swipe law
In enacting the Personal Information and Privacy Protection Act (S-1913), New Jersey joins a growing minority of states with so-called “swipe laws.” New Jersey’s law generally aligns with swipe laws in the approximately one-third of other states with such…
EPA formaldehyde saga continues


Back in January, the EPA published its final rule restricting formaldehyde emissions from composite wood. While the original rule set compliance dates starting December 12, 2017 (with additional dates in 2018 and 2023), the rule has undergone a tumultuous several…
Washington restricts flame retardants in children’s products and upholstered furniture


On July 1, 2017, Washington’s “Toxic-Free Kids and Families Act” goes into effect, restricting the use of the following five flame retardants in children’s products and residential upholstered furniture:
- Additive TBBPA
- Deca-BDE
- HBCD (HBCDD)
- TDCPP
- TCEP
Under the…
Drone registry rule grounded by court


Updating our previous post about the Federal Aviation Administration’s rules and regulations regarding the use of drones, an appeals court has struck down one of the more hotly disputed aspects of the program – the FAA’s registration requirement for recreational…
Chicago checkout bag tax set to begin


For retailers and other companies doing business in the Windy City, the Chicago Checkout Bag Tax Ordinance implements a $0.07 tax on “the retail sale or use” of paper or plastic checkout bags. It goes into effect on February 1,…
Trump administration ices EPA formaldehyde in composite wood rule


Following up our recent post on EPA’s publication of its formaldehyde in composite wood rule, the Trump administration has delayed the rule’s effective date from February 10, 2017 to March 21, 2017. This delay is part of the…
EPA publishes formaldehyde in composite wood rule – Dec. 2017 compliance dates


EPA recently published its final rule restricting formaldehyde emissions from composite wood. The publication now triggers the rule’s effective date (Feb. 10, 2017) and the first compliance dates (December 12, 2017). The rule implements the formaldehyde standards found in Title…
Clamshell compliance: California’s Rigid Plastic Packaging Container law

California remains on the forefront of sustainability and recycling requirements. A key restriction in California is the Rigid Plastic Packaging Container Law, which targets hard plastic product packaging (namely “clamshells”). The law requires that product manufacturers reduce waste from…