Based on current international trends in chemical management, it is expected that future chemical management regulations will become increasingly comprehensive and stringent. A recent analysis report by the US environmental group Safer States shows that at least 26 state legislatures in the United States will legislate in 2013 to restrict harmful chemicals in consumer products and take regulatory action. These include flame retardants, bisphenol A, and substances harmful to children's health, and businesses and investors have responded positively.
At least 14 U.S. states are reportedly initiating legislative processes to require consumer product manufacturers to proactively disclose whether they use hazardous chemicals that pose health concerns for children. The bills require manufacturers to identify hazardous substances and develop safe alternatives. States participating in this wave of legislation include Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, and Maryland. The momentum for legislation mandating the identification of hazardous substances and the disclosure of safety information in consumer products is growing stronger. In addition, California, a leader in green chemistry, has recently submitted its Safer Consumer Product Alternatives bill to the Office of the Executive (OAL) for final review. If approved by the OAL, the bill will take effect on October 1st and will publish an estimated list of 1,200 Chemicals of Concern (COCs) and designate priority products. Manufacturers will be legally required to conduct alternative analyses (AAs) for these priority products.
Across the Atlantic, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) updates the list of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) and the authorized list of the REACH Regulation annually, guiding the international community toward safer chemical solutions. Many international NGOs have called on companies to develop safe alternatives as soon as possible, and EU environmental groups have also demanded that ECHA strictly review authorization applications and reject authorizations for alternative SVHCs in order to accelerate the phase-out of SVHCs.
Businesses are actively responding to the voices of consumers. In May, Johnson & Johnson announced that it would eliminate potentially harmful chemicals from its baby products, which garnered more than 30,000 signatures of thanks from consumers. The Environmental Working Group also formally thanked the company for its proactive efforts to phase out harmful chemicals, including formaldehyde, triclosan, parabens, and phthalates.
Investors are also increasingly seeking to understand corporate chemical strategies and actively participate in companies' sustainability decisions. At several financial investment conferences held in April of this year, the US environmental group ChemSec observed that sustainability investing has focused on material substitution practices and corporate sustainability issues. Investors are becoming more involved in individual company decisions and forming a united front to more actively influence companies' decisions regarding the phase-out of hazardous chemicals.
With the rise and increasingly stringent international regulations on chemical management, both government attitudes and market trends are becoming more proactive. The Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs reminds enterprises to take initiative and implement relevant response strategies, and to pay close attention to the development of stricter regulations on the safety management of consumer chemical products and the new trend of safe alternatives in the international market.
Sources: International Chemicals Policy Promotion Network (2013-08-05)
