Verdant Law Presents on Chemical Regulatory Framework and Implications for Product Design

This month Verdant Law founder Phil Moffat traveled to Orlando, Florida, to present at the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (ICPHSO) 2023 Annual Meeting and Training Symposium. Mr. Moffat’s presentation discussed the implications of chemical regulation for product design.

The presentation outlined recent trends in the chemical regulatory landscape, including EPA’s PFAS reporting rule, state regulations banning PFAS in children’s toys, flame retardants, and other products, and state PFAS labeling and reporting rules. The presentation discussed the risk of regrettable substitutions from both human health and environmental perspectives, as well as from a product efficiency perspective. (An example of decreased product efficiency could be removing PFAS used to waterproof a product may decrease the product’s efficiency if the replacement doesn’t repel water as well.) It also addressed risks associated with introducing multiple versions of the same product into commerce. In addition, Mr. Moffat covered risks of regulatory noncompliance, including penalties, seizures, recall, and market backlash, as well as risks of legal liability. The presentation recognized that the regulatory framework could be incredibly difficult for companies to navigate.

If you would like to view the presentation, it can be found here. For questions or assistance with regulatory compliance for consumer and industrial products, please contact Verdant Law.