Connecting focuses on networkingCSPA’s Annual Meeting People, Building Business Cing held Dec. 2–6 at the Marriott Harbor Cathcart reminded the audience that there will be chal-U.S. joined forces on antifreeze legislation regarding themandatory inclusion of bittering agents. CSPA made surethat proposed legislation addressed industry’s concerns.- was the Annual Meetthonnecting People, Building Businesstheme of the Consumer Specialty ProductsAssociation’s (CSPA) 99Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Chris Cathcart, lenges, and the tension on Capitol Hill will continue. President & CEO of CSPA, noted in his speech at the “However, we’re strong and getting stronger every year,” General Session that CSPA added 25 new member he concluded. “We need to be substantive, sincere and companies in 2012. put a lot of thought into things. We should always play it CSPA’s network includes such disparate groups as the straight and be an honest broker with both Democrats and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Major League Republicans.” Baseball, CropLife, National Resources Defense Coun- cil and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Stupid ideas seem smarter when (EPA), noted Cathcart, observing that CSPA’s network they come at you rapidly enables it to lead industry on a number of issues. For example, CSPA worked with the EPA and its That’s the Dope-ler Effect, according to Keynote Speaker Design for the Environment (DfE) program to feature Terry Jones, Founder of Travelocity.com, Chairman of the environmental aspects of its members’ products Kayak.com and Managing Principal of Essential Ideas. and help ensure transparency. Additionally, CSPA’s Jones warned the audience that they have to keep up with Consumer Product Ingredients Dictionary now in- change to reach consumers who are more empowered than cludes more than 1,000 trade names and more than ever when it comes to making purchasing decisions; con- 2,000 ingredients. sumers now cut out the middle man and talk directly to the Great strides have been made in chemical policy; manufacturer. for instance, the House Energy Committee contacted A glaring ex- CSPA the day after the 2012 Presidential elections. ample of this is the “They said to the CSPA, ‘We understand your mes- travel industry. In sage, we appreciate your work with the Toxic Substanc- the 1980s, 90% of es Control Act (TSCA) reform,’” quoted Cathcart. travel was booked “‘You’re straight shooters and your story never changes; by agents. Today, your input will be welcome going forward.’” the internet has put CSPA worked with the Alliance for Responsible 18,000 travel agen- Regulation (ARR), a broad-based cies out of business, industry coalition, to oppose four as more than 65% consumer product VOC reduc- of travel is booked tion measures and dispute the online. Due to view that consumer product VOC advancing technol- and Low Vapor Pressure (LVP) ogy, CD sales were reductions contribute to ozone down 25% in 2012, depletion. and video stores In September, Cathcart said, have been virtually President Obama signed into law Jones eliminated. Industry S. 3552, the Pesticide Registra- can only survive by tion Improvement Extension Act embracing change and creating a culture of innovation, of 2012 (PRIA III), which reau- said Jones. thorizes the collection of fees to “New opportunities rise where old ones crumble,” he support the EPA’s Office of Pesti- emphasized. cide Program registration process Jones urged business leaders to kill the project, not the and provides predictable timelines employee, when an initiative fails. Cathcart for industry to get new products “Innovation is like baseball…even if you fail 70% of the to market. A coalition of eight time, you’re still doing very well,” he explained. However, trade organizations, co-chaired by CSPA and CropLife keep teams small as big teams don’t innovate; remember America, along with two environmental organizations, the Two-Pizza Rule: if you can’t feed your team with two Natural Resources Defense Council and the Farm- pizzas, the team is probably too big, he said. worker Justice, worked together to support its passage. Jones also urges companies to break through the Bozone The new law has now been extended for five years. Layer—“that layer of middle management who keep good Also in 2012, CSPA and the Humane Society of the ideas from going up.” 32 Spray February 2013
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