By Chris Cathcart President & CEO, Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA) Prioritizing Issues CSPA & the aerosol industry hightlight work in progress The aerosol sector of the consumer specialty products industry has consistently demonstrated vibrancy and resiliency in recent years. As the sector continues to grow, the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA) and its member companies remain committed to continuously improving the environmental health and safety benefits of the aerosol product form, as well as the benefits of other household and institutional product forms. With more than 140 member companies—of CSPA’s more than 230 members—the association’s Aerosol Products Division represents all types of products packaged in self-dispensing, pressurized containers, including spray products and foam products, used by household, institutional, commercial and industrial consumers. Working cooperatively with federal regulatory agencies and with states to create consistencies in state regulation of consumer products and to avoid a patchwork of different state-specific requirements, CSPA leads many efforts to address air quality issues, recycling barriers, inhalant abuse and numerous other issues impacting aerosol products. Air quality issues continue to be one of CSPA’s highest priorities with emphasis on ozone nonattainment in California and in various other states. Modeling studies in California have shown that overall consumer product volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions have exceedingly small ozone impacts, and products packaged in aerosol containers account for only a fraction of those emissions. In addition, aerosol VOCs are largely composed of the least reactive types of VOCs. CSPA efforts this year are focused on the California State Implementation Plan for Ozone update, and the CARB 2013 Amendments to the Consumer Products Regulation and Aerosol Coatings Regulation. Additionally, CSPA will be working with a broad industry coalition to develop additional scientific studies to ensure that future ozone attainment strategies are effective, while continuing to allow effective consumer aerosol products to be available in the marketplace. Other key CSPA initiatives this year include working with software tools and services provider The Wercs, at the request of Walmart, to help ensure effective retailer VOC compliance assurance, as well as working with Ozone Transport Commission states on implementation of their Model Rule. Another critical issue for the aerosol industry has been breaking down regulatory barriers to aerosol recycling. CSPA, as part of its product stewardship efforts, actively supports recycling for all aerosol products, and will continue working to have more recycling programs accept empty aerosol containers, both curbside and drop-off. A particular focus this year will be to determine recyclability labeling consistency with the new U.S. Federal Trade Commission Green Guides, and then encourage all aerosol products to be labeled “Please Recycle When Empty.” In addition, the industry will focus on completing efforts initiated last year to convince the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce its barriers under the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) for rejected aerosols from manufacturers and retailers to be sent for materials recovery and recycling. CSPA supports its affiliate organization, the Consumer Aerosol Product Council (CAPCO), in providing accurate information about recycling. CAPCO helps raise awareness about recyclability of empty aerosol containers. CSPA and CAPCO have also joined with the Steel Can Recycling Institute and other organizations to get the message out to more collection programs and consumers. Other key Aerosol Products Division initiatives this year include: • Revising aerosol fire codes such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Code 30B and the International Fire Code, which will especially impact aerosol cooking sprays and plastic aerosol containers; • Addressing issues related to National Conference on Weights & Measures requirements for net 44 Spray May 2013
Spray May 2013
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