Canada’s Push for Environmental Protection

Updates on PFAS, Plastics & CEPA No progress on rule restricting PFAS & flame retardants Canada is strengthening its regulatory framework for toxic substances, particularly targeting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and flame retardants due to their persistence in the environment and harmful effects. The Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations 2022 aims to restrict […]

Cleaner Standards: Detergent regulations in Europe and the UK

Detergents are products containing soaps and/or other surfactants intended for washing and cleaning. They come in various forms, including aerosols, trigger sprays, liquids and powders, and are marketed for household, institutional or industrial purposes. Common examples of aerosol detergents include stain removers, carpet and upholstery cleaners, glass cleaners and multipurpose cleaners. Given their widespread use, […]

What you need to know for Canadian compliance…

Your proprietary formula is worth its weight in gold. It is prudent to protect this invaluable information and avoid disclosing specific details on a safety documentation. In the U.S., it is not uncommon for suppliers to hide chemical information on the safety data sheet (SDS) for a hazardous product as “trade secret.” This is permitted […]

EU Chemical Compliance Priorities

ECHA enforcement projects find significant non-compliance The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Enforcement Forum coordinates various projects in Europe to harmonize enforcement in each Member State and check the current level of compliance regarding obligations under European Union (EU) hazardous products regulations. A significant proportion of non-compliance was found during recent enforcement projects BPR-EN-FORCE-2 (BEF-2) and […]

Global regulatory report

We are seeing plenty of regulatory changes around the world, with a growing focus on reducing pollution and ensuring a healthy environment. There are several important regulatory initiatives that are happening in key jurisdictions. “Zero draft” of global plastic pollution treaty  On Sept. 4, 2023, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution released a draft […]

Global hazardous materials update

There is a lot to report on in the sphere of hazardous materials regulations these days and this seemed like an excellent opportunity to do a worldwide update to keep SPRAY readers informed of changes happening in some key global jurisdictions. Brazil adopts GHS 7th Revised Edition On July 3, the Brazilian National Standards Organization […]

EU Regulatory Update

Europe, as usual, is on the forefront of chemical regulatory developments. There are a lot of upcoming changes to be aware of if you sell products into the European Union (EU). Even if you do not currently deal with European compliance issues, it is good to be aware of what is happening there. Regulatory initiatives […]

WHMIS Update

Government of Canada publishes WHMIS 2022, amending Hazardous Products Regulations (GHS, Seventh Revised Edition) Back in 2021, I wrote an article for SPRAY concerning Canada’s proposed amendments to the the Hazardous Products Regulations (HPR) and Schedule 2 of the Hazardous Products Act (HPA), which sets out the requirements for the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System […]

Canada commits to cleaner air

ECCC finally adopts VOC concentration limits of Certain Products Regulations In early 2022, Environment & Climate Change Canada (ECCC) published the Volatile Organic Compound Concentration Limits for Certain Products Regulations in the Canada Gazette1. The goal of the Certain Products Regulations is to limit volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from specific products manufactured or imported […]

Update on Canada’s hazardous chemicals regulatory initiatives

CEPA one step closer to becoming Canadian law On June 9, the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment & Natural Resources completed its review of Bill S-5 and voted to strengthen it before returning it to the full Senate. Bill S-5 modernizes the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), which aims to prevent pollution and […]