ACI Prepares for a Busy Second Half of 2022

The cleaning product supply chain will face increased state-level legislative and regulatory activities in the second half of 2022. These activities could impact  chemical ingredient, packaging and cleaning product use and disposal issues, according to Melissa Hockstad, president and CEO of the American Cleaning Institute.

During her State of the Association address at ACI’s Mid-Year Meeting, Hockstad mentioned California, New York, Washington and Vermont as states that were among the “hotbeds of activity” for ACI’s government affairs team so far this year.

“We are seeing more action on packaging and extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies than ever before,” said Hockstad. “Our state government affairs team has been front-and-center with state lawmakers to ensure they understand the impact of their proposals on cleaning product manufacturers.”

In Washington State, which enacted a law last year that addressed, in part, recycled content in cleaning product packaging, ACI’s Brennan Georgianni, director, state government affairs, was selected to sit on a rulemaking advisory committee to assist the Department of Ecology with rules addressing fees, registration and waivers, among other items.

On the federal level, ACI will have a more intensive focus on trade barriers and issues affecting the cleaning and chemical supply chains, said Hockstad. ACI’s Kathleen Stanton, AVP-technical and international affairs, was appointed to a key government panel that advises the US Commerce Department and US Trade Representatives.

The Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Health/Science Products and Services (ITAC 3) provides detailed policy and technical advice, information and recommendations regarding trade barriers, negotiation of trade agreements, and implementation of existing trade agreements affecting the chemical sector.

Hockstad said that ACI is urging Congress to provide the funding necessary to EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) to help “ensure that new, innovative and safe cleaning products can reach consumers quickly.”

She noted the industry is constantly innovating, developing new chemical components and formulated products that promote safer use, greater effectiveness and sustainability. But to continue, “EPA must have the ability to perform the required regulatory reviews on ingredients and product labels and issue such approvals in a timely fashion.”

ACI supports EPA’s Safer Choice program. Hockstad previewed other ACI activities for the second half of 2022, including:

• ACI’s advocacy on Capitol Hill for a federal ingredient communication standard.
• The release of ACI’s sixth Sustainability Report, which will showcase industry efforts to reduce the effects of climate change and increase circularity.
• The pending publication of research showcasing the safety and efficacy of topical antiseptic ingredients in order to meet data requests from the Food and Drug Administration.
• The rollout of the next version of ACI’s web-based iSTREEM model that estimates the concentration of a chemical that goes down the drain and residual levels that subsequently enter the aquatic environment.
• The third edition of the Discover Cleaning Summit, a joint initiative between ACI and Good Housekeeping, with a focus on “The Clean, Healthy & Happy Home.”

Ingredient Communication Tool

Consumers want more information on the chemicals in their cleaning products. During the Mid-Year Meeting, ACI unveiled What Cleaning Ingredients Do, an online tool designed to enhance consumer understanding through greater transparency and building trust with consumers, said the industry association. The resource was presented by ACI Future Leaders Chair Kristin Cordz, Market Actives, LLC, and Vice Chair Bryan Parrish, The Clorox Company.

“‘What Cleaning Ingredients Do’ is a simple, searchable database of more than 800 chemical ingredients commonly found in household cleaners to promote consumer understanding with consistent consumer-tested ingredient function descriptions,” explained Cordz. “Leveraging these ingredient terms and functions provides a pivotal opportunity for standardized industry language, applicable across brand and product websites, education resources and packaging.”

In developing the tool, ACI engaged with consumers at every level of research. According to Hockstad, the online tool addresses the gap between required ingredient disclosure and a consumers’ right to understand and be able to make informed decisions.

“This tool allows product formulators, developers and marketers to proactively help shape a better standard of consumer understanding of the role ingredients play in helping to make every day cleaning products safe, beneficial and effective,” said Hockstad. “Enhanced understanding helps empower consumers to feel more confident with the products they have chosen to use in their homes.”

The database tool will initially be rolled out for ACI member companies in the weeks ahead. The Association’s goal is to align the tool with ongoing updates they are making on ingredient functions through product websites or apps like SmartLabel.

Further development plans are underway for expanding the rollout to other stakeholders. Parrish told meeting attendees that solving problems for consumers is both “very beneficial for industry and very gratifying on a personal level.”

“This tool represents a pivotal opportunity to support consumers’ right to make choices,” added Cordz. “We can help fill the knowledge gap.”

Safer Choice Update

During the meeting, Clive Davies, lead at the Safer Choice Program, US Environmental Protection Agency, detailed how the program is operating currently, what the planned activities are for the coming year(s) and touched on EPA’s commitment to strengthening it. Safer Choice helps consumers, businesses and purchasers find products that perform and contain ingredients that are safer for human health and the environment. It is an EPA Pollution Prevention (P2) program, which includes practices that reduce, eliminate or prevent pollution at its source, such as using safer ingredients in products.

According to Davies, 40% of consumers recognize the Safer Choice label. Of those that do, 80% use it to make purchasing decisions.

With that kind of recognition, EPA wants to work with stakeholders at a Safer Choice Summit, tentatively scheduled for November 1-3, 2022. Some suggested topics include updates on the standards, Safer Choice Ingredient List (SCIL) curation and communication efforts. But the topic schedule is open for discussion, Davies asserted.

“We want to talk to talk to stakeholders and not just set an agenda,” he said. “All EPA is doing is setting a standard and communicating a standard. It is the suppliers and marketers doing the innovation. You make it all happen.”

In recognition of supplier and marketer efforts, at the Summit, EPA will present its Partner of the Year awards.

Collaboration has been a hallmark of EPA’s efforts. More than a year ago, EPA worked with stakeholders to create a new Design for the Environment (DfE) logo for antimicrobial products (due to FIFRA regulations, antimicrobials can’t carry the Safer Choice logo). Eight active ingredients are currently allowed under the DfE including citric acid, hydrogen peroxide, L-lactic acid, ethanol, isopropanol, peroxyacetic acid, sodium bisulfate and chitosan.

“We are getting support from (EPA) leadership,” insisted Davies, who noted that the Safer Choice staff is expanding.

“We want to work with retailers, NGOs and product and chemical manufacturers to get the word out about the program and improve the level of recognition among consumers,” he concluded.