Essential Workers

Household cleaners, disinfectants, hand sanitizers…it’s a lengthy list of health and hygiene formulas created by member companies of the Household and Commercial Products Association (HCPA). No wonder then, that HCPA has been front and center during the pandemic, and the benefits that its members bring to society was in the spotlight during last month’s virtual annual meeting. The event enables executives from every member company to learn more about the regulations impacting their business, get insights from the recent presidential election and receive updates on how HCPA’s seven divisions are tackling issues and opportunities for their diverse product offerings—all during tremendous upheaval in the US.

“I think everyone can agree that 2020 presented circumstances like nothing we have ever seen before,” observed HCPA President and CEO Steve Caldeira in his State of the Association address. “A global coronavirus pandemic, unstable economy, an emotional and long overdue national reckoning with racial injustice have all been wrapped-up, unfortunately, in an increasingly polarized political climate at all levels of government.”

In contrast to the polarization in government, HCPA members worked around the around-the-clock to ensure that cleaning and disinfecting products remained in the hands of consumers and workers, as well as making significant monetary and much-needed in-kind product donations to many important relief efforts, noted Caldeira.

“It is only through this tireless work and dedication that we have been able to assist the American public in helping to mitigate COVID-19,” he added.

Although the pandemic has dominated the news for nearly a year, HCPA continued to advocate for the industry’s priority public policy issues, including 1,4-dioxane legislation in New York, VOC limits for consumer products in California and, on the national level, a standard for cleaning product ingredient communication.


Critical Contributions

But it’s been the coronavirus epidemic that has solidified HCPA members’ essential place in the economy. At the very start of the coronavirus pandemic, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) activated the Emerging Viral Pathogen Guidance, which companies within HCPA’s Antimicrobial Products Division were instrumental in helping to establish back in 2016, recalled Caldeira. Under this guidance, companies could provide the Agency with existing data to show that their products were effective against a harder-to-kill virus.

“This not only helped the EPA identify products that could be used against COVID-19, but also increased the number of products that were available to consumers and workers during this public health crisis,” he explained. “In a very challenging and unprecedented time of uncertainty, Americans took comfort in the fact that the trusted and familiar products they’ve used to clean and disinfect their homes and workplaces for generations could protect them from the threat of COVID-19.”

To keep the product pipeline flowing, HCPA provided immediate input to the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to ensure member companies were recognized as “essential critical infrastructure” and could maintain and expand their operations. With this designation, companies went straight to work, manufacturing products at record levels  and, in many cases, companies even switched product lines to focus only on essential products for the COVID-19 response.

To help minimize supply chain disruptions, HCPA and allied trade associations worked with EPA to implement certain temporary regulatory flexibilities that would help manufacturers access the ingredients and materials they required. Throughout the process, HCPA and some member companies even spoke directly with Administrator Andrew Wheeler about how the Agency could help increase the availability of cleaning and disinfecting products and minimize supply chain disruptions. For example, the EPA has been expediting reviews for products looking to become eligible for the Emerging Viral Pathogen Guidance.

“This process, which would normally take 90-plus days, is now down to about two weeks… so, the EPA needs to be rightfully recognized for their willingness to listen to a vast array of key stakeholders, for their flexibility, and all that they did to expedite common-sense solutions to protect Americans,” observed Caldeira. “Our collaboration with the EPA has greatly increased the number of products that can be used against COVID-19 and that consumers and workplaces have access to.”


Other Measures

With a new Administration in The White House and divided leadership on Capitol Hill, HCPA is preparing to engage policymakers in the new administration, actively tracking the transition, and making important connections with political and career officials. At press time, the Association was tracking developments in the lame duck session of Congress, and assembling information on new committee leadership and legislative agendas. All of these efforts will help HCPA ensure that it is well-positioned for productive engagement in the key policy debates of the next two years, on issues including environmental protection, sustainability, recycling, tariffs, pesticides, and consumer product regulations, according to Caldeira.

At the state level, HCPA is working in New York on ingredient disclosure and 1,4-dioxane issues. On the former, HCPA has been given the exclusive opportunity to provide feedback on certain elements of the guidance before the New York State DEC issues its draft regulations.

“While our goal is to align New York’s ingredient disclosure requirements with California’s Cleaning Product Right to Know Act, the New York State DEC does not want to introduce an identical proposal,” explained Caldeira. “We will continue to have productive conversations on behalf of members to hopefully arrive at a workable solution that both industry and the New York State DEC can agree on.”

Meanwhile, HCPA is working to ensure the reasonable implementation of a law that restricts the manufacture, sale and distribution of household cleaning products containing 1,4-dioxane in New York.

The Association is working with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to develop a one-year waiver process for companies that manufacture household cleaning products that cannot comply with the current, stated thresholds. The process would enable companies to apply for an additional one-year waiver, should they need it.

“Finally, we successfully coordinated with the New York Governor’s office to schedule a series of calls with New York State DEC to discuss technical guidance, which was the result of member companies’ feedback, that will hopefully provide important clarity on implementation of the law,” concluded Caldeira.

Outgoing Chair Jerry Porter of Procter & Gamble noted that 2020 was a year in which the household and commercial products industry truly stepped up to the plate and showed how much it contributes to society—not only during a public health crisis, but every day.

“This is a very talented and knowledgeable group of industry leaders, who will continue to propel both the Association and industry forward,” observed Porter. “I am confident that Bill Schalitz will seamlessly fill the role of Chair and lead HCPA to great things in 2021.