Pressure Points
The Household & Commercial Products Association
(HCPA) Aerosol Division has covered a lot of ground
in the last few months, including a joint event with the
Midwest Aerosol Association; I also recently spoke at the Aerosol
& Dispensing Forum in New York. As we gear up for the in-person
meeting of the Aerosol Division at the HCPA Annual Meeting in
December, below is a round-up of recent developments that aerosol
executives should be aware of, including several initiatives that will
have major impacts in the future.
Defending the Package
Your Voice in the Trade War
Since the first announcement of potential steel and aluminum
tariffs back in March, HCPA has been proactively and aggressively
advocating against tariffs. From calling on President Trump to
working with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, HCPA is on the
front lines for the aerosol industry.
Aerosols as Universal Waste
HCPA’s long-term and collaborative work on aerosol disposal has
resulted in a new proposal from The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) to reclassify aerosol cans as universal waste. We
expect that the final rule will be released in September of 2019,
going into effect in late February or early March of 2020.
Working with CARB on VOCs
HCPA is working with the California Air Resources Board (CARB)
on its Preliminary Draft Consumer Product Survey Data, which
will directly affect the future of volatile organic compound (VOC)
limits and regulations. The HCPA Air Quality Committee worked
together to review 491 product categories of data, identified potential
issues and responded to CARB with comments.
Positioning on HFCs
HCPA has expressed concerns on hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) regulation
to the media, at multiple EPA meetings and directly to the
Director of EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Programs (OAP) Stratospheric
Protection Division.
Harmonization of Definitions
HCPA is working to align the definition of an aerosol in the U.S.
across all relevant regulations, including the universal waste proposal
and UN definitions.
Advocating for Innovation
HCPA is working with stakeholders at the federal level to make
it easier to bring new and innovative aerosol products to the U.S.
market—many of which can already be sold in other parts of the
world.
Alternatives to Water Bath Testing
HCPA is petitioning to allow for more innovative, and equally as
safe, alternatives to water bath testing. Elevating this issue within
the U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT) opens the door for alternative
test methods that are more efficient, cost-effective, sustainable
and can be tailored for a specific product or process while
meeting or exceeding safety requirements.
Shipping Flammable Plastic Aerosols
HCPA is advocating allowing for limited quantities of flammable
products in plastic aerosol containers in the U.S., and as we go to
print, it appears that the goal is within reach. Watch for breaking
news on this issue.
Expanding Allowed Resins for Plastic Aerosol Containers
Currently, DOT only allows four plastic resins to be used in
manufacturing plastic aerosols. HCPA is working to remove that
restriction.
Consumer Trust: The HCPA Air Care Summit
The HCPA Air Care Summit on May 18, 2018 gathered medical,
scientific and industry experts to share and assess the science
behind air fresheners, a topic of importance for aerosol suppliers
and manufacturers.
This group is working on a larger effort to proactively build
consumer trust in air care products (and their ingredients) and
effectively educate consumers, workers and the media about the
benefits of these products—many of which are aerosols.
The HCPA Air Care Division Reputation Task Force is continuing
its efforts and hopes to work collaboratively with other divisions,
including Aerosol.
MAA and HCPA Jointly Host Aerosol Interchange
The HCPA Aerosol Division always enjoys collaborating with its
colleagues at regional aerosol associations, an example being the
recent Midwest Aerosol Association (MAA) event.
Jointly hosted with HCPA, the MAA annual networking golf
tournament was paired with a day of interactive educational sessions
that challenged preconceived notions of consumer attitudes
towards aerosols, and used facilitated strategic planning to help
attendees refocus on big picture goals for both their organizations
and the industry as a whole.
Sessions also covered market trends, supply chain analytics,
corporate sustainability and patent law; HCPA’s Propellant Safety
Seminar capped off the event.
As a whole, HCPA represents a wide range of products, from
household cleaners and air fresheners to commercial disinfectants
and pest control, and many of these products use aerosol
technology. We’re all a part of the larger conversation about
fighting misinformation and building consumer trust in our
ingredients, products and brands. The HCPA Aerosol Division
is currently planning its agenda and program for the HCPA
Annual Meeting; contact ngeorges@thehcpa.org for more information.
Spray
Aerosol Roundup:
10 Spray October 2018
STEVE CALDEIRA
President & CEO, HCPA
What aerosol executives need to know now…