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We have long known that supposedly inert chemicals in plastics can break away from the finished product, exposing people and the environment to their health hazards. Flame retardants, plasticizers and monomers like Bisphenol A (BPA) are all well-known examples of chemicals that can emerge from plastics. Yet, somehow nanomaterials were assumed to be different—that  once embedded in a plastic they would stay put. But the forces of nature have demonstrated otherwise. Environmental… …

This is an exciting period of material innovation, as manufacturers explore new frontiers in making chemicals and plastics from fossil fuel alternatives. With growing demand for products with environmentally friendly credentials, the chemical manufacturer SABIC plans to dip into the deep fat fryer and use cooking oil and waste fat as the feedstock for low-density and linear polyethylene – plastics used in food packaging and other flexible plastic products. The Saudi Arabia-based company… …

While the antibacterial ingredient known as triclosan continues to be used widely in soaps, toothpaste and other personal care products, Minnesota has passed a law making it the first state to ban the chemical from such items. Scientific studies have found triclosan in lake and river sediment, and raise questions about its ability to increase antibiotic resistance and potential for hormonal effects. The FDA says there’s no evidence soaps containing triclosan are more effective than those… …

Vermont is poised to join California, Maine, and Washington State with more comprehensive chemicals policy legislation. The Vermont legislature passed a bill giving the state Health Department authority to require disclosure of “chemicals of concern” used in children’s products. The legislation, while less stringent than what environmental health advocates hoped for, also establishes rule-making enabling the department to recommend specific chemical… …

Frogs exposed to PBDE flame retardants during early life developed weakened systems, a condition that could leave them vulnerable to disease, say University of Wisconsin scientists. Their study – the first of its kind – suggests that pollutants, at levels present in the environment, may be contributing to the worldwide decline of amphibian populations. These same chemicals that were used for years in upholstery foam, plastics and electronics, have also weakened immune… …

Sprint has announced it will soon begin selling iPhone cases made from a methane-based plastic known as AirCarbon™. Manufactured by Newlight Technologies, the plastic is made with methane captured from dairy farms and touted as “carbon-negative.” The technology seems to be more sustainable, but the lack of chemical ingredient disclosure leaves unanswered the questions remain as to of whether chemicals of high concern are used in… …

“A prevalent misconception within the media, among politicians and others, is that all industry finds chemical regulations ineffective, burdensome and a threat to their profits, when in fact many downstream chemical users…realise there is much to gain from increased transparency of information and better regulatory control over the production and use of chemicals.” Holding this view, and with the adoption of REACH still two years away, Swedish NGO ChemSec in 2004 established a… …

Join BizNGO for a webinar on March 19 with Helen Holder of HP, where we will dive into the alternatives assessment requirements of the Safer Product Regulations. Sign up here. Last week the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) released its first three Priority Products under the Safer Consumer Product Regulations: -- children’s padded nap mats containing the flame retardant TDCPP (chlorinated tris), -- spray polyurethane foam systems containing unreacted diisocyanates… …

The trend away from toxic chemicals is clear: Growing market demand and government regulations are pushing companies to move away from chemicals of high concern to human health or the environment. Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Walmart and Target are among the companies that recently have announced policies to eliminate chemicals of high concern from their products and supply chains. Are the alternatives safer? Chemical alternatives assessment is an emerging field of practice that… …