Will Food Laws Be Uniform?
On March 8, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would preempt food safety and labeling laws. Federal preemption is a legal concept under which states may not enact regulations unless they are identical to federal law....
Zero Funding for FCN Program?
In a significant step back for industry, the proposed budget for the US government’s 2007 fiscal year would abolish the federal Food Contact Notification (FCN) program of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA)....
A New Twist on CSR
Today, corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives cover a broad range of social issues from labor and human rights concerns to climate change. Shareholders are concerned about the value and validity of CSR inititives. This development has the potential to affect businesses, including the converting industry, more broadly....
Environmental Right-to-Know
Public availability of environmental data is a crucial tool in the protection of public health and the environment. Programs have been criticized for paperwork requirements and failure to safeguard adequately confidential business information and trade secrets. How do you balance the public’s right to know with the need to maintain chemical facility security?...
Packaging 2006: What's Ahead?
As 2005 comes to a close, we review a few selected legal and regulatory developments likely to have an impact on the converting industry. ...
Data Security: A Growing Concern
Since the beginning of 2005, report after report has surfaced related to breaches of security that have affected more than 50 million records containing personal information. The incidents have generated legislative concern, particularly since identity theft is perhaps the fastest-growing crime in the US....
Testing for Toxins in Packaging
In September the Toxins in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH) is planning to commence a pilot testing program, funded by the EPA, to randomly test product packaging for toxic materials that violate state laws....
Obesity: Can Packaging Help?
It's no secret that people around the world are getting fatter. The causes of overweight and obesity are multi-factorial. Food safety agencies like the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) continue their efforts to address diet, health, and agricultural policy....
E-Waste Debate Could Influence Package Recycling Legislation
As we have reported previously, increasing public concern over solid waste management is spurring consideration of “extended producer responsibility” (EPR) and “shared responsibility” approaches to waste minimization and reduction. A case in point is the divergent electronic waste (E-waste) legislation in Maine and California....
Food Contact Regs: a Global Look
Packaging products, particularly products in contact with food, are subject to regulation around the world. The differences in those regulations, particularly differences between the US and European Union (EU) systems, reflect fundamental differences in policy, rooted in their respective legal frameworks, that are important for industry members to understand. The subject is highly technical and complex; we provide here only a brief overview....
E-Waste Legislation
In response to concerns over the environmentally sound disposal of an increasing quantity of cathode ray tube (CRT) devices, which contain lead and other heavy metals considered hazardous materials by the California Dept. of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California has passed an innovative electronic waste recycling law....
RFID: Emerging Policy Issues
In a previous article we outlined some of the issues surrounding the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) and electronic product code (EPC) technology for the converting industry. As we indicated, the primary concern surrounding the use of this technology involves privacy and security when personal information becomes associated with RFID tags. Privacy and security were the major focus of a workshop on RFID sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last summer....
Is a Packaging Makeover Ahead?
Two recent initiatives, a proposed tax measure in San Francisco and a voluntary industry commitment on biodegradable polymers in the European Union (EU), are of interest to the converting industry, not only because of the proposals themselves, but because they reflect different policy approaches to addressing packaging wastes....
CAN SPAM Laws & E-Mail
Many members of the converting industry have been following the new CAN SPAM law and its impact on e-mail communications. CAN SPAM covers unsolicited electronic mail messages in which the primary purpose is the commercial advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service (including content on an Internet Web site operated for commercial purposes). ...
Food Recordkeeping Requirements
On December 9 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published its final rule implementing new food recordkeeping requirements under the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (the Bioterrorism Act). Although most converters are exempt from the records establishment and maintenance requirements of this rule, some will have to adhere to the records availability requirements, as explained below....
The Legislative Outlook for 2005
While most agree moral issues played a role in the 2004 election results and thus will figure prominently in legislative initiatives during the next session of Congress, we examine here what members of the converting industry may expect in terms of the legislative business agenda for the 109th Congress beginning in January 2005....
RFID & EPC Systems
By now, most members of the converting industry probably have heard about Electronic Product Code (EPC) systems which, using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), will allow logistical tracking of products throughout the distribution chain, revolutionizing the product distribution process well beyond the current bar code technology. The converting industry will be part of that revolution as major retailers and the government begin mandating its use....
Implications of Bioterrorism Act
As converting industry members know, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued regulations implementing the Bioterrorism Act officially known...
Be Prepared for E-Discovery
In today's interconnected world, electronic discovery in litigation is an increasingly important issue. In fact, in many cases today, the bulk of the...
CSR Must Be a Balancing Act
In June the European Multi-Stakeholder Forum (EMS) adopted a final report on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). EMS was an outgrowth of the 2000 Lisbon...
Flex-Pack & Recycling in Japan
This third article in a series on the impact of international solid waste laws on converters examines Japan's recycling requirements for container and...
Watch for New Overtime Regs
Members of the converting industry, like other industries, must become familiar with new overtime rules issued by the Dept. of Labor (DOL)....
Nanotech The Next Big Thing
Everyone seems to be talking about nanotechnology. While it is expected to become a multi-trillion dollar industry over the next decade, fears are being...
Nonattainment Regs Get Stricter
The US Environmental Protection Agency is expected to release its list of communities designated in "nonattainment" with the Agency's new, stricter eight-hour national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone by April 30, 2004....
COOL Rules!
In 2002 the Agricultural Marketing Act was amended (7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq) to add a new subtitle requiring country of origin labeling for perishable agricultural commodities....
