On October 27-28, 2009, the Ninth Antimicrobial Workshop was held in Arlington, Virginia. The American Chemistry Council (ACC) Biocides Panel, the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA), and ISSA sponsored the Workshop, which was conducted in coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Antimicrobials Division. The Workshop included presentations on the following topics:
- Eco-Claims for Disinfectants and Sanitizers;
- Current Activities/Future Directions for the EPA Antimicrobials Division;
- Inerts Regulation;
- Proposed Part 158W Antimicrobial Data Requirements;
- Antimicrobial Testing Program;
- EPA/Industry Issues Updates;
- Perspectives on Implementing the EPA Container Regulations;
- PRIA 2 Update;
- Thresholds of Toxicological Concerns for Antimicrobials;
- EPA Policy on Emerging Pathogens;
- End Users’ Perspectives on Antimicrobials;
- Canadian Antimicrobial Regulatory Issues;
- European Antimicrobial Regulatory Issues: BPD and REACH;
- Update from Antimicrobial Exposure Industry Groups; and
- Antimicrobial Reregistration and Registration Review Update.
According to the Workshop organizers, the presentations will be available by the end of this week on the sponsoring organizations’ websites; a copy also is available upon request from Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C).
The following summary briefly discusses some of the key points made during these presentations.
Eco-Claims for Disinfectants and Sanitizers
William (Bill) Balek, ISSA, and Michael Hardy, EPA Antimicrobials Division (AD) gave successive presentations discussing two upcoming AD pilot projects related to permissible environmentally-friendly product claims. Hardy stated there would be a formal announcement about these pilot projects in November 2009. Balek discussed the market demand for environmentally preferable products and guidance on their selection.
The first pilot project will allow the addition of the EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT) Design for the Environment (DfE) logo and website on pesticide labels for products that have completed successfully the DfE program review. Hardy stated that AD will begin accepting applications to add the DfE logo in May 2010, but registrants may apply to the existing DfE program at any time. More information about OPPT’s DfE program is available at http://www.epa.gov/oppt/dfe/pubs/about/index.htm.
The second pilot project will allow registrants to add the following limited factual statements to their labels as applicable: dye- and/or fragrance-free, and a reference to the registrant’s company website for a discussion of the company’s commitment to the environment and sustainability. Hardy emphasized the company’s website must be consistent with product labeling, and this pilot project is not authorizing cause marketing or generic “green” statements. Among the statements that EPA considered but is not including in the pilot at this time are statements concerning ready biodegradability. Hardy stated that EPA is continuing to review the availability of study protocols that demonstrate ready biodegradability in formulated mixtures. Hardy also stated that this pilot project would begin in January 2010. Finally, Hardy stated that AD had determined that another set of statements -- concerning the recycled content of product packaging -- could be included on the label now, outside of the pilot, and be added via notification.
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