SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, is advising businesses operating in California that several Proposition 65 (Prop 65) settlement agreements have been reached for a wide variety of consumer goods.
Prop 65, or the ‘Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986’, is a unique piece of legislation that requires the state to maintain a list of chemicals (Prop 65 List) known to cause cancer, birth defects and/or reproductive harm. Unless exempted, businesses operating in California must provide ‘a clear and reasonable warning’ (Prop 65 Warning) before knowingly and intentionally exposing anyone to a substance on the Prop 65 List. Once a substance is included in the list, companies have twelve months to comply with this requirement.
The Prop 65 List now contains around 900 substances, including:
- Bisphenol A (BPA)
- Diethanolamine (DEA)
- Formaldehyde
- Lead
- Six phthalates (butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-isodecyl phthalate (DIDP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and di-n-hexyl phthalate (DnHP))
In recent months, multiple settlement agreements have been reached in relation to these substances for a wide variety of consumers goods – from socks containing spandex to faux leather sheets and electronic drum mats.
To help stakeholders gain a better understanding of these settlement agreements, SGS has published SafeGuardS 093.22, which includes tables containing agreements relating to these chemicals.
It should be noted, settlement agreements are only legally binding on named parties, but they do provide an indication of how manufacturers and suppliers should progress when operating in California.
SGS Prop 65 Services
With a global network of laboratories, SGS can offer comprehensive testing, product assessment and consultancy services related to California Proposition 65. SGS can assist your risk management strategy in consumer goods, such as DIYs, electrical and electronics, hardgoods products, juvenile products, and textile & toy products. In the end, it’s only trusted because it’s tested. Learn more about SGS’s Prop 65 Services.
SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full California Proposition 65: Reformulation of Chemicals in Consumer Goods SafeGuardS.
Subscribe here to receive SGS SafeGuardS direct to your inbox.
For further information contact:
Dr. HingWo Tsang
Global Information and Innovation Manager
Tel: (+852) 2774 7420
Ms. Melanie Schubert
Senior Technical Manager
Tel: +1 312 414 9394
Email: crs.media@sgs.com
Website: www.sgs.com/cgnr
LinkedIn: sgs-consumer-goods-&-retail
About SGS
We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. Our 96,000 employees operate a network of 2,600 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer and more interconnected world.