This month, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) is soliciting public feedback on two rulemakings related to extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs that apply to covered battery-embedded products (along with other types of electronics) and loose batteries. Comments on CalRecycle’s draft regulations to implement SB 1215, which revised the state’s Covered
Product Safety
CPSC Withdraws Lithium-Ion Battery Rulemaking
Less than two weeks after the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) voted 3-2 to move ahead with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) for a new safety standard for lithium-ion batteries used in e-mobility devices, in a not unexpected move, the Commission, now consisting of two Republicans, voted to withdraw the NPR. But…
CPSC Advances Lithium-Ion Battery Safety Standard for E-Mobility Devices
In a 3-2 party-line vote, the three Democratic commissioners at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) voted on April 30, 2025, to move forward with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) for a new safety standard for e-mobility products using lithium-ion batteries, such as hoverboards, e-bikes, and e-scooters. A proposal by Acting Chairman…
Canada’s Competition Bureau Seeks Feedback on Proposed Environmental Claims Guidelines
Competition Bureau Canada (the Bureau) announced just before Christmas that it is seeking public comments on draft guidelines (the Guidelines) for assessing environmental claims for compliance with Canada’s Competition Act (the Act). The Act was amended in June 2024 by adding two specific provisions to existing general prohibitions for false and misleading representations and unsupported…
California Becomes First State to Impose Extended Producer Responsibility on Textiles
California recently became the first state to adopt an extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme for textiles by adopting Senate Bill 707, the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 (the RTRA or Act). Specific requirements will become effective in 2026. EPR is a regulatory approach that shifts the burden of recycling and reuse of products away…
CPSC Approves eFiling Rule for Certificates of Compliance
On December 18, 2024, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved a final rule to implement electronic filing (eFiling) of certificates of compliance (CoC) for imported consumer products that are subject to a CPSC rule, ban, standard, or regulation (Final Rule). A 24-month effective date will apply to covered consumer products imported into a…
CPSC Extends Comment Period on Expansion of eFiling Beta Pilot Test
On September 10, 2024, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or the Commission) published a notice extending the comment period for its expansion of the eFiling Beta Pilot Test to October 10, 2024. This extension is referred to by CPSC staff in training materials as the “eFiling voluntary stage” to differentiate it from the…
CPSC Proposes New Rule for Button and Coin Cell Batteries in Children’s Toys
On August 13, 2024, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Commission) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPR) in the Federal Register proposing new rules for children’s toys containing button and coin cell batteries. This comes fewer than seven months after CPSC adopted the most recent revisions to the mandatory safety standard for children’s…
FTC Finalizes Rule Against Fake Reviews and Testimonials
On August 14, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) announced its Final Trade Regulation Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials (Final Rule) to rein in what it believes is the widespread practice of using fake reviews and testimonials to boost sales of products or services. The long-awaited Final Rule was…
CPSC Proposes Significant Changes to Rule Governing Certificates of Compliance
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC or Agency) recently published a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPR) (88 Fed. Reg. 85760 (December 8, 2023)) to revise the existing rule on Certificates of Compliance (CoC or certificates), 16 CFR § 1110 (Rule 1110). The last time CPSC proposed changes to Rule 1110 was in 2013, when…