Stakeholders, including trade associations and companies, have engaged in discussions regarding proposed updates to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safer Choice programme, which aims to evaluate packaging materials and recyclability. The program, initiated in the 1990s, currently assesses product performance, pH, and packaging against health and environmental safety criteria. The proposed revisions, intended to reflect current scientific advancements and consumer demands, emphasise sustainable packaging, requiring either reuse or recyclability with minimum postconsumer recycled content percentages. However, concerns have been raised by industry groups like Ameripen and the American Chemistry Council, questioning the expansion of the program’s scope to include packaging. While some companies, like Procter & Gamble and Clorox, express support for strengthening sustainable packaging requirements, they also advocate for flexibility in implementation to ensure industry feasibility and alignment with evolving standards. The EPA is considering stakeholder feedback before finalising the updated standards.

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