One of the first goods in Japan to be officially certified for environmental design, acknowledging their recyclability, are PET bottles used in the beverage sector. The new guidelines are intended to promote advancements in PET bottle design, including more recycled content and lightweight construction. As… Read More »Japan Offers PET Beverage Bottles Environmental Design Certification

The European Commission has officially adopted the Voluntary Standard for SMEs (VSME) — a new, simplified sustainability reporting framework designed to support micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in disclosing ESG-related information. The standard aims to help these businesses meet rising data requests from financial… Read More »EU Commission Approves Sustainability Reporting Standards for Small Businesses

Talc should be classified as a Category 1B carcinogen (“presumed to be carcinogenic to humans”) under the EU Classification, Labelling, and Packaging (CLP) Regulation, according to a final opinion released by the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) on July 9, 2025. Furthermore,… Read More »ECHA Issues CLH Opinion Regarding Talc Labelling and Classification

The whole text of the GB 30000.30-2025 Specification for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals – Part 30: Desensitized Explosives was just released by the National Public Service Platform for Standard Information. A major step toward China’s close alignment with international standards around chemical hazard classification… Read More »China Issues GB 30000.30-2025, a Mandatory National Standard for Desensitized Explosives

Background As early as 2009, PBDEs were classified in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention for worldwide elimination because to their toxicity, persistence, and propensity for bioaccumulation. PBDEs are still present in new products (such as furniture and textiles) made from recycled materials, even though… Read More »Significantly Tightens Concentration Limits for Brominated Flame Retardants (PBDEs) as the EU Strengthens POPs Regulation

The European Central Bank (ECB) has unveiled a new initiative to strengthen climate risk management within the Eurosystem by introducing a “climate factor” into its collateral framework. This move aims to safeguard the central banking system from the potential devaluation of collateral triggered by climate-related… Read More »ECB Integrates Climate Transition Risk into Collateral Framework

The “Ministerial Regulation No. 20 of 2025 on Import Policies and Regulations for Chemicals, Hazardous Substances, and Mineral Resources” was issued by Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade on June 30, 2025, and it will go into effect 60 days later. According to the legislation, importers of… Read More »Indonesia Controls the Import of Mineral Resources, Chemicals, and B2 Hazardous Substances

The FY2024 GHS Recommended Classification List was recently posted on the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) website by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and Ministry of the Environment (MOE) of Japan. For businesses… Read More »186 Substances Have New Classifications! Recommended Chemical Classifications Are Released by Japan

On July 1, 2025, Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) introduced amendments to the regulation titled “Scope of Responsible Businesses for Items or Containers that Should Display Collection-related Labels, Label Design Size, Position, and Other Compliance Matters.” The revision requires that plastic material identification codes be… Read More »Taiwan to Require Plastic Identification Codes on Liners and Blister Packs from July 2027