Chemical Watch News and Insight Podcast

In this week’s episode of the Chemical Watch Podcast, global managing editor Kate Lowe is joined from our Asia desk by Asia reporter Ellen Daliday and by Geraint Roberts, Chemical Watch's editorial director, to discuss two stories from the week. Firstly, revisions to China's primary regulation governing new chemical substances have been finalised and are due to come into force at the beginning of next year. In the meantime, transitional arrangements have been proposed to manage new chemicals until the revised regulation comes into force. Secondly, the recent Safer Chemicals Conference held by Echa heard executive director Dr Bjorn Hansen propose the idea that we need a definition of a "sustainable chemical" - based on safety, circularity and using less energy to produce.

In this week’s episode of the Chemical Watch podcast, global managing editor Kate Lowe is joined from Dallas by Ginger Hervey, global and emerging markets reporter, and in the UK by Andrew Turley, Chemical Watch science editor, to discuss two stories from the last week: Firstly, the debate that has followed a decision by Mexico's health department earlier this year to propose an overarching national chemicals policy placing the burden of proof on companies to show the substances they use are safe - a move which has stirred industry concern, and most recently the development of an alternative industry-sponsored proposal. Secondly, the publication of the provisional findings of a literature review of studies on the mixture effects of substances - findings which could have implications for regulators seeking solutions to the longstanding issue of how to account for the effects of unintentional mixtures of environmental chemicals.

In this week’s episode of the Chemical Watch podcast, global managing editor Kate Lowe is joined by our chief customer officer Emma Chynoweth and North America managing editor Terry Hyland to discuss two stories from the last week: Firstly, the results of a survey conducted by Chemical Watch to investigate the impact of coronavirus Covid-19 on the working lives of professionals in the chemicals management sector, and to gauge expectations with regards to key issues such as the pace of regulatory developments. What do the findings tell us about the experience of professionals working in chemicals management during these challenging times? Secondly, the implications of a California bill to ban more than a dozen substances from personal care products. The bill has passed its first legislative hurdle - and, crucially, received backing from a key industry trade group. Why did the trade body back the committee’s decision, having previously opposed a similar measure?

In this week’s episode of the Chemical Watch podcast, global managing editor Kate Lowe is joined by Chemical Watch news editor Charlotte Niemiec and North America managing editor Terry Hyland to discuss two big stories from the last week: Firstly, the likely re-emergence in the US of long-standing debates over TSCA’s preemption rules as the US Environmental Protection Agency nears completion of final risk evaluations for the first ten substances subject to review under the amended TSCA legislation. Secondly, the implications of the fatal gas leak from a polymer manufacturing plant in Andhra Pradesh, South East India, which tragically left 12 people dead and hundreds hospitalised.

In this week’s episode of the Chemical Watch podcast, science editor Andrew Turley is joined by global business editor Leigh Stringer and editorial director Geraint Roberts to discuss two big stories from the last week: the release of a policy statement by the Cross-Industry Initiative (CII), calling for better guidance and an improvement in the effectiveness and consistency of how a risk management option analysis (RMOA) of a substance is conducted. The CII argues that a clearer RMOA process would support the EU’s Green Deal; and concerns raised by the chair of a key UK Parliamentary Committee over the UK’s post-Brexit chemical strategy following the government’s decision to suspend work on it due to Covid-19.

This week, our Global Business Editor Leigh Stringer is joined by Editorial Director, Geraint Roberts and Managing Editor – North America, Terry Hyland. They discuss two big stories from the last week: a call by German trade bodies for a six-month postponement of chemical regulatory deadlines in the wake of Covid-19, and the results of the US EPA's TSCA draft evaluation of Perc which has identified risks for workers and consumers.

In this episode, we are joined by moderator Cissie Yeung (Shell Eastern Petroleum),  Jeff Li (Procter & Gamble), Lingzhen Dong, (Johnson & Johnson), and Libin Huo, (AICM), speaking at Regulatory Summit Asia 2019. The panel talk about the different regulations in both China and South Korea, including MEP Order 7, K-REACH and K-BPR, and the impact of recent changes to the industry.

In this episode, we are joined by moderator Nhat Nguyen (Chemical Watch), Karolina Zazvorkova (European Commission), Doreen Fedrigo (ECOS), and Cristina Garcia (Chemical Watch), speaking at Regulatory Summit Europe 2019. The panel discusses the role and impact of RoHS compliance on those working with and in the European Union, and personal insights from the group concerning their experiences working with the regulation.

In this episode, we are joined by moderator Michael Kirschner (Design Chain Associates, LLC), Christophe Garnier (Schneider Electric), and Walter Jager (EDC Compliance), speaking at Chemicals Management for Electronics and Electricals USA 2019. The panel discusses supply chain management for the circular economy, answering questions on key topics, including: Circularity will require tighter control of the supply chain as more recycled materials become input materials; how do we tie them together? Where do we find suppliers willing to take recycled materials? What legal and waste transport barriers exist, and how do we address that with the relevant governments?