D2: Challenges in Ingredient Disclosure Alignment and Supplier Communication

Westin Boston Seaport 

Room: Burroughs 

Ingredient disclosure requirements for compliance are not always aligned with stewardship initiatives, such as restricted substances lists. This potentially creates a conundrum for retailers and product manufacturers. For example, disclosure regulations can vary from state to state within the U.S. California's disclosure laws for cleaning products and fragrance and flavor ingredients define very specific requirements not only for product labels but also for companies' websites.

Voluntary stewardship initiatives such as third-party certifications (including the Environmental Protection Agency's Safer Choice and GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals) add yet another layer of complexity to ingredient disclosure as requirements, reporting thresholds, terminology, and information needed for regulatory compliance may not harmonize fully with those required to obtain third-party certifications. Transparency and open communication up and down the supply chain are critical factors for understanding what must be disclosed to meet requirements, but these practices are often stymied by involved parties' interest in protecting confidential business information (CBI). In this presentation, we will discuss challenges, considerations, and recommendations for alignment across regulatory and voluntary programs.

Upon completion, the participant will be able to:

- Understand ingredient disclosure requirements and the challenges of integrating them with voluntary product stewardship initiatives such as third-party certification.
- Discuss considerations, strategies, and a case study for ingredient disclosure alignment and supplier communication and engagement.
 

Value Chain/Supply Chain Communications & Challenges

Domain II: Communication

Intermediate

Campfire