The Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA) regulates flammability in clothing, carpets, mattresses, and other products – either manufactured in or imported to the United States. In this guide, we explain how the FFA works and what you must do to ensure compliance.
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Category: United States
Energy Star Guide: Marking, Certification and Testing Requirements
Posted on — Leave a commentAre you an importer or manufacturer looking to use the ENERGY STAR mark for your products? Having the mark on your product communicates that your product is more energy efficient.
This article covers the ENERGY STAR program and its associated marks and addresses common questions associated with the program. The primary source for this article comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ENERGY STAR program.
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Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) Guide: An Overview
Posted on — Leave a commentAre you an importer or manufacturer of appliances and equipment in the US? The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) imposes test procedures, labeling requirements, and energy targets that may apply to your product.
In this article, we introduce the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) and its parts, and we address common questions associated with the act.
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CPSIA Requirements For Importers & Manufacturers: A Complete Guide
Posted on — Leave a commentThe Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) regulates all children’s products (for 12-year-olds or younger) imported, manufactured, and sold in the United States. In this guide, we explain what importers and manufacturers must know about CPSIA requirements.
More specifically, the guide covers the product scope, mandatory safety standards, certification, tracking labeling, and labeling requirements.
The article also explains how businesses and consumers can determine if a certain product is non-CPSIA compliant.
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Pet Product Regulations in the US: A Practical Guide
Posted on — 6 CommentsPet toys and accessories imported and manufactured in the United States are subject to various consumer product regulations and standards. In this guide, we cover chemicals and heavy metals restrictions, flammability requirements, and labeling requirements for pet products in general.
Here are some examples of pet products to which this guide is relevant:
- Pet toys
- Pet accessories
- Pet clothing
- Dog beds
- Cat scratching trees
- Pet food
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Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) Guide for Importers and Manufacturers
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The US FDA designates substances as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) if experts have determined via scientific processes that said substances do not pose any inherent health risks. Substances that are GRAS can be found on the FDA’s Food Additives Status List.
This guide covers what GRAS is, food ingredients that have been sanctioned before the implementation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetics (FD&C) Act, and which direct and indirect food substances are affirmed as GRAS.
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How often should a product be lab tested?
Posted on — Leave a commentAre you an importer or a manufacturer looking to test your product? Whether you need to identify the chemical composition of your product or you want to assess if your product meets the relevant safety requirements, ‘laboratory testing’ should be considered.
That being said, lab testing is not necessarily a “one and done” thing. For starters, you can expect that you will need to re-arrange testing if you ever change materials, components, make design changes, or manufacturer. It is also necessary to re-test products as standards are amended, and new standards are implemented.
However, some regulations require that you go one step further and implement a periodic lab testing program – even without any such changes.
This article presents information relating to how frequently lab testing should be done. In addressing the question, we compare several US and EU product regulations. This includes the CPSIA and FCC 47 CFR Part 15 in the US, and the Toy Safety and the EMC Directive in the EU.
Furniture Regulations in the United States: A Complete Guide
Posted on — 4 CommentsAre you planning to manufacture, import, or sell furniture in the United States? In this guide, we cover regulations and standards that apply to various types of furniture in the United States. Such products include wooden furniture, children’s furniture, upholstered furniture, and more.
This includes the Lacey Act, CPSIA, fire safety standards, and California Proposition 65.
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List of Products Covered by California Proposition 65: An Overview
Posted on — 11 CommentsCalifornia Proposition 65 regulates chemicals and heavy metals in consumer products sold in the state of California. More specifically, California Proposition 65 applies to consumer products, such as apparel and textiles, jewelry, accessories, and home products.
In this guide, we list some of the products and materials covered by California Proposition 65 and highlight associated substance risks.
Product List Creation Methodology
In this guide, we only list products that are mentioned on www.p65warnings.ca.gov. The website either mentions:
a. Specific product categories (e.g. “motor vehicle parts”), or
b. Specific substances (e.g. lead and lead compounds) and, for each substance, examples of products that might contain it (e.g. ceramic dishes)
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UL 1642 Lithium Batteries Standard: An Overview
Posted on — 2 CommentsUL 1642 covers rechargeable and non-rechargeable lithium batteries that includes at least one electrochemical cell that contains either:
- Metallic lithium
- Lithium alloy
- Lithium-ions
In this guide, we cover different aspects concerning UL 1642. This includes information about the standard’s product scope and requirements, lab testing, and where it is possible to buy the standard
Notice that this guide is written only based on publicly available information on this page. You need to buy the standard in order to access the contents of UL 1642.
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