Blogs

Established in 1992, the European Union (EU) Ecolabel is a world-renowned voluntary label that promotes environmental excellence through standardized processes and science-based criteria. As the European Commission transitions to a circular economy -- moving away from the traditional linear model of ‘take, make, use, dispose’ toward one in which products and materials remain in circulation and waste is minimized -- the EU Ecolabel considers the environmental impacts across a product’s...

On July 1, 2026, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) announced it had reached a settlement with Keystone Pest Solutions to resolve allegations related to the sales of certain pesticide products. The penalty of nearly $200,000 relates specifically to sales of the following restricted materials: 2,4-dicholophneoxyacic acid (2,4-D), diuron, carbaryl, dimethylamine salt of dicamba, dimethylamine salt of 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, and Simazine. The specific allegations...

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) New Approach Methodology (NAM) Use for Regulatory Application (NURA) is partnering with Te Protejo for the next installment of NURA en Español. The August 6, 2026, Spanish-language webinar will feature researchers from two Chilean NAMs labs: the Valparaíso Scientific and Technological Center (CCTVal) and Luyef Biotechnologies. Attendees will hear about how both labs are reshaping the Chilean scientific landscape through their work with...

On July 24, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final significant new use rule (SNUR) for multi-walled carbon nanotubes (P-22-163) that were the subject of a premanufacture notice (PMN) and are also subject to an Order issued by EPA pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 91 Fed. Reg. 46742. The SNUR requires persons who intend to manufacture (including import) or process these multi-walled carbon nanotubes for an activity that is designated as a...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) deadline for Spanish language bilingual labeling compliance reporting under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (as amended by the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5)) via MyPeST is July 31, 2026. This reporting deadline is limited to restricted use pesticides (RUP) and agricultural products (non-RUPs) in Acute Toxicity Category I. EPA’s MyPeST platform is a web-based system designed to replace...

A catalyst used in small quantities in a well-controlled industrial application would seem to be the perfect candidate for a Low Volume Exemption (LVE) notification. In fact, in certain regions, such as the European Union (EU) and Canada, no premarket notification is required for substances manufactured or imported below certain tonnage limits (e.g., one metric tonne in the EU). But in the United States under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), there is no de minimis quantity and the U.S....

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published the Developments in Delegations on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials and Advanced Materials -- Tour de Table: July 2024 -- June 2025 (Tour de Table). The Tour de Table lists U.S. developments on the human health and environmental safety of nanomaterials between June 2024 and May 2025: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received notification of “one nanoscale substances based for a multiwalled...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) has provided new resources to assist users with their MyPeST applications. EPA’s MyPeST platform is a web-based system designed to replace the Pesticide Submission Portal, offering registrants a transparent dashboard for tracking application statuses and managing bilingual pesticide labeling compliance. The MyPeST User Guide (Version 3.0.1, dated July 8, 2026) is available now. EPA states that the User Guide...

On July 16, 2026, Representative Rich McCormick (R-GA) introduced the Biotechnology Diplomacy Leadership Act (H.R. 9755). According to McCormick’s July 16, 2026, press release, the bill would “strengthen America’s global leadership in biotechnology by establishing a dedicated biotechnology lead” in the U.S. Department of State (State Department). The press release states that as biotechnology emerges as a “critical arena of global competition,” the United States faces pressure to...

The Sustainable PFAS Action Network (SPAN) announced on July 15, 2026, the formation of its Refrigerant Working Group, “a new initiative focused on advancing practical, science-based [per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)] policies that recognize the essential role refrigerants play in everyday life while meeting global climate commitments.” According to SPAN, the Working Group will bring together key stakeholders, technical experts, and industry leaders “to support durable...