All about our 101-webinar series: Q&A with Stacey Bowers

Enhesa Product’s new 101-level webinar series focuses on providing baseline requirements for specific product categories, starting with Textiles 101: beyond chemicals on 28 March and EEE 101: beyond chemicals on 25 April. Discover more about the new series and what the webinars on textiles and EEE will cover in this Q&A with webinar speaker Stacey Bowers, Global Compliance Manager.

101 webinars

Find out what to expect from our new 101-level webinar series.

Q. Where did the idea come from for a series of 101-level webinars looking beyond chemicals?

Our chemicals coverage has always been important to us. It’s where we started, and it continues to be a key area of focus today. But we’re also increasingly covering other product compliance topics, particularly through the Regulatory Database. 

Our 101-level webinars are designed to give attendees insight into these other aspects of product compliance ‘beyond chemicals’, by sharing some of the intelligence we have to support customers with their obligations.

Q. What are the common misconceptions people have about the regulatory landscape beyond chemicals?

In some ways, it’s easy to talk about chemicals in products, as this tends to be the most news-worthy policy area, due to the high risk to human health and safety, as well as to the environment. However, we’re seeing a lot of enforcement around safety regulations too. Some examples are flammability regulations or regulations on physical and mechanical hazards, such as choking, small parts and sharp edges, particularly for products for vulnerable populations.  

We also anticipate added scrutiny of labeling claims, particularly around “green,” “sustainable” and “environmentally friendly” characteristics of products. Jurisdictions including the EU, France and California are enacting regulations to ensure such claims are accurate and not misleading, and give consumers the ability to compare products and their impact on the environment at the point of purchase.  

These are important areas of compliance, which organizations can’t ignore.

Q. What key insights or takeaways will attendees gain from the series?

The webinars are intended to provide high-level overviews of all the applicable requirements for different product categories available in our Regulatory Database.

These webinars will surely be a refresher for some customers, but for others, they’ll be an introduction to these requirements and to Enhesa Product’s ability to support them with their compliance challenges in those arenas.  

Textiles 101: Beyond Chemicals

The first webinar in the 101-level series is Textiles 101: beyond chemicals, which will outline the newly-enacted and upcoming labeling, safety and waste requirements in textiles. Detailing recent proposals in the EU and Mexico, amended legislation in Australia, and chemical restrictions worldwide, this one-hour webinar will provide baseline insight into new legislation.   

Join us on Thursday 28 March: Textiles 101: beyond chemicals | Enhesa

Q. How is textiles regulation beyond chemicals evolving, and what are the trends?

Textile waste is one of the biggest global challenges, as fast fashion makes it affordable to purchase the latest trends, but not necessarily the highest quality products. As such, a number of jurisdictions, including France, Netherlands, Sweden, California and Mexico, have enacted or are enacting legislation to ensure that textiles are recycled, rather than disposed of as waste, at the end of their useful life.

Q. Why do people need to know about textiles regulation beyond chemicals?

While regulations about chemicals in textiles, such as PFAS or formaldehyde, tend to make the most news, the textile sector’s biggest need is support with labeling requirements, such as care instructions, fiber identity and leather disclosure.  

Many manufacturers and retailers hope to create one global label for as many markets as possible, which can be a challenge due to differing approaches to care symbols, not to mention translations!

Q. What highlights can attendees expect to hear in the webinar?

Attendees will get a grounding in textile fundamentals, including labeling, safety and waste. We’ll highlight the jurisdictions which have enacted the most stringent requirements globally and those which have no regulations at all, to help customers understand how to design one textile product for as many markets as possible.  

We’ll also summarize the latest proposed and enacted requirements applicable to textiles, such as new care labeling requirements in Australia, a digital labeling proposal in the UK and the latest version of the Apparel and Footwear International (AFIRM) Restricted Substances List.

EEE 101: Beyond Chemicals

The second in our 101-level series, Electrical and electronic equipment 101: beyond chemicals will outline the requirements for products in the sector, including information technology equipment, appliances, audio and video equipment, lamps and lighting, HVAC, and batteries and chargers. With detailed summaries on eco-design and energy efficiency, labeling, testing and certification, waste requirements, and chemical restrictions, this webinar will provide a holistic overview of industry standards.  

Join us on Thursday 25 April, Electrical and electronic equipment 101: beyond chemicals | Enhesa

Q. How is EEE regulation beyond chemicals evolving, and what are the trends?

As with textiles, regulatory bodies are concerned with the environmental impact of EEE, with initiatives on right-to-repair in places like the EU and the US states of NY and Oregon, and energy efficiency and eco-design globally.  

Additionally, EEE is subject to health and safety concerns, such as Canada’s consultation on dangers from portable electric heaters, and Thailand’s new labeling requirements for lasers.

Q. Why do people need to know about EEE regulation beyond chemicals?

People still do need to think about chemicals in EEE – we’ll cover China’s new RoHS 2 standards, for instance – but circularity of EEE will absolutely be at the forefront of global legislation for years to come.

Q. What highlights can attendees expect to hear in the webinar?

Beyond those regulations mentioned above, we’ll also touch on battery safety in New York City and in New York State, and on packaging and plastics initiatives, which impact EEE and every other product.