New York to require disclosure of chemicals in cleaning products

New York is poised to become the first U.S. state to require manufacturers to disclose ingredients in household cleaning products. Under a regulation proposed on April 25 by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D), manufacturers would be required to reveal all the chemicals, including impurities, in cleaning products sold in New York. In addition, manufacturers would have to provide a range of how much of each chemical by weight is in their cleaning products. Companies would need to display the information on their websites, which would eventually be linked to a database called the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse. “These new regulations will help protect New Yorkers and give them the peace of mind of knowing what’s in their homes and in their communities,” Cuomo says. The American Cleaning Institute, a trade group for the U.S. soaps and detergents industry, claims that manufacturers already provide “detailed information online about the ingredients in the products they use safely and effectively every day.” New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation is accepting comments until June 14 on the draft disclosure certification form that cleaning product manufacturers would need to file to sell their products in New York.