Wal-Mart spent $2.2 million lobbying consumer product safety legislation in Q1, according to a disclosure report. The House and Senate have passed their versions of legislation that would toughen inspections of toys and other products made outside the United States, in response to millions of recalled products that have sickened children. Both bills increase penalties for companies that violate safety rules and increase funding for the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Wal-Mart has said it has implemented certain safeguards of its own, including independent laboratory testing for products it sells.

California's Green Chemistry Initiative, a program proclaimed to reduce the impact of toxic chemicals on public health and the environment, is seeking input on options compiled in its Phase One report. California's Department of Toxic Substances Control is seeking input on questions outlined here. The questions, which are part of "A Conversation of California," are one of the three parts involved in Phase Two of the Green Chemistry process. Another part is the Key Elements, as well as a Scientific Advisory Panel, which will provide a report with recommendations.

The Canadian government announced that it intends to place toxic labels on several chemicals used in everyday products, from chewing gum to cosmetics, as well as in controversial devices such as silicone breast implants because they are either harmful to human health or the environment. The 11 chemicals include Vinyl acetate, a carcinogen used as a base in chewing gum, and Cyclohexasiloxane, used as building blocks of silicone in breast implants. Six of the 11 chemicals are flagged as toxic to human health, and the government said it will work with industry to reduce exposures to two of these substances.

The state Department of Toxic Substances Control launched an effort to inspect loads of trash for illegal waste, beginning at Puente Hills, the nation's largest landfill. For the first time, the department issued misdemeanor citations to haulers. The goal is to keep hazardous compounds such as asbestos, mercury, arsenic and lead out of the environment. In one five-hour span, officers seized a heap of paints, electronics and other illegal waste and issued seven citations, which each carry a potential fine of $250 to $1,000.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Walt Disney Stores are voluntarily recalling about 8,000 Tinker Bell Wands and 4,100 Pirates of the Caribbean sleeping bags, due to violation of the lead paint standard. The agency said no injuries were reported from the products.

A Los Angeles company, T-A Creations, that sold 100,000 lead-tainted lunchboxes to the state health department has been ordered to pay a $10-million fine for violating California laws on toxic substances. According to state law, the Center for Environmental Health would get $2.5 million from the default judgment, and $7.5 million is to go to a special state environmental research and enforcement fund. The lunchbox incident was among a flurry of cases last year involving lead-tainted children's jewelry, bibs, toys and novelty items, many manufactured in China.

ECORE International, a manufacturer of environmentally sustainable products has received $29 million in equity financing from Element Partners, a Philadelphia based venture capital fund aimed at the development of new products and partnerships focused on sustainability, according to a press release. With a range of products made from cork, cork/rubber and recycled rubber, ECORE’s portfolio of brands includes ECOsurfaces commercial flooring, Everlast fitness flooring, QT sound insulation, and PlayGuard playground safety surfacing.

According to Natural Marketing Institute’s 2007 LOHAS Consumer Trends Database, nearly three-quarters of consumers agree that a seal or certification mark indicating a product is environmentally-friendly raises the likelihood that they will buy it. While many new labels have come to market recently, they have not yet matched the impact of programs such as ENERGY STAR.

The Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association (SOCMA) urged lawmakers to "thoughtfully consider whether it is necessary or wise to adopt a monolithic new regulatory regime for chemical regulation like the European Union's REACH regulation, in a testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works. Though the committee has not yet proposed legislation to mandate a new chemical policy similar to REACH, many in Washington expect the committee to do just that, with the hearing laying the groundwork for such a move. Critics testified that REACH has outreached the EU's capabilities, and that Americans cannot afford to emulate this “unproven, highly bureaucratic approach to chemical regulation”.

According to Organic Monitor, a London consulting company, sales of natural and organic cosmetics are soaring; with revenues projected to approach $7 billion in the United States in 2008 (up $1 billion from 2007). Such figures are largely attributable to the environment impact as well as concerns about carcinogens, endocrine disrupters, and neurotoxins in common cosmetic products. Stores such as Target and Wal-mart have launching their own natural and organic lines, as well as small local companies.