A Grim Landmark as Coronavirus Death Toll in China Tops 1,000
February 11, 2020, New York Times
President Xi Jinping, accused of being aloof amid the crisis, made a very public appearance in Beijing. The death toll from the coronavirus epidemic is continuing to climb, Chinese officials said Tuesday. The government put the nationwide figure at 1,016. That was up 108 from the day before, when it was 908. The number of cases of infection also grew, to over 42,638. The figure for the day before was put at 40,171. Deaths in Hubei drove the increase — there were 103 — though the number of infections reported there actually declined somewhat.
CPSC Warns Consumers Not to Charge or Use New High-Tech X1-5 Hoverboards Due to Fire Hazard
February 11, 20202. Yahoo Finance
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning the public that the New High-Tech Enterprise Company Inc. X1-5 hoverboard’s lithium ion batteries can overheat, posing a fire hazard that can lead to smoke inhalation or other serious injuries, including death. CPSC has asked New High Tech Enterprise Company Inc. to recall the product, but the company has refused to do so. The New High-Tech Enterprise Company Inc. X1-5 hoverboard was sold to consumers online at www.nhthoverboard.com, www.Amazon.com, and at www.ewheelsusa.com/hoverboard/. CPSC is aware of one report of an X1-5 hoverboard overheating and smoking. Although the X1-5 bears a UL mark, the product is no longer UL-listed and a sample tested by CPSC did not conform to UL2272.
Bill targets single-use plastics in push to make manufacturers responsible
February 10, 2020, The Hill
Two congressional Democrats are planning to roll out legislation that would fight plastic pollution by banning certain types of single-use containers and requiring manufacturers to use more recycled content in their packaging. The legislation from Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), would ban plastic takeout bags, utensils and plastic foam containers that cannot be recycled starting in 2022 and begin a nationwide container deposit system.
But in a fundamental shift to the recycling industry, the onus to collect recycled goods would fall on the manufacturers themselves.
Industry group opinion: “Don’t think of our beverage bottles as single-use.”
February 5, 2020, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Not all plastics are equal. Minnesota’s local beverage distributors and bottlers recognize this, and it’s why we’re making beverage bottles out of plastic that is 100% recyclable. Our bottles and caps are made to be remade. Unlike other types of plastic, they are not single use. Beverage bottles are composed of a valuable and versatile type of plastic called PET. Recycled PET is in high demand from consumer manufacturers who use it not only to make new bottles but for products as varied as clothing, carpets and playground equipment.
Your Foam Coffee Cup Is Fighting for Its Life
February 10, 2020, New York Times
The family-owned business was co-founded in Michigan by a World War II veteran with a triple major in mathematics, engineering and metallurgy, and it developed products that, in no small way, helped fuel the modern economy. Dart makes, by the millions, white foam cups, clamshells, coffee cup lids, and disposable forks and knives — the single-use containers that enable Americans to eat and drink on the go. It employs about 15,000 people across 14 states. But now many of the products that this low-profile Midwestern company creates are being labeled by critics as environmental blights contributing to the world’s plastic pollution problem.
New Canadian standard developed to make BBQ grill brushes safer
February 11, 2020, CBC News
A new standard for wire bristle barbecue brushes has been developed in response to injuries from bristles that can come off the brushes. A new national safety standard for barbecue grill brushes will require a warning label and testing to reduce the risk of wire bristles becoming detached, embedded in food and accidentally ingested. Over a six-year span ending in January, Health Canada received 59 reports of incidents related to barbecue brushes, including 48 injuries, according to its Consumer Product Safety Program.
Safety expert warns of counterfeit online products
February 10. 2020, KCCI CBS
If you’re an Amazon shopper, keep your eyes peeled for counterfeit products.Some falsely advertised car seats could put kids at risk. State Traffic Safety Coordinator Janna Day said there have already been instances of that in Iowa. Nearly 40 percent of all e-commerce sales happen on Amazon. Recent reporting by CNN and the Wall Street Journal revealed counterfeit operations are infringing on patents and violating US safety standards. For example, a reputable branded and certified car seat is priced at $500. However, another seller offers an indistinguishable knockoff at $200 less.
Research: The Downsides of Trying to Appear Ethical
February 10, 2020 Harvard Business Review</Reputation is one of the most valuable assets a firm can have. Leaders, managers, and employees care about their social reputation: They want to be seen as competent, generous, efficient, honest, and fair. But an emerging body of research suggests that focusing too much on reputation can sometimes have a negative effect: Attempts to maintain the appearance of doing what’s morally right can lead decision makers to engage in various wrongs.
California Adds THC to Proposition 65, Potentially Subjecting CBD Products to Warning Requirements
February 11, 2020, National Law Review
California’s ever-expanding regulation of consumer products is now focusing on delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”). THC has been added to the Proposition 65 list, which will likely impact companies that manufacture or sell cannabidiol (“CBD”) and marijuana products. Effective Jan. 3, 2020, Proposition 65 lists cannabis (marijuana) smoke (“cannabis smoke”) and THC as reproductive toxicants.
Clash of Consumer Protection Goals: Does the TCPA Frustrate the Purposes of the CPSA?
February 11, 2020, National Law Review
When companies recall products, they do so to protect consumers. In fact, various federal laws, including the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), and National Highway and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (MVSA), encourage (and may require) recalls. And the agencies that enforce these statutes would likely approve of automated calls because direct notification is the best way to motivate consumer responses to recalls.[1] However, does this suggest that the Telephone Consumer Protection Act can sometimes be at odds with the goals of the Consumer Protection Act.
