Sustainability and Product Stewardship Council (SPSC)
The SPSC encourages collaboration between our members through our EPR/Packaging and Credibility/Certifications & Claims Work Groups.
The SPSC serves as the central forum and coordinating entity for making strategic decisions, communicating information, and operating technical task forces related to sustainability and product stewardship.
Our Mission
Protect and enhance the lives of people and the planet and promote the transition to an environmentally and socially sustainable economy.
Our Vision
Serve as the forward-looking, trusted voice and acknowledged leader in driving product stewardship and sustainability and educating and empowering people to live more sustainable lives.
We promote innovation among our member companies that moves the industry forward on safety and sustainability, with the overall goal of making the lives of consumers and workers cleaner, healthier, and more productive.
We advocate for science-based legislative and regulatory solutions at the state and federal level, as well as partner with NGOs, allied trade associations both in and outside of the U.S., and other partners to support a global movement towards a sustainable future.
SPSC Priorities
The SPSC at HCPA prioritizes advancing sustainability across the products we represent, with a focus on transparency, packaging, and chemistry. Our efforts are centered around promoting practices that not only support environmental protection but also enhance the safety and well-being of consumers, workers, and our communities.
Transparency
We support our members in improving the transparency of their products through the education of reliable claims and certifications to strengthen the relationship between manufacturers and consumers.
- HCPA supports the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Choice program. The EPA Safer Choice Certification communicates to consumers that a product has undergone careful evaluation against a stringent set of human health and environmental criteria. As of 2024, HCPA was awarded the EPA Safer Choice Partner nine times in the past ten years.
- The Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA) Ingredient Dictionary, also known as the Consumer Product Ingredients Database, is the primary source for common terminology, definitions, and technical data for the chemicals used specifically in products for household, commercial, and automotive care. The Dictionary provides companies with unified ingredient names accepted by regulators, retailers, and the EPA Safer Choice Program to facilitate consistency in ingredient disclosure and support consumers in making informed purchasing decisions.
- HCPA encourages members to incorporate product labeling that informs consumers on the appropriate disposal of their products, for example, the Aerosol Recycling Initiative, which seeks to increase transparency for product end users by providing clear, accessible information on how to properly recycle empty aerosol cans.
Packaging
We support packaging solutions that not only minimize waste but also contribute to a sustainable future. We encourage our members to promote a circular economy for their products, help them navigate the complex packaging policy landscape, and inform them of tools to understand the environmental impact of a product’s packaging materials at every stage.
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy approach that holds producers accountable for the entire lifecycle of their products, including end-of-life management and disposal. Under EPR programs, state and local governments, waste management entities, producers, and consumers should be accountable for a robust and effective recycling system that builds on existing infrastructure through policy that is consistent across state lines. EPR and related policies have the potential to incentivize more environmentally friendly packaging choices, such as increased use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) content, reusable or refillable packaging formats, and materials and designs that are easier to recycle. We encourage our members to utilize EPR as an incentive to develop products and packaging have a lower environmental impact.
- The Aerosol Recycling Initiative is a joint initiative with the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), sponsored by companies across the aerosol value chain, to increase aerosol recycling access and labeling. Aerosol products are highly recyclable but historically have been under-recycled due to safety concerns and consumer confusion about proper disposal. The Aerosol Recycling Initiative aims to address this confusion and recover valuable metal by increasing the number of households that have the ability to recycle aerosol cans and labeling aerosol cans with clear recycling instructions.
- We actively collaborate with non-profit organizations such as Circular Action Alliance, How2Recycle, The Recycling Partnership, and Green Seal, including through working groups, to promote more sustainable packaging solutions and drive environmental stewardship across the industry.
Chemistry
Chemistry: We support the design, development and application of chemical processes and products that are environmentally friendly, economically viable, and socially responsible, in line with green chemistry and sustainability concepts. We are committed to reducing the environmental footprint of chemical processes, minimizing waste, and improving energy efficiency while ensuring product safety and efficacy.
- The Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA) Ingredient Dictionary highlights ingredients found on the Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL), a list of chemical ingredients that the EPA’s Safer Choice Program has evaluated and determined to be safer than traditional chemical ingredients. The SCIL is designed to help manufacturers and others find safer chemical ingredients and harmonize industry standards.
- HCPA partners with the American Chemical Society (ACS) to promote sustainable chemistry principles and practices within the household and commercial products industry through conferences and educational sessions, including organizing symposia at the 2024 and 2025 Green Chemistry & Engineering Conferences and the 2025 Fall Meeting and participating in the 2nd annual ACS Sustainability Summit: Reimagining Chemistry Education.
- We engage on working groups with the Advancement and Application of Alternatives Assessment (A4) Interest Group within the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) on approaches to ingredient formulation that address safety and sustainability considerations.
HCPA's Innovation Awards
HCPA’s Innovation Awards has celebrated its sixth year of recognizing members of the household and commercial products industry for accomplishments in product innovation that help the industry transition
to an environmentally and socially sustainable economy. A panel of expert judges from HCPA’s Sustainability and Product Stewardship Council (SPSC) ranks the nominated products in each category to determine the winner. The Association Award winner is determined by votes from HCPA Annual Meeting attendees.
HCPA’s Innovation Awards honor member companies for accomplishments in:
1. Carbon Footprint
The Carbon Footprint award is awarded to a member company whose innovations significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the manufacturing, distribution, or use of household and commercial products.
- LANXESS was awarded the 2024 Carbon Footprint Award for its innovative use of the LANXESS Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) Engine, which plays a crucial role in quantifying and reducing emissions associated with their products.
2. Circular Economy
The Circular Economy award recognizes a member company whose innovations demonstrate product developments to a circular economy. This award highlights processes and practices, materials, packaging, or other relevant areas that extend the lifecycle of products, including how the end product is comparable to or better than non-circular alternatives and commercial viability.
- LANXESS was also awarded the 2024 Circular Economy award for pioneering its ISCC Plus-certified mass balance approach, which integrates renewable feedstocks into the production process and ensures that sustainable materials are accurately tracked and allocated to the final product.
3. End-User Communication
The End-User Communication award celebrates innovations in how companies communicate with consumers. This could include marketing strategies, educational campaigns, labeling improvements, or communication tools that enhance consumer understanding of products, their benefits, and how to use them more effectively or sustainably.
- WD-40 Company was awarded the 2024 End-User Communication Award for effectively communicating the use of EZ-Pods, a customizable, portable cleaning and degreasing solution that allows users to tailor the product’s strength to their specific needs.
4. Ingredients
This award focuses on innovations related to the ingredients used in household and commercial products. It highlights advancements in ingredient formulation, whether the use of safer, more sustainable materials, or the development of novel ingredients that improve product performance and reduce overall risk to human health and the environment.
- IndSpyre Solutions was awarded the 2024 Ingredient Award for its contributions to replace harmful fluorinated surfactants in floor care products with safer and more sustainable alternatives.
5. Technology
The Technology award acknowledges innovations in the use of technology within the household and commercial products sector. This could include new manufacturing technologies, digital tools, software platforms, delivery or dispensing methods, Artificial Intelligence (AI), data-driven approaches or materials that improve overall efficiencies in product development, manufacturing, processing, sale, and use of products.
- The Clorox Company was awarded the 2024 Technology award for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to develop the Clorox Foaming Toilet Bomb, a ready-to-use 3-in-1 cleaner, which created efficiencies during product development and improves consumer experience.
6. Association
The Association Award is awarded to an HCPA member company that has led to exemplary advancements within the industry through collaboration, partnerships, or collective efforts to promote best practices or address shared challenges in a way that benefits the broader community.
- The Clorox Company was awarded the 2024 Association Award for its advancements and contributions to the household and commercial products industry.