Washington's toxics in products laws

Washington consumer safety laws that reduce toxic exposure

• Children’s Safe Products Act (CSPA)
  • Regulates lead, cadmium, phthalates, and certain flame retardant chemicals allowed in children's products.
  • Requires manufacturers to report on Chemicals of High Concern to Children.
• Toxics in Packaging
  • Regulates lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium used in packaging.
  • The Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse has sample certificates of compliance and describes the test procedure labs should perform to determine compliance.
• PFAS in food packaging
  • Requires an assessment of alternatives to PFAS in food packaging.
  • If safer alternatives are available, bans PFAS in food packaging in 2022.
• Toxics in firefighting
  • Prohibits the use of fluorinated firefighting foams in training activities.
  • Requires manufacturers and vendors of firefighting personal protective equipment to notify buyers of products containing per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
  • Phases out the sale of fluorinated firefighting foams with some exceptions.
• Better Brakes
  • Phases out the use of copper in vehicle brakes.
  • Bans asbestos, hexavalent chromium, mercury, cadmium, and lead beginning in 2015.
  • Requires manufacturers to certify that brakes comply with the law.
• Copper boat paint
  • Phases out the use of copper-based antifouling bottom paints for recreational boats by 2021.
  • Read the 2018 Report to the Legislature on copper-free antifouling paints or Ecology's focus sheet on delaying the phase-out of copper antifouling paints.
  • Note: the 2018 Washington Legislature has delayed the implementation of a ban on the sale of copper-based antifouling paints until 2021. During this time, we will study the environmental impacts of alternatives to copper-based antifouling paints, and will report its findings to the Legislature by September 2019.
  • Watch the copper boat paint webinar from January 2019 to learn about recent updates. 
• Lead wheel weights
  • Bans the use of lead wheel weights during tire installation.
• BPA (bisphenol A)
  • Bans BPA in children’s bottles and other drinking products.
  • Bans BPA in sports bottles.
• Coal tar sealant
  • Bans sale of coal tar sealants.
• PBDEs (flame retardants)
  • Bans the use of PBDEs in:
    • Mattresses
    • Residential furniture
    • Electronics
• Mercury Education and Reduction Act
  • Bans mercury in thermometers, instruments, toys, and automotive switches.
• Mercury lights
  • Prohibits improper disposal of fluorescent tubes, CFLs, and other mercury-containing lights.
  • Establishes the LightRecycle Washington program to collect and recycle fluorescent lights.