California Proposition 65

California Proposition 65, also known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, imposes specific requirements on businesses, including those involved in manufacturing pet products and animal beds, to ensure consumer safety. Here’s an overview of how it relates to pet products and animal beds:

1. Requirements for Businesses: Proposition 65 mandates businesses to provide warnings about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. These chemicals can be present in various products, including pet toys, accessories, and animal beds. The objective is to enable Californians to make informed decisions about their exposure to these chemicals.
2. Chemicals on Proposition 65 List: The list includes a wide range of naturally occurring and synthetic chemicals found in common household products, manufacturing, and construction materials. It comprises approximately 900 chemicals, including lead, nickel, cadmium, and mercury, that are known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
3. Warning and Disclosure Requirements: A warning must be given for listed chemicals unless the exposure is low enough to pose no significant risk of cancer or is significantly below levels observed to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. This regulation is enforced by the California Attorney General’s Office, and non-compliance can result in substantial penalties.
4. Compliance for Pet Products and Animal Beds: Manufacturers are required to ensure that user exposure to listed chemicals is below acceptable levels set in the law, or to properly label products with warnings. This includes pet beds and animal products that might contain any of the listed chemicals. Third-party lab testing is recommended to verify product compliance with Proposition 65 requirements before importing or selling these products in California.
5. Ensuring Compliance: To ensure compliance, companies can engage in activities like formulation review, exposure assessment, and development of safe harbor levels. These processes involve a comprehensive review of product composition, assessing exposure under specified use conditions, and establishing safe levels for chemicals not already covered by safe harbor levels. This comprehensive approach provides actionable insights for labeling and selling California-bound products.