Published in June 2024, the new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) aims to significantly reshape the production and consumption patterns within the European Union. Set to come into force on January 1, 2025, this regulation will impact various sectors including electronics, textiles, and furniture by enforcing stringent sustainability criteria throughout product life cycles. Key…
On the 22nd of May, 2024 USB Certification and Public lnstitution (PI) EKOAGROS have agreed to cooperate in providing certification services in accordance with the National Organic Program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA NOP) (USDA NOP Final Rule 7 CFR Part 205) for organic crops, livestock, wild crops and handling in the territory…
In a significant move towards promoting sustainability, the European Union has introduced new legislation that significantly bolsters the EU Ecolabel’s credibility and impact. The legislation integrates the EU Ecolabel into multiple regulatory frameworks, ensuring its status as a trustworthy certification for environmental excellence. This initiative aims to simplify consumer decisions, foster market competition, and combat…
The right choice of personal protective equipment (PPE), which plays an important role in occupational safety and health issues today, plays a critical role in preventing occupational accidents. In many workplaces, a “one size fits all” approach is adopted to save costs. However, this approach jeopardizes occupational safety and negatively affects productivity. Hazards of Wrong…
BRCGS announced the release of the SALSA to START! Transition tool. Developed in collaboration with SALSA, this tool is designed to support businesses currently certified to the SALSA Food & Drink Production Standard (Issue 6) in their transition to the BRCGS START! certification program. The tool, based on a thorough gap analysis between the two…
This week, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) secured $70 million in financing from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to support urban sustainability, groundwater management, biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, and land restoration in 28 countries. Key Initiatives and Their Impact Urban Sustainability Projects: Algeria: FAO will help restore 17,500 hectares…
In April 2024, the environmental non-profit Earthsight released a report highlighting issues in Brazil’s Matopiba region’s cotton industry. In response, Better Cotton commissioned an independent consultant to investigate selected farms. The findings showed no breaches of the Better Cotton Standard. Recently, Earthsight announced a forthcoming “second output.” While the specifics are undisclosed, Earthsight contacted Better…
The European Union’s Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR) is set to come into force on December 30, 2024. This landmark regulation aims to combat global deforestation by requiring detailed declarations for certain products entering the European market. Key Points: Mandatory Declarations: Products such as soy, beef, palm oil, wood, cocoa, rubber, coffee, and derived products…
The ZDHC Foundation has released the Commodity Chemicals Guide V1.0 to support sustainable chemical management in the fashion industry. This guide is part of ZDHC’s 2030 goal, encouraging the evaluation of commodity chemical sellers, such as those supplying sodium sulphate, ammonia, or bleach, based on standard criteria. It also promotes responsible purchasing and storage practices…
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