The People’s Petition

(public friendly version)

Petition for Disclosure, Digital Product Passports, Restriction & Safer Substitution of Hazardous Chemicals in Durable Goods

Introduction: The Couch Is Trying to Kill You

Ever wonder why the sofa you lounge on could outlast most cockroaches? It’s not because we’ve suddenly learned how to make furniture last; it’s because our couches, carpets and gizmos are loaded with per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other forever‑chemicals that hang around like a bad house guest. More than 86,000 chemicals are on the U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) inventory, and tens of thousands were grandfathered into commerce in 1976 without modern hazard data. The EPA’s own watchdog still puts its chemical‐assessment process on the “High‑Risk List”. Meanwhile, PFAS exposures are linked to cancers, immune suppression and thyroid disorders, costing the U.S. tens of billions of dollars each year. But hey, at least the stain‑resistant spray works, right?

Who We Are

This petition is submitted by public‑interest organizations, consumer advocates, health professionals, labor unions, small businesses and residents who are tired of being used as lab rats. We want transparency in the products we put in our homes and offices. Our targets are the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state environmental and consumer‑protection authorities, retailers, marketplaces and public procurement agencies—because someone has to clean up this mess and it sure isn’t the industry lobbyists.

What We’re Asking For (in Plain English)

We’ve distilled our demands into bite‑sized bullets. Think of them as the “nutritional label” for this petition:

Tell us what’s in the stuff we buy. Manufacturers and suppliers must disclose PFAS, brominated flame retardants (like PBDEs), phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium), formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds, and intentionally added microplastics. If it’s toxic, we want to know.

• Put the info in a Digital Product Passport (DPP). Every durable good—furniture, textiles, mattresses, electronics, appliances, flooring, cabinetry and coatings, should carry a digital passport that links to machine‑readable records via a QR or NFC tag. The passport must specify substances of concern, concentration ranges and compliance certificates . The EU will require these passports by 19 April 2025 ; there’s no reason U.S. consumers should be left in the dark.

• Set real limits, not marketing slogans. Adopt existing thresholds: use RoHS caps for heavy metals, EU POPs limits for brominated flame retardants, TSCA Title VI emission standards for formaldehyde and EU microplastics restrictions . Cap PFAS in textiles at 100 ppm total organic fluorine by 2025 and 50 ppm by 2027 . Phase in REACH Annex XVII limits for phthalates (0.1 % w/w in articles) and adopt BPA‑free alternatives in linings and coatings.

• Test it. Certify it. Publish it. Require third‑party testing: RoHS compliance for electronics, TSCA Title VI for composite wood, PFAS testing triggered by total organic fluorine screening, and POPs PBDE thresholds for recycled content . Upload lab results and certificates into the DPP . States like Minnesota and Colorado are already requiring article‑level reporting and banning PFAS in entire product categories beginning January 1 2025 —so let’s not wait for toxic couches to go on clearance.

• Make the data accessible. Publish annual dashboards showing compliance rates, violations and corrective actions . Give consumers open access to basic fields while protecting proprietary formulas . Missing or false disclosure should trigger penalties, recalls and delisting . Repeat offenders lose procurement eligibility; we’ll let them sell to Martians instead.

  Why This Matters

  PFAS are nicknamed “forever chemicals” because they never break down. They build up in bodies and ecosystems, and the health care costs are staggering . Current regulations allow chemicals onto the market first and ask questions later . It’s cheaper to prevent exposure than to treat cancer. And with the European Union requiring digital product passports for regulated products by April 2025 and U.S. states banning PFAS in carpets, cookware, cosmetics and upholstered furniture starting January 2025 , harmonizing standards will save manufacturers from the headache of a patchwork of rules.

  Our Proposed Timeline (a.k.a. The Get‑Off‑Your‑Hands Plan)

  0–12 Months:

  • Require RoHS metal thresholds for electronic goods and listing, and TSCA Title VI documentation for composite wood .

  • Enforce a PFAS cap of 100 ppm total organic fluorine for textiles and upholstery .

  • Apply PBDE limits for articles and ban intentionally added microplastics .

  • Launch digital product passport pilots for textiles and upholstered furniture .

  12–36 Months:

  • Phase in phthalate limits of 0.1 % w/w in articles .

  • Lower the PFAS cap to 50 ppm and require BPA‑free substitutions .

  • Finalize low‑VOC adhesive and finish specifications, and scale digital product passports to electronics, appliances, flooring and cabinetry .

  Relief Requested (i.e., What We Need From Regulators)

  We petition the EPA to initiate rulemaking under TSCA §§ 4, 6 and 8 to require testing, restrict high‑risk chemicals in articles and mandate reporting of chemical uses . We ask for guidance recognising RoHS, POPs/REACH, TSCA Title VI and the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) digital product passport framework as acceptable compliance benchmarks . We also urge the formation of a federal‑state task force to align reporting schemas, DPP data models, test methods and enforcement for PFAS, PBDEs, phthalates, BPA, heavy metals, formaldehyde/VOCs and microplastics .

  What You Can Do

  1. Sign and share this petition—because complaining to your friends won’t change federal law.

  2. Contact your representatives and tell them you support safer durable goods and digital product passports.

  3. Buy less toxic goods: Support companies that already phase out PFAS and use safer materials.

  4. Spread the word: Use #PFASBan, #DigitalProductPassport and #ToxicCouch on social media. Share a photo of your living room if you’re feeling brave.

  A Final Note, With Love and Sarcasm

  We’re not asking for the moon here. Europe will made digital product passports mandatory by April 19 2025 , and U.S. states are banning PFAS in half your household goods. If regulators and manufacturers can’t keep up, perhaps they could put warning labels on themselves.

Sources:

Chemical inventory and health effects. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), About the TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory – the TSCA inventory now lists more than 86 000 chemicals, many grandfathered into commerce without modern hazard data【558925523121313†L99-L105】. Government Accountability Office reports continue to classify EPA’s chemical assessment program as “high risk,” citing missed deadlines and capacity constraints【588635789190318†L92-L107】. EPA’s health brief on PFAS links exposure to increased risks of cancers, immune suppression and thyroid and liver effects【588927829405673†L161-L170】. A study by NYU Langone Health estimates that daily PFAS exposure costs Americans a minimum of US $5.5 billion and up to $63 billion annually in health‑related expenses【248744615114306†L87-L93】.

Digital product passports and EU regulation. Circularise, Digital product passports (DPP): what, how, and why? – manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers of regulated products in the EU must make digital product passports accessible by 19 April 2025【931394265005004†L210-L217】. White & Case, Eight key aspects to know about the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation – the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) entered into force in July 2024 and requires the European Commission to adopt a working plan by 19 April 2025; it introduces sustainability and circularity requirements and mandates digital product passports for regulated products【453799224623038†L102-L150

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