! & ! A.I.S.E.&PRODUCT&STEWARDSHIP&PROGRAMME&& FOR&LIQUID&LAUNDRY&DETERGENT&CAPSULES& Status&Report&–&November&6,&2013& & The$product$stewardship$programme$(PSP)$was$rolled$out$on$December$15th,$2012.$$All$signatories$are$committed$to$ executing$the$requirements$and$have$progressed$well$with$the$implementation$of$the$PSP$interventions.$Today,$the$ majority$ of$ the$ products$ on$ the$ shelf$ are$compliant$ with$ the$ PSP$ requirements$ of$ packaging$ and$ labelling$ and$ all$ products$produced$by$the$signatories$since$June$2013$are$compliant$with$the$requirements$of$the$PSP.$$Moreover,$safeK use$guidance$is$provided$on$several$brand$and$company$web$sites$and$social$media$sites$(e.g.$facebook)$K$through$web$ banners,$educational$graphics,$and$educational$videos.$It$is$too$early$to$quantify$the$effects$that$the$programme$has$ on$the$number$of$accident$cases.$Nevertheless,$a$favourable$trend$is$already$observed$in$Italy,$where$a$number$of$ similar$ measures$ had$ been$ introduced$ to$ the$ market$ since$ mid$ 2012$ and$ more$ extensively$ since$ December$ 2012,$ leading$to$an$up$to$50%$reduction$in$adverse$events$registered$by$the$PCC.$The$industry$is$now$starting$to$execute$the$ next$phase$of$the$program,$i.e.$the$collection$of$data$from$the$PCCs.$ Summary! Following&a&number&of&accidental&ingestion&incidents&with&these&products,&especially&by&young&children,&A.I.S.E.&has& established&a&voluntary&product&stewardship&programme&(PSP)&for&liquid&laundry&detergent&capsules.&&This&programme& aims&to&ensure&safe&use&of&this&product&form,&to&be&achieved&through&consumer&education&(onWpack&labelling&as&well&as& communication&campaigns)&and&through&packaging&modifications&(reduced&visibility&of&capsules&and&restricted&access& to&the&capsules&by&small&children).&&In&addition,&collaboration&with&Poison&Control&Centres&(PCCs)&is&put&in&place,&to& enable&better&information&exchange.&&Specifically,&a&harmonised&product&information&sheet&has&been&introduced&and&is& being&implemented,&and&a&project&to&monitor&accident&circumstances&is&currently&being&initiated.& The&programme&was&rolled&out&on&December&15th,&2012.&&To&date,&five&companies&have&subscribed&(in&alphabetical& order:&Henkel,&McBride,&Procter&&&Gamble,&ReckittWBenckiser,&Unilever).&&These&cover&the&large&majority&of&the&liquid& laundry&detergent&capsules&market.&All&signatories&have&progressed&well&with&the&implementation&of& risk&reduction& measures,&and&today,&the&majority&of&the&products&on&the&shelf&is&compliant&with&the&PSP&requirements.&&Although&it&is& too& early& to& quantify& the& effects& that& the& programme& has& on& the& number& of& accident& cases,& a& favourable& trend& is& already&observed&in&Italy,&where&a&number&of&similar&measures&had&been&introduced&to&the&market&since&mid&2012&and& more&extensively&since&December&2012,&and&a&reduction&of&more&than&50%&of&the&number&of&incidents&vs.&mid&2012& has&been&reported&by&the&PCC.& In&the&current&status&report&(November&2013),&progress&since&April&2013&is&documented:&(1)&general&implementation&of& PSP&measures&on&the&production&and&in&brand&communication&was&rolled&out;&(2)&harmonised&composition&sharing& with&PCCs&was&put&in&place;&(3)&a&quantitative&incident&frequency&baseline&was&established,&based&on&existing&PCC&data;& and&(4)&a&collaboration&with&PCCs&was&established&to&better&understand&accident&circumstances.& A.I.S.E.&Product&Stewardship&Programme&for&Liquid&Laundry&Detergent&Capsules&–&Status&Report&November&2013& Page&1&of&37& Background! Detailed$ background$ information$ on$ the$ liquid$ laundry$ detergent$ capsules$ category,$ including$ toxicological$ aspects$ and$ accident$ history,$ is$ given$ in$ Annex$ 1.$ $ A$ detailed$ description$ of$ the$ A.I.S.E.$ Product$ Stewardship$ Programme$ is$ provided$in$Annex$2.$ Liquid!laundry!detergent!capsules! Liquid&laundry&detergent&capsules&first&appeared&on&the&European&market&in&2001.&&Initially&a&niche&product&category,& they&have&now&become&the&primary&singleWdose&laundry&form.&&Their&largest&and&most&established&markets&are&the&UK& and& Ireland,& while& France,& Italy& and& Spain& are& also& key& markets.& & The& market& presence& of& liquid& laundry& detergent& capsules&has&a&growing&importance&across&most&countries&in&Western&Europe,&as&well&as&several&countries&in&Central& Europe.&&In&addition,&laundry&additives&are&also&available&in&this&product&form.& The&formulation&of&liquid&laundry&detergent&capsules&is&highly&concentrated:&the&level&of&surfactants&(incl.&soap)&can&be& over&40%.&The&vast&majority&of&liquid&laundry&detergent&capsules&is&pHWneutral.&&The&formula&is&waterWfree&(i.e.&organic& solvents&are&used&instead).&&The&waterWsoluble&pouch,&typically&made&of&poly&vinyl&alcohol&(PVA),&is&strong&and&flexible& when&dry&but&dissolves&in&the&washing&machine&when&water&is&added,&and&degrades&in&the&environment.& Safety!Incidents! Liquid&laundry&detergent&capsules&are&safe&when&used&as&instructed.&Skin&or&eye&exposure&may&occur&only&when&the& capsules&are&pierced,&handled&with&wet&hands,&or&handled&too&forcefully.&&When&children&gain&access&to&the&product& and&put&it&into&their&mouth,&the&pouch&dissolves&due&to&the&presence&of&water&in&the&saliva,&and&the&product&can&be& ingested.&&Ingestion&of&highly&concentrated&detergent&usually&triggers&a&strong&emetic&response:&nausea&and&vomiting.& Sometimes&respiratory&effects&are&reported&as&well.&&Due&to&the&limited&oral&toxicity&and&the&small&amounts&ingested,& no&systemic&toxicological&effects&are&anticipated.&&In&some&cases&(2W4%)&drowsiness&has&been&reported.& At&least&80%&of&accidental&exposures&to&liquid&laundry&detergent&capsules&involve&ingestion,&and&in&the&large&majority& of&ingestion&cases&(over&95%),&small&children&are&involved.&&The&incident&frequency&relative&to&the&market&size&is&found& to&be&higher&than&what&is&observed&for&other&product&forms&(e.g.&Italy:&5x&more).&& Of& all& reported& incidents,& about& oneWthird& was& asymptomatic.& & About& twoWthirds& led& to& nonWsevere& nausea& and/or& vomiting.& & Respiratory& effects& (mainly& coughing)& were& observed& in& up& to& 15%& of& the& cases.& & In& a& minority& of& cases& (0.5%)&the&effects&were&severe&(requiring&hospitalization,&sometimes&with&intubation)&but&reversible.&&This&was&typically& due&to&aspiration&of&detergent&or&gastric&fluids.&&Unfortunately&there&have&also&been&some&isolated&very&severe&cases& that& have& been& associated& with& ingestion& of& a& liquid& laundry& detergent& capsule,& e.g.& a& case& where& reconstructive& tracheal&surgery&was&required,&a&case&of&severe&CNS&suppression,&and&one&lethal&case&with&a&child&(Florida,&August&2013& –&medical&report&not&yet&available).& Product!Stewardship!Programme! The& A.I.S.E.& Product& Stewardship& Programme& (PSP)& for& Liquid& Laundry& Detergent& Capsules& is& a& voluntary& initiative,& open&to&all&companies&(manufacturers&as&well&as&retailers)&placing&products&on&the&European&market,&both&members& and&nonWmembers.&&The&aim&is&securing&safe&use&and&storage&of&these&products,&and&as&a&result&thereof,&a&significant& reduction& of& the& incidence& of& accidental& exposure,& in& particular& with& small& children.& & The& scope& of& the& programme& covers&all&liquid&laundry&detergent&and&laundry&additive&capsules&& Companies&who&undersign&the&PSP&commit&to&the&following&(formal&details&are&provided&in&Annex&2):& • Product:& implement& safety& measures& to& reduce& visibility& of& and& restrict access& to& liquid& laundry& detergent& capsules&(reduced&visibility&of&capsules,&restricted&access&to&capsules&by&small&children).& • Product! Information! &! Communication:& reinforce& guidance& on& the& safe& use& and& storage& of& liquid& laundry& detergent& capsules& (onWpack& communication,& consumer& communication& campaign,& communication& activities& reporting).& • Engagement! with! Poison! Control! Centres:& engage& with& Poison& Control& Centres,& including& the& European& Association&of&Poison&Centres&and&Clinical&Toxicologists,&to&enable&better&information&exchange&and&monitoring&of& accidents&(harmonised&product&information&sheet,&‘accidentology’). $ A.I.S.E.&Product&Stewardship&Programme&for&Liquid&Laundry&Detergent&Capsules&–&Status&Report&November&2013& Page&2&of&37& A.I.S.E.&PSP&Implementation&Status& This&section&describes&the&implementation&status&of&the&Product&Stewardship&Programme&in&October,&2013.& Company&Participation& List&of&companies&(in&alphabetical&order)&committed&to&the&A.I.S.E.&Liquid&Laundry&Detergent&Capsules&Stewardship&Programme&(as&of&15&December&2012&onwards):& Henkel& ✔& McBride& ✔& Procter&&&Gamble& ✔& Reckitt&Benckiser& ✔& Unilever& ✔& Company&Implementation& It& should& be& noted& that& companies& decide& on& an& individual& basis& when& and& how& to& implement& PSP& measures.& & Information& regarding& future& plans& cannot& be& collected& and& disclosed,&as&this&would&not&be&in&line&with&competition&law&requirements.&&Hence,&the&below&table&only&reports&measures&that&have&been&implemented&so&far,&and&that&are& already&present&in&the&market,&or&for&which&the&market&introduction&has&been&publicly&announced.& Some& companies& had& already& implemented& measures& in& line& with& the& PSP& requirements& prior& to& the& actual& rollout& of& the& PSP.& & As& these& existing& measures& had& the& same& objectives& and& remain& relevant& today,& they& are& also& reported& in& the& below& overview.& & Generally,& measures& dated& 2013& were& introduced& as& part& of& the& PSP,& whereas& older& measures&precede&the&PSP.& PACKAGING&/&PRODUCT& Henkel& December&2012&