January 7, 2021

Glycolysis Analysis

Life Cycle Assessment of Polyurethane Foams from Polyols Obtained through Chemical Recycling

• Alessandro Marson
• Massimiliano Masiero
• Michele Modesti
• Antonio Scipioni
• Alessandro Manzardo*

Cite this: ACS Omega 2021, XXXX, XXX, XXX-XXXPublication Date:January 7, 2021https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.0c05844

Abstract

In this research, the results of the life cycle assessment of polyurethane (PUR) foams with different recycled polyol contents are presented. A methodological framework implementing laboratory activities directly into the life cycle assessment has been developed. Laboratory activities made the primary data related to the recycled polyol production available through the glycolysis of polyurethane scraps and the subsequent production and characterization of the foams. Five different formulations were analyzed with glycolyzed polyol content ranging from 0 to 100%. A comprehensive set of impact categories was considered. To ensure the robustness of the results, the influence of two different end-of-life allocation approaches was investigated, and the model was subjected to sensitivity and uncertainty analyses. Formulations with recycled content of 50 and 75% scored better environmental impacts compared to others. The main contributions to the overall impact resulted to be related to the production of isocyanate and virgin polyol. Physical characteristics such as density and thermal conductivity emerged as the main variables to be considered to minimize the overall environmental impacts of PUR foams.

Read more here:

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.0c05844

January 7, 2021

Back to Normalcy

American Airlines Is Ending Support For Emotional Support Animals

by Tyler DurdenWednesday, Jan 06, 2021 – 23:50

American Airlines is finally ending the literal circus that was becoming “emotional support animals” at airports and in airplanes nationwide. Hopefully, other airlines will follow suit.

Back in the day, there were seeing eye dogs, sheep herding dogs and cadaver dogs that were specially trained and that was it. Every good doggo was an “emotional support animal” for its owner, which is one of the best parts of having a pet: they can calm you down, they can bring joy into your life and they can be your best friend.

But if you don’t know someone that has wrapped their dog up in a military style pet-vest with the words “emotional support animal” written on it lately – as if their “specially trained” dog’s key goal is to somehow psychoanalyze you and offer you written notes on the “anxiety” you feel from capitalism or the patriarchy, versus simply eating, sleeping, farting and crapping – then you haven’t been paying attention. 

It has become an epidemic across the U.S. – people using the “emotional support” excuse to gain access for their pets on flights and in airports – where they would usually not be welcome. And once the floodgates for emotional support dogs opened up, Americans starting carting around emotional support squirrels, emotional support clowns, emotional support peacocks and entire emotional support zoos with them as they traveled. 

But American Airlines appears to have finally seen enough. The airline has made a policy change that “matches a new Department of Transportation regulation that says airlines aren’t required to treat emotional support animals as service animals,” according to CNN. The rules come into effect on January 11. 

At that point, American Airlines says it will “will no longer authorize new travel for animals that do not meet that definition, such as emotional support animals.”

Emotional support animals are supposed to be “prescribed by mental health professionals to provide comfort and support, but unlike service animals, they are not required to have training in specific tasks.”

Jessica Tyler, president of cargo and vice president of airport excellence for American said: “We’re confident this approach will enable us to better serve our customers, particularly those with disabilities who travel with service animals, and better protect our team members at the airport and on the aircraft.”

Among the airline’s concerns was that “passengers were fraudulently passing off their pets as the more loosely defined and fee-free category of emotional support animals”. 

What gave it away, guys? Was it the peacock?

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/american-airlines-ending-support-emotional-support-animals

January 7, 2021

Back to Normalcy

American Airlines Is Ending Support For Emotional Support Animals

by Tyler DurdenWednesday, Jan 06, 2021 – 23:50

American Airlines is finally ending the literal circus that was becoming “emotional support animals” at airports and in airplanes nationwide. Hopefully, other airlines will follow suit.

Back in the day, there were seeing eye dogs, sheep herding dogs and cadaver dogs that were specially trained and that was it. Every good doggo was an “emotional support animal” for its owner, which is one of the best parts of having a pet: they can calm you down, they can bring joy into your life and they can be your best friend.

But if you don’t know someone that has wrapped their dog up in a military style pet-vest with the words “emotional support animal” written on it lately – as if their “specially trained” dog’s key goal is to somehow psychoanalyze you and offer you written notes on the “anxiety” you feel from capitalism or the patriarchy, versus simply eating, sleeping, farting and crapping – then you haven’t been paying attention. 

It has become an epidemic across the U.S. – people using the “emotional support” excuse to gain access for their pets on flights and in airports – where they would usually not be welcome. And once the floodgates for emotional support dogs opened up, Americans starting carting around emotional support squirrels, emotional support clowns, emotional support peacocks and entire emotional support zoos with them as they traveled. 

But American Airlines appears to have finally seen enough. The airline has made a policy change that “matches a new Department of Transportation regulation that says airlines aren’t required to treat emotional support animals as service animals,” according to CNN. The rules come into effect on January 11. 

At that point, American Airlines says it will “will no longer authorize new travel for animals that do not meet that definition, such as emotional support animals.”

Emotional support animals are supposed to be “prescribed by mental health professionals to provide comfort and support, but unlike service animals, they are not required to have training in specific tasks.”

Jessica Tyler, president of cargo and vice president of airport excellence for American said: “We’re confident this approach will enable us to better serve our customers, particularly those with disabilities who travel with service animals, and better protect our team members at the airport and on the aircraft.”

Among the airline’s concerns was that “passengers were fraudulently passing off their pets as the more loosely defined and fee-free category of emotional support animals”. 

What gave it away, guys? Was it the peacock?

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/american-airlines-ending-support-emotional-support-animals

January 6, 2021

COVID-19 Regulatory Relief and Work from Home Safety Act

National Flammability Standard for Upholstered Furniture to Take Effect in June 2021

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Congress has passed a law mandating nationwide compliance with California’s flammability standard for upholstered furniture.  The “COVID-19 Regulatory Relief and Work from Home Safety Act,” included in the massive appropriations bill passed by Congress and signed into law by the President on December 27, 2020, incorporates the provisions previously proposed in the Safer Occupancy Furniture Flammability Act (SOFFA), a bill widely supported by the furniture industry.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has been studying furniture flammability issues for decades, but was unable to reach a consensus on how to approach a regulation.  Historically, industry, consumer groups, and regulators have disagreed on whether furniture should be required to withstand an “open flame” or instead be “smolder-resistant.”

In recent years, concern has grown over the consumer exposure to chemical flame retardants, which many speculated were added to furniture to make products resistant to open flames.  In 2013, in response to that concern, California issued TB 117-2013, rolling back the state’s “open flame” requirement to a “smolder” test more easily met without the use of added flame retardants.  Now, TB 117-2013’s “smolder” test will be the law nationwide.

Key Provisions

• Compliance date. Beginning June 25, 2021, all upholstered seating furniture imported or sold in the United States must comply with the flammability test specified by California Technical Bulletin 117-2013 (TB 117-2013).
• Labeling requirement. All upholstered furniture must bear a permanent label that includes the statement “Complies with U.S. CPSC requirements for upholstered furniture flammability.”
• Exemption for bedding products. The law will not apply to bedding products, including mattresses and foundations (which are already subject to separate federal flammability standards).
• No general certificate of conformity or recordkeeping requirements. The law also expressly exempts upholstered seating furniture from the requirement to issue a General Certificate of Conformity.  Instead, the prescribed permanent label will operate as the certification that a product is compliant with TB 117-2013.

Considerations for Companies

Companies that manufacture or sell upholstered furniture should begin planning for compliance with TTB 117-2013.  While those companies selling upholstered furniture in California are already required to comply with the TB 117-2013’s test procedures, the federal law adds a new mandatory labeling requirement.  Companies that do not already sell products compliant with TTB 117-2013 should familiarize themselves with the test procedures.  We recommend consideration of the following steps:

• Communicate with suppliers. Retailers and importers should communicate with upstream suppliers and manufacturers to inform them of the new law and its requirements.  Particularly with the supply chain still feeling the disruptive effects of COVID-19, preparation and communication are key.
• Create processes to ensure compliance. Manufacturers, importers, and retailers should evaluate their compliance procedures to ensure covered upholstered furniture is tested and labeled before distribution and sale.  Quality assurance and audit policies should be developed and regularly performed to check for any gaps in compliance.
• Consider recordkeeping policies. While the new law does not set any recordkeeping requirements, companies may voluntarily set their own policies.  Importers in particular should consider requiring overseas manufacturers to provide proof of passing test results and certify that products are properly labeled before shipment.  Because overseas manufacturers are typically beyond the CPSC’s reach, importers can be held liable for untested, unlabeled, or falsely certified products.  Due diligence can help mitigate the risk that a noncompliant product will cause compliance and enforcement difficulties for importers.
• Evaluate current inventory. The new law does not explicitly allow any “sell-through” period through which companies may sell products that have either not been tested or are not labeled as required by the law.  Companies should take stock of their current inventory and consider testing and labeling any inventory they will not be able to sell before June 25, 2021.

https://www.natlawreview.com/article/national-flammability-standard-upholstered-furniture-to-take-effect-june-2021

January 6, 2021

COVID-19 Regulatory Relief and Work from Home Safety Act

National Flammability Standard for Upholstered Furniture to Take Effect in June 2021

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Congress has passed a law mandating nationwide compliance with California’s flammability standard for upholstered furniture.  The “COVID-19 Regulatory Relief and Work from Home Safety Act,” included in the massive appropriations bill passed by Congress and signed into law by the President on December 27, 2020, incorporates the provisions previously proposed in the Safer Occupancy Furniture Flammability Act (SOFFA), a bill widely supported by the furniture industry.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has been studying furniture flammability issues for decades, but was unable to reach a consensus on how to approach a regulation.  Historically, industry, consumer groups, and regulators have disagreed on whether furniture should be required to withstand an “open flame” or instead be “smolder-resistant.”

In recent years, concern has grown over the consumer exposure to chemical flame retardants, which many speculated were added to furniture to make products resistant to open flames.  In 2013, in response to that concern, California issued TB 117-2013, rolling back the state’s “open flame” requirement to a “smolder” test more easily met without the use of added flame retardants.  Now, TB 117-2013’s “smolder” test will be the law nationwide.

Key Provisions

• Compliance date. Beginning June 25, 2021, all upholstered seating furniture imported or sold in the United States must comply with the flammability test specified by California Technical Bulletin 117-2013 (TB 117-2013).
• Labeling requirement. All upholstered furniture must bear a permanent label that includes the statement “Complies with U.S. CPSC requirements for upholstered furniture flammability.”
• Exemption for bedding products. The law will not apply to bedding products, including mattresses and foundations (which are already subject to separate federal flammability standards).
• No general certificate of conformity or recordkeeping requirements. The law also expressly exempts upholstered seating furniture from the requirement to issue a General Certificate of Conformity.  Instead, the prescribed permanent label will operate as the certification that a product is compliant with TB 117-2013.

Considerations for Companies

Companies that manufacture or sell upholstered furniture should begin planning for compliance with TTB 117-2013.  While those companies selling upholstered furniture in California are already required to comply with the TB 117-2013’s test procedures, the federal law adds a new mandatory labeling requirement.  Companies that do not already sell products compliant with TTB 117-2013 should familiarize themselves with the test procedures.  We recommend consideration of the following steps:

• Communicate with suppliers. Retailers and importers should communicate with upstream suppliers and manufacturers to inform them of the new law and its requirements.  Particularly with the supply chain still feeling the disruptive effects of COVID-19, preparation and communication are key.
• Create processes to ensure compliance. Manufacturers, importers, and retailers should evaluate their compliance procedures to ensure covered upholstered furniture is tested and labeled before distribution and sale.  Quality assurance and audit policies should be developed and regularly performed to check for any gaps in compliance.
• Consider recordkeeping policies. While the new law does not set any recordkeeping requirements, companies may voluntarily set their own policies.  Importers in particular should consider requiring overseas manufacturers to provide proof of passing test results and certify that products are properly labeled before shipment.  Because overseas manufacturers are typically beyond the CPSC’s reach, importers can be held liable for untested, unlabeled, or falsely certified products.  Due diligence can help mitigate the risk that a noncompliant product will cause compliance and enforcement difficulties for importers.
• Evaluate current inventory. The new law does not explicitly allow any “sell-through” period through which companies may sell products that have either not been tested or are not labeled as required by the law.  Companies should take stock of their current inventory and consider testing and labeling any inventory they will not be able to sell before June 25, 2021.

https://www.natlawreview.com/article/national-flammability-standard-upholstered-furniture-to-take-effect-june-2021