HCPA promotes Molly Blessing to VP, sustainability & product stewardship

The Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA) has announced that Molly Blessing has been promoted from director of sustainability to vice president, sustainability & product stewardship, effective February 15, 2024.
Blessing joined HCPA in November 2021 from Henkel, growing the association’s initiatives related to achieving a lower carbon footprint, circular economy and safe environments for consumers and workers.
Over the last two years, Molly developed and launched HCPA’s Sustainability & Product Stewardship Council (SPSC), which serves as a forward-looking, trusted voice, and acknowledged leader in driving product stewardship and sustainability efforts.
The SPSC is dedicated to educating and empowering people to live more sustainable lives.
Under Blessing's direction, the SPSC has addressed several business-critical issues on behalf of the household and commercial products industry, including environmental marketing claims, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), recycled content and sustainable chemistry.
Blessing also serves as the Division Staff Executive (DSE) for the Air Care Products Division, which promotes the safety, benefits and essentiality of air care and fragranced household and commercial products.
Most recently, the Air Care Products Division developed messaging on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to use in media relations activity and advocated with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) about how air care and fragranced products will be considered in the next consumer products rulemaking.
She also co-leads the Retail Engagement Work Group with Dr. Steve Bennett, executive vice president, scientific & regulatory affairs, which, most recently, has been working with third-party suppliers to automate the review of retailer “restricted substances lists” against company formulations.
“Molly has accomplished a tremendous amount of work since joining HCPA at the end of 2021, including creating the Sustainability & Product Stewardship Council, helping member companies manage the EPR process, and serving as a resource on sustainable chemistry to the federal government, most notably the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),” said Steve Caldeira, president & CEO, HCPA. “The sustainability space continues to grow and evolve, and Molly’s expertise helps HCPA stay ahead of the curve.”