Boosting Safer Choices in Cleaning Products
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently advanced the Safer Choice and Design for the Environment (DfE) Standard, facilitating easier identification of environmentally friendly, safe disinfectants, cleaners, and other such products. The revisions scale up the essential benchmarks these products must achieve to be eligible for the voluntary Safer Choice label, thereby encouraging the adoption of safer chemicals.
New Horizons for the Safer Choice Program
The Safer Choice Program simplifies the process for consumers and institutional buyers to discover products crafted with safer chemical ingredients, thanks to updated label criteria. The DfE Program likewise aids in locating disinfectants that align with stringent standards for public health and the environment. As per Jennie Romer from the EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, these refreshed standards are more robust, clear, and inclusive of upgraded packaging sustainability standards.
Key Changes to the Safer Choice Standard
Update | Description |
---|---|
New certification for cleaning service providers | Promotes the usage of Safer Choice- and DfE-certified products to protect both cleaning workers and the spaces they clean. |
Strengthened criteria for pet care products | Ensures that pet care products utilize the safest possible ingredients for human beings, pets, and the environment. |
Updated safer packaging criteria | Introduces stricter packaging criteria, barring unintended inclusion of PFAS or other chemicals of concern. |
New sustainability requisites for packaging | Demands all Safer Choice-certified products to adopt post-consumer recycled content and be either recyclable or reusable. |
Updated criteria for wipe products | Imposes a “Do Not Flush” warning on all certified wipes to prevent damage to wastewater treatment systems. |
Energy efficiency or use reduction guidelines | Introduces optional criteria to encourage corporate water and energy conservation efforts. |
IDing Safer Choice and Design for the Environment Products
Both the Safer Choice and DfE labels allow consumers to confidently identify products made with safe and green ingredients, meeting the EPA’s rigorous health and environmental standards. The Safer Choice program currently boasts thousands of certified safer products in the market. Likewise, the DfE logo signifies that disinfectants comply with rigorous federal pesticide registration criteria while still meeting environmental and public health standards.