Archives

August 14, 2024

EPA Announces Strengthening the Safer Choice and Design for the Environment Standard for Commercial and Household Cleaning Products

On August 8, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it made updates to strengthen the Safer Choice and Design for the Environment (DfE) Standard, which identifies the requirements that products and their ingredients must meet to earn EPA’s Safer Choice label or DfE logo. EPA states these updates strengthen the criteria that products must meet to qualify for the voluntary Safer Choice label, supporting the use of safer chemicals in the marketplace. According...
August 8, 2023

EPA Will Accept Comment on Potential Expansion of Safer Choice and DfE Programs, Announces August 29, 2023, Webinar

On July 25, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an opportunity for public input on the potential expansion of the Safer Choice and Design for the Environment (DfE) programs’ certification to new product categories. EPA notes in its July 27, 2023, Federal Register notice that Safer Choice “helps consumers, businesses, and purchasers find products that perform and contain ingredients that are safer for human health and the environment.” 88...
May 13, 2022

EPA Launches Modernized DfE Logo for Disinfectant and Other Antimicrobial Products

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on May 11, 2022, that it is launching a new, modern Design for the Environment (DfE) logo that will appear on antimicrobial products like disinfectants and sanitizers within the next year. EPA intends the DfE logo to help consumers and commercial buyers identify antimicrobial products that meet the health and safety standards of the typical pesticide registration process required by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and...
December 11, 2014

EPA Plans To Expand DfE SCIL

EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) plans to expand its Design for the Environment (DfE) Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL), and invites chemical manufacturers to provide information on their safer chemicals to EPA for review and listing on the SCIL. EPA plans to expand the categories and functional classes of the SCIL. Interested companies can review EPA’s “Steps to SCIL Listing” to learn more about the process.  ...
July 18, 2014

EPA Solicits Comments On New Design Of Label To Indicate Safer Chemicals

On July 16, 2014, EPA announced it is soliciting comments on its Design for the Environment (DfE) Program's logo redesign. The Agency will consider the information gathered from this notice and other sources as it selects a logo for the DfE Program that accurately communicates the Program's efforts to advance human and environmental health protection through safer products. EPA would like the DfE logo redesign to achieve the following: * Better convey the scientific rigor...
January 31, 2014

EPA Updates Safer Chemicals Ingredient List

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken two actions this month to update Design for the Environment's (DfE) Safer Chemical Ingredients List. On January 23, 2014, EPA announced that it is adding 50 chemicals to the list, "bringing the number of safer fragrance chemicals to 150 and the total number of safer chemicals to nearly 650." The list is available online. On January 29, 2014, EPA announced that it has issued final DfE alternatives...
December 2, 2013

EPA Releases Draft Procurement Guidelines for Product Environmental Performance Standards and Ecola

On November 20, 2013, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its intent to release for comment proposed Draft Guidelines for Product Environmental Performance Standards and Ecolabels for Voluntary Use in Federal Procurement (Draft Guidelines). EPA states the Draft Guidelines — developed by EPA, the General Services Administration (GSA), and other federal agencies following several "listening sessions" with a wide range of stakeholders — are...
March 16, 2010

EPA DfE Program Announces Lithium-ion Batteries and Nanotechnology Partnership

On March 4, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Design for the Environment (DfE) Program announced a partnership led by the DfE Program and Office of Research and Development (ORD). The partnership is conducting a screening-level life-cycle assessment of currently manufactured lithium-ion battery technologies and a next generation battery component that uses single-wall carbon nanotube technology. According to the DfE Program, the partnership offers the opportunity to...