Archives

August 22, 2024

EPA Updates Safer Choice and DfE Standard

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on August 8, 2024, the availability of the final updated Safer Choice and Design for the Environment (DfE) Standard (the Standard). 89 Fed. Reg. 64915. According to EPA, the update includes a name change to the title of the Standard, a revision to the packaging criteria, a new certification for cleaning service providers, a new provision allowing for preterm partnership termination under exceptional circumstances, and the addition of...
July 5, 2024

EPA Postpones Proposed Expansion of the Safer Choice and Design for the Environment Programs

As reported in our July 27, 2023, memorandum, in July 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed an expansion of the Safer Choice and Design for the Environment (DfE) programs to include certification of additional product categories. According to EPA’s website, “EPA thanks the many commenters for their input. EPA reviewed the comments and understands several categories are of interest to stakeholders and Safer Choice partners. With the 2024 decrease in EPA’s funding,...
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...
October 16, 2015

EPA Safer Choice Partner And Stakeholder Summit Announced

On October 7, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first ever Safer Choice Partner and Stakeholder Summit. The summit will be the first of several meetings intended to explore topics of importance to stakeholders and the Safer Choice Program. The Safer Choice label was created to help consumers identify products with safer chemical ingredients, previously known as the Design for the Environment (DfE) label. Over 2,000 products are qualified to carry the...
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.  ...
September 19, 2014

EPA’s Revised Work Plan List And New Developments In TSCA Reform Discussed At Green Chemistry Clear

The Green Chemistry Clearinghouse Conference held on September 16, 2014, in San Francisco included several interesting panels discussing topics including California Safer Consumer Products Regulations' (SCPR) recently released Work Plan, the future of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform, and the increasing push by retailers to require information from the supply chain. Jim Jones, EPA's Assistant Administrator at the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), spoke...
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...
March 21, 2014

OCSPP Develops A Vision Plan

On March 12, 2014, Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), shared with his colleagues a vision plan that was developed to guide OCSPP's work over the next several years. The document, entitled Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Envisioning Accomplishments in 2017, outlines several actions that will be taken by OCSPP regarding pesticide registration, existing chemicals, the EDSP, creating a whole new Design for the...
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...
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...