The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized updates to strengthen the Safer Choice and Design for the Environment (DfE) Standard, which sets the requirements that products and their ingredients must meet to earn EPA's Safer Choice label or DfE logo. These updates aim to enhance the criteria for products qualifying for the voluntary Safer Choice label, promoting safer chemicals in the marketplace.
The Safer Choice program facilitates consumers and purchasers for facilities like schools and office buildings in identifying cleaners, detergents, and other products made with safer chemical ingredients. Similarly, the DfE program assists individuals in finding disinfectants that adhere to high standards for public health and environmental safety.
“When consumers see the Safer Choice label on products in stores or online, they can be confident that the products were made with the safest possible ingredients,” said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention Jennie Romer. “We’ve updated EPA’s Safer Choice and DfE Standard for the first time in nearly a decade with feedback from our stakeholders to make it stronger, more transparent and to include updated packaging sustainability standards.”
The final updated Standard includes several key changes:
- A new certification program for cleaning service providers using Safer Choice- and DfE-certified products, aimed at protecting workers who use these cleaning products as well as people living or working in cleaned spaces.
- Strengthened criteria for pet care products to ensure they use only safe ingredients for humans, pets, and the environment.
- Updated safer packaging criteria ensuring primary packaging does not contain intentionally added PFAS or other chemicals of concern.
- Enhanced sustainable packaging requirements mandating all Safer Choice-certified products use post-consumer recycled content, be recyclable or reusable.
- Updated criteria requiring certified wipe products to include “Do Not Flush” language to help reduce damage to wastewater treatment systems.
- New optional energy efficiency or use reduction criteria encouraging companies to use less water, renewable energy, and improve energy efficiency.
This update follows a November 2023 request for public comment on EPA’s proposed updates. It marks EPA’s fourth update of the Standard since its inception in 2009 and its first since 2015. The agency periodically revises the Standard to stay current with scientific and technological advancements, increase transparency, reduce redundancy, and expand program scope as necessary.
Safer Choice encourages using chemicals meeting EPA’s stringent human health and environmental criteria while providing opportunities for companies to differentiate their products with the Safer Choice label. EPA scientists examine every ingredient—regardless of concentration—to ensure certified products contain only safe ingredients without compromising performance.
Design for the Environment similarly helps identify antimicrobial products like disinfectants meeting both health/safety standards of pesticide registration required by federal law as well as meeting Safer Choice/DfE Standards. Products bearing EPA’s DfE logo are assuredly compliant with stringent health/environmental criteria.
