The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has received overwhelming endorsements to expand its voluntary programs promoting fewer
toxic ingredients in products, with cosmetics leading in stakeholder support.

According to an EPA summary of the 1,528 submitted comments, 99 percent were in favour of expanding the Safer Choice and Design for the Environment (DfE) programs, which gives companies the option to submit their products for toxicological review and, if approved, label their product with an EPA-certified logo.

Most of the 2,000-plus products that meet the agency’s standard are household, automotive or outdoor cleaners. Approximately 69 percent of commenters advocated for inclusion of cosmetics, followed by 26 percent of commenters voicing support for EPA-certified fertilizers.

While most commenters did not explicitly state a preference for expanding Safer Choice versus DfE, commenters generally focused on the Safer Choice program. A few commenters explicitly referenced their support of an expansion of the DfE program for specific product categories.

One commenter noted expanding the Safer Choice program would make it easier to identify and purchase safer products, while enabling brands to market their products to consumers who are increasingly concerned about the safety of ingredients and wary of greenwashing, said EPA.

Another commenter expressed appreciation for the voluntary nature of the Safer Choice program and the simultaneous focus on product performance, ingredients, and packaging, noted EPA.