By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on February 3, 2023, the release of three improved pollution prevention (P2) calculator tools -- the P2 Cost Calculator, the P2 Greenhouse Gas Calculator, and the P2 Calculator for Reductions in Hazardous Substances, Pollutants and Contaminants. According to EPA, these tools convert information on P2 activities at a business, such as reductions in energy use, into information on cost savings and pollution reductions. They help P2 grantees, technical assistance providers, and others measure environmental outcomes and economic performance related to P2 activities. EPA states that the updates to the Cost Calculator and the Greenhouse Gas Calculator include:

• Streamlined design to account more easily for fuel use;
• Instructions on how to use the calculators for grant reporting; and
• Newer data on prices and the environmental characteristics of power generation, incorporated into default values from sources including the U.S. Energy Information Administration and EPA’s Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID).

According to EPA, the updates to the Reductions Calculator include expanded categories of pollutants and releases -- including hazardous materials used, hazardous wastes, air emissions, water pollutants, and solvent remanufacturing -- that EPA tracks and measures.

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By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton
 
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced on January 31, 2023, that it has extended the deadline for public comment on its Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims (Green Guides) to April 24, 2023. FTC states in its December 14, 2022, news release that it seeks to update the Green Guides “based on increasing consumer interest in buying environmentally friendly products.” FTC expects “many public comments” on the following specific issues:

• Carbon Offsets and Climate Change: The current Green Guides provide guidance on carbon offset and renewable energy claims. FTC invites comments on whether the revised Green Guides should provide additional information on related claims and issues;
   
• The Term “Recyclable”: Among other things, FTC seeks comments on whether it should change the current threshold that guides marketers on when they can make unqualified recyclable claims, as well as whether the Green Guides should address in more detail claims for products that are collected (picked up curbside) by recycling programs but not ultimately recycled;
   
• The Term “Recycled Content”: FTC requests comments on whether unqualified claims about recycled content -- particularly claims related to “pre-consumer” and “post industrial” content -- are widely understood by consumers, as well as whether alternative methods of substantiating recycled content claims may be appropriate; and
   
• The Need for Additional Guidance: FTC also seeks comment on the need for additional guidance regarding claims such as “compostable,” “degradable,” “ozone-friendly,” “organic,” and “sustainable,” as well as those regarding energy use and energy efficiency.

More information and an insightful commentary are available in our December 16, 2022, memorandum.

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By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton
 
On November 1, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 26 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners, recognizing their achievements in the design, manufacture, selection, and use of products with safer chemicals. The awardees represent a wide variety of organizations, including small- and medium-sized businesses, women-owned companies, state and local governments, non-governmental organizations, and trade associations.
 
EPA encouraged applicants for the 2022 awards to show how their work advances environmental justice, bolsters resilience to the impacts of climate change, results in cleaner air or water, or improves drinking water quality. According to EPA, many of the organizations being recognized are working to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and combat the climate crisis. For example, several winners offer products with concentrated formulas that reduce water consumption and plastic use. This practice also lowers GHG emissions by reducing the amount of product that must be transported.
 
EPA states that additionally, many awardees increased access to products with safer chemical ingredients in underserved and overburdened communities. For example, one nonprofit winner conducted targeted outreach in both English and Spanish to promote safer cleaning techniques and products, including Safer Choice-certified products, in food trucks. Many of these businesses are owned and operated by immigrant entrepreneurs. Another winner made its Safer Choice-certified product line more accessible to lower income shoppers by offering affordable prices and making these products available at retailers that often serve low-income communities.
 
In early 2023, EPA intends to build on this work by announcing a grant opportunity for projects that can increase supply and demand for safer, environmentally preferable products such as those certified by the Safer Choice program or identified by EPA’s Environmentally Preferable Purchasing program.
 
The 2022 winners include:

• American Cleaning Institute, District of Columbia;
• The Ashkin Group, LLC, Channel Islands Harbor, California;
• Bona US, Englewood, Colorado;
• Case Medical, Bloomfield, New Jersey;
• Church & Dwight Co., Inc., Ewing, New Jersey;
• Clean Safety & Health in Food Trucks (CleanSHiFT) Team, Seattle, Washington;
• The Clorox Company, Oakland, California;
• Colgate-Palmolive, New York, New York;
• Design for the Environment Logo Redesign Coalition: Environmental Defense Fund, The Natural Resources Defense Council, The Clorox Company, The Procter & Gamble Company, and Reckitt;
• Dirty Labs Inc., Portland, Oregon;
• ECOS, Cypress, California;
• Grove Collaborative, San Francisco, California;
• The Hazardous Waste Management Program, Seattle, Washington;
• Holloway House, Inc., Fortville, Indiana;
• The Home Depot, Atlanta, Georgia;
• Household & Commercial Products Association, District of Columbia;
• Jelmar, LLC, Skokie, Illinois;
• Lemi Shine, Austin, Texas;
• LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, San Francisco, California;
• Mother Africa, Kent, Washington;
• Novozymes North America, Raleigh, North Carolina;
• The ODP Corporation, Boca Raton, Florida;
• The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio;
• PurposeBuilt Brands, Gurnee, Illinois;
• Sensitive Home, Greenbrae, California; and
• Solutex, Sterling, Virginia.

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By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton
 
As reported in our July 18, 2022, blog item, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received a petition on June 16, 2022, under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) from Daniel M. Galpern on behalf of Donn J. Viviani, John Birks, Richard Heede, Lise Van Susteren, James E. Hansen, Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions, and Climate Protection and Restoration Initiative. The petition requests EPA “to phase out the anthropogenic manufacture, processing, distribution, use, and disposal of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, fossil fuels, and fossil fuel emissions.” In a September 14, 2022, letter, EPA denied the petition. According to the letter, of the various actions described in the petition, EPA determined that only the request to initiate a proceeding for the issuance of a rule under TSCA Section 6(a) is within the ambit of a TSCA Section 21 petition. EPA states that based on its review, and after careful consideration of the specific requests, it is denying the request to initiate a proceeding for the issuance of a rule under TSCA Section 6(a) because, “although EPA shares the petitioners’ concerns regarding the threat posed by climate change, the Agency found that the petition was insufficiently specific and failed to establish that it is necessary to issue a rule under TSCA section 6, in light of ongoing and expected federal government actions, the relative efficiency of TSCA rulemaking, and lack of TSCA section 6(a) authority to regulate historical GHG emissions.” EPA will publish in a forthcoming Federal Register notice its reasons for denying this portion of the petition, as well as its reasons for declining to address under TSCA Section 21 the other petitioned actions. EPA has posted a prepublication copy of the Federal Register notice.

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By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on August 18, 2022, that it is accepting nominations for the 2023 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards from companies or institutions that have developed a new green chemistry process or product that helps protect human health and the environment. The awards again include a category to recognize technology that reduces or eliminates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. EPA will hold a webinar on September 28, 2022, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. (EDT) to educate stakeholders on the Green Chemistry Challenge Awards and the nomination process. Registration for the webinar is open. Nominations are due to EPA by December 9, 2022.
 
EPA states that green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the generation and use of chemicals that are hazardous to the environment and people’s health. According to EPA, its efforts to “speed the adoption of this revolutionary and diverse discipline” have led to significant environmental benefits, innovation, and a strengthened economy. Green chemistry aims to prevent pollution before it is created, making it the preferred approach for providing solutions to some of the most significant environmental challenges.
 
An independent panel of technical experts convened by the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute will formally judge the 2023 nominations and make recommendations to EPA for the 2023 winners. EPA anticipates giving awards to outstanding green chemistry technologies in six categories in fall 2023.

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By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received a petition on June 16, 2022, under Section 21 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) from Daniel M. Galpern on behalf of Donn J. Viviani, John Birks, Richard Heede, Lise Van Susteren, James E. Hansen, Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions, and Climate Protection and Restoration Initiative. The petition requests EPA “to phase out the anthropogenic manufacture, processing, distribution, use, and disposal of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, fossil fuels, and fossil fuel emissions.” EPA acknowledged receipt of the petition in a July 5, 2022, letter. Under TSCA Section 21, EPA has 90 days to grant or deny the portions of the petition eligible for TSCA Section 21. If EPA grants the petition, then EPA “will promptly commence an appropriate proceeding.” If EPA denies the petition in whole or in part, then it will publish the reasons for denial in the Federal Register.

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By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton
 
On July 8, 2022, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) publicly released its 2022 update on its priority open recommendations for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In June 2021, GAO identified 22 priority recommendations for EPA. According to GAO, EPA has since implemented ten of those recommendations by requiring states to report quarterly to EPA on the number of lead service lines in each public water system in the state and providing direction to staff on integrating climate change information into risk assessments at nonfederal Superfund sites, as well as other actions. GAO states that it is not adding any additional priority recommendations this year. The total number of priority recommendations remaining is 12. These recommendations involve the following areas:

• Assessing and controlling toxic chemicals;
• Reducing pollution in the nation’s waters;
• Ensuring cybersecurity at EPA;
• Addressing data and risk communication issues for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure;
• Managing climate change risks; and
• Protecting the nation’s air quality.

According to GAO, EPA’s continued attention to these issues could lead to significant improvements in government operations.
 
Regarding assessing and controlling toxic chemicals, GAO states that EPA’s ability to help protect public health and the environment effectively “depends on credible and timely assessments of risks posed by toxic chemicals,” including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). According to GAO, by implementing the following four priority recommendations in this area, EPA would improve its ability to prepare and issue Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) chemical assessments:

• To develop the timely chemical risk information that EPA needs to conduct its mission effectively, the EPA Administrator should require the Office of Research and Development (ORD) to re-evaluate its draft proposed changes to the IRIS assessment process in light of the issues raised in GAO’s 2008 report and “ensure that any revised process periodically assesses the level of resources that should be dedicated to this significant program to meet user needs and maintain a viable IRIS database.”
• To ensure better the credibility of IRIS assessments by enhancing their timeliness and certainty, the EPA Administrator should require ORD to establish a written policy that clearly describes the applicability of the timeframes for each type of IRIS assessment and ensures that the timeframes are realistic and provide greater predictability to stakeholders.
• The EPA Administrator should direct the Assistant Administrator of ORD to provide more information publicly about where chemical assessments are in the development process, including internal and external steps in the process, and changes to assessment milestones.
• The EPA Administrator should include in ORD’s strategic plan (or subsidiary strategic plans) identification of EPA’s universe of chemical assessment needs; how the IRIS Program is being resourced to meet user needs; and specific implementation steps that indicate how IRIS will achieve the plan’s objectives, such as specific metrics to define progress in meeting user needs.

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By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton

On November 15, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced the availability of its annual report summarizing what OIG considers the “most serious management and performance challenges facing the agency.” According to OIG, EPA’s top management challenges in fiscal year (FY) 2022 include:

• Mitigating the Causes and Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change: EPA must take a leadership role in limiting climate change and mitigating its effect on human health and the environment;
   
• Integrating and Leading Environmental Justice across EPA and the Government: As part of its effort to integrate environmental justice across its programs, EPA must address the environmental hazards and cumulative risk facing at-risk communities and effectively communicate that risk to those communities;
   
• Ensuring the Safe Use of Chemicals: OIG states that to protect effectively public health and the environment, EPA must be able to depend on its ability to conduct credible and timely assessments of the risks posed by pesticides, toxic chemicals, and other environmental chemical risks. According to OIG, the 2016 expansion of EPA’s regulatory authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) has increased the need for conducting rapid and accurate risk assessments. OIG notes that EPA must also continue to conduct registration and reregistration of “hundreds of pesticides per year, as well as assure that it is setting appropriate exposure levels for contaminants in drinking water.” Without appropriate resource and implementation plans in place to demonstrate that EPA can accomplish this work, and without the ability to conduct scientifically sound risk assessments accurately, the public’s trust and confidence in EPA’s ability to accomplish its mission of protecting human health and the environment will be at risk;
   
• Safeguarding Scientific Integrity Principles: Science-based decisions at EPA must be based on principles of scientific integrity to ensure that human health and the environment are protected by using the best available science. EPA must develop new processes and update its regulations, policies, and guidance to protect scientific integrity. According to OIG, taking these actions will help make EPA decisions more legally defensible and maintain public trust in its decision making;
   
• Ensuring Information Technology and Systems Are Protected against Cyberthreats: Information technology is a fundamental and essential resource for EPA to carry out its mission;
   
• Managing Infrastructure Funding and Business Operations: EPA must effectively oversee the funding and operation of America’s water, wastewater, and other environmental infrastructure; and
   
• Enforcing Environmental Laws and Regulations: Through enforcement, EPA ensures that regulated entities are following environmental laws and will continue to do so, as enforcement actions effectively deter future noncompliance. According to OIG, considering EPA’s limited resources, and despite potential funding increases in FY 2022, “EPA is challenged to assess its resource requirements for the enforcement program and identify innovative and cost-effective means of detecting and deterring noncompliance in the future.”

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By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton
 
On October 1, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of the Draft FY 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan. 86 Fed. Reg. 54448. The draft Strategic Plan communicates EPA’s priorities and provides the roadmap for achieving its mission to protect human health and the environment. The draft Strategic Plan outlines objectives within the following strategic goals:

• Goal 1: Tackle the Climate Crisis;
• Goal 2: Take Decisive Action to Advance Environmental Justice and Civil Rights;
• Goal 3: Enforce Environmental Laws and Ensure Compliance;
• Goal 4: Ensure Clean and Healthy Air for All Communities;
• Goal 5: Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Communities;
• Goal 6: Safeguard and Revitalize Communities; and
• Goal 7: Ensure Safety of Chemicals for People and the Environment.

Goal 7 includes two objectives. Objective 7.1, “Ensure Chemical and Pesticide Safety,” is intended to protect the health of families, communities, and ecosystems from the risks posed by chemicals and pesticides. It includes the following long-term goals:

• By September 30, 2026, complete at least eight High Priority Substance (HPS) Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) risk evaluations annually within statutory timelines compared with the fiscal year (FY) 2020 baseline of one;
• By September 30, 2026, review 90 percent of risk mitigation requirements for TSCA new chemical substances compared to the FY 2021 baseline of none;
• By September 30, 2026, renew 40 percent of expiring lead-based paint Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) firm certifications within 30 days compared to the FY 2021 baseline of 36 percent;
• By September 30, 2026, complete 78 pesticide registration review cases;
• By September 30, 2026, consider the effects determinations or protections of federally threatened and endangered species for new active ingredients in 90 percent of the risk assessments supporting pesticide registration decisions for new active ingredients compared to the FY 2020 baseline of 50 percent;
• By September 30, 2026, consider the effects determinations or protections of federally threatened and endangered species in 50 percent of the risk assessments supporting pesticide registration review decisions compared to the FY 2020 baseline of 25 percent; and
• By September 30, 2026, support Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) pesticide safety training for 20,000 farmworkers annually compared with the FY 2018-2020 annual average baseline of 11,000.

Objective 7.2, “Promote Pollution Prevention,” is intended to encourage the adoption of pollution prevention and other stewardship practices that conserve natural resources, mitigate climate change, and promote environmental sustainability. It includes the following long-term goals:

• By September 30, 2026, reduce a total of 1.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent released attributed to EPA pollution prevention grants; and
• By September 30, 2026, EPA’s Safer Choice program will certify a total of 2,300 products compared to the FY 2021 baseline of 1,950 total certified products.

According to the notice, EPA is seeking comment from individual citizens, states, tribes, local governments, industry, the academic community, non-governmental organizations (NGO), and all other interested parties. Comments are due November 12, 2021. EPA states that it “anticipates the final Strategic Plan will be submitted to Congress in February 2022.”

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By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton
 
On September 22, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized 33 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners across 16 states and the District of Columbia for achievement in the design, manufacture, selection, and use of products with safer chemicals. The Safer Choice program helps consumers and purchasers for facilities, such as schools and office buildings, find products that perform and are safer for human health and the environment. According to EPA, the work of many of the organizations being recognized addressed climate change, including by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, several awardees have worked to increase access to products with safer chemical ingredients in underserved communities. EPA states that in the coming year, it hopes to build on this work by expanding the Safer Choice program to make products containing safer chemicals increasingly available to underserved communities, including communities of color and low-income communities. The 2021 Partner of the Year award winners include:

• Albertsons Companies, Safer Choice Retailer: Albertsons expanded their line of Safer Choice-certified products by adding six laundry detergent products that have SmartLabels that allow customers to scan a product quick response (QR) code and learn more about the Safer Choice certification. Albertsons also worked with cities and counties to identify opportunities to educate underserved households about safer cleaning and disinfecting products.
   
• American Cleaning Institute (ACI), Safer Choice Supporter: ACI contributed toxicological reviews that resulted in eight chemicals being added to EPA’s Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL) and was the first non-manufacturer to do so. ACI’s news media coverage featuring the Safer Choice program generated a total potential reach of 11.2 million in 2020 and highlighted that “Adding chemicals to SCIL encourages innovation and growth in safer products, increases markets for manufacturers and helps protect people and the environment.”
   
• Apple, Safer Choice Supporter: Apple uses internal Apple Safer Cleaner Criteria based on Safer Choice criteria, among other assessment tools, to determine the safer chemical status of chemicals used in its manufacturing processes. Apple assessed 54 new cleaners, bringing the total to more than 80 safer cleaner and degreaser alternatives approved for use by more than 80,000 employees in their supply chain.
   
• The Ashkin Group, Safer Choice Supporter: The Ashkin Group included Safer Choice in training programs for frontline cleaning workers, training more than 30,000 workers to date, the majority of whom are from underserved communities.
   
• BASF Home Care and I&I Cleaning Solutions (BASF), Safer Choice Innovator: BASF added 13 and renewed 25 safer ingredients on CleanGredients, a database of chemical ingredients pre-approved for use in Safer Choice-certified products. This brought their total to 74 ingredients across seven functional class categories.
   
• Bona, Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: Achieving Safer Choice-certification is a companywide objective for Bona. Since becoming a Safer Choice partner in 2020, Bona has certified 13 products. Bona has reformulated more than 90 percent of their current cleaner line for Safer Choice certification.
   
• Case Medical, Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: Case Medical broadened the availability of their line of Safer Choice-certified products to additional markets. They built these formulations with ingredients from the SCIL and from CleanGredients.
   
• Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (CHD), Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: CHD had a new product certified by Safer Choice. CHD’s advertising of this new Safer Choice-certified product included national television, digital, and print ads, and social media, with a potential reach of 169 million. CHD partnered with Safer Choice to develop and implement an in vitro testing strategy to meet Safer Choice pH criteria for laundry detergents.
   
• The Clorox Company, Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: Clorox updated ten formulations and added a new product to their offering of Safer Choice- and Design for the Environment (DfE)-certified products, bringing the total to 37 Stock Keeping Units (SKU) spanning 19 retail and 18 industrial and institutional products. They also increased the percentage of Safer Choice-certified products displaying the Safer Choice label prominently on the front product label from 57 percent of products in 2019 to 70 percent of products in 2020.
   
• Defunkify, Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: Defunkify has 15 Safer Choice-certified products, a 67 percent increase over 2019. Defunkify centers their communications strategy on emphasizing product performance and Safer Choice certification.
   
• Dirty Labs Inc., Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: Dirty Labs’ first two commercial products are Safer Choice-certified, and every ingredient in these products is listed on CleanGredients. The lifecycles and sources for these ingredients are mapped on Dirty Labs’ website.
   
• ECOS, Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: ECOS added four new products, renewed four products, and updated 11 product formulations. In total, ECOS offers more than 150 products that are Safer Choice-certified, which represents 79 percent of all ECOS product offerings.
   
• Grove Collaborative, Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: Grove Collaborative expanded beyond the hand soap category to certify their entire liquid laundry and dishwasher detergent collections. Grove Collaborative made it easier for customers to learn about the Safer Choice program and find certified products on their website by creating an EPA Safer Choice Spotlight store.
   
• Hazardous Waste Management Program, King County, Washington, Safer Choice Supporter: The program featured Safer Choice in presentations at virtual webinars, as well as in publications and educational materials available in more than a dozen languages. The program also piloted a Safer Choice retail product mapping database that lists Safer Choice-certified products and information on the store where each product is sold, with the goal of increasing access to Safer Choice-certified products.
   
• The Home Depot, Safer Choice Retailer: In 2020, Home Depot carried 173 Safer Choice-certified products. These products are featured in a callout on Home Depot’s Eco Options website, which had more than 410,000 views in 2020.
   
• Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA), Safer Choice Supporter. HCPA continued its support of the Safer Choice program by bringing stakeholders together from across HCPA’s membership virtually to strengthen Safer Choice, encourage more HCPA members to get their products certified by Safer Choice, and engage in discussions with Safer Choice staff about improvements to the program.
   
• Jelmar, LLC, Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: Jelmar added three new products to its Safer Choice partnership. Jelmar displays the Safer Choice label to consumers on 100 percent of its Safer Choice-certified products. In addition to its product labels, Jelmar features the Safer Choice label in advertisements for television, social media, online video, podcasts, and at trade shows.
   
• Lake Monroe Sailing Association (LMSA), Safer Choice Supporter: The City of Bloomington, Indiana, relies on the Lake Monroe watershed for drinking water, recreation, and supporting the local economy. LMSA uses Safer Choice-certified products on facility-owned boats and makes these products easily accessible at no cost to their 200 members by placing them at boat cleaning stations.
   
• Lemi Shine, Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: Lemi Shine added three products and updated five Safer Choice-certified formulations in 2020. Currently, 18 of their 21 products are Safer Choice-certified, and Lemi Shine prioritizes formulating with chemicals from the SCIL in over 99 percent of their materials.
   
• LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: LightHouse is a non-profit that has programs to help blind and visually impaired employees get experience in many areas, including chemical manufacturing, chemical blending, and quality assurance and control. LightHouse had record sales for their Safer Choice-certified products in 2020, with all proceeds going directly to the blind and visually impaired community.
   
• LSI, Innovator: LSI developed a formula for a DfE-certified, fast-acting hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectant that combats SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This base formulation is registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and certified under the DfE program.
   
• Novozymes North America, Safer Choice Innovator: In 2020, Novozymes added six enzyme ingredients to CleanGredients. Novozymes also supported 25 requests made by formulators and brand owners for certification of formulations by the Safer Choice program.
   
• Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)-Toxics Use Reduction Program, Safer Choice Supporter: Oregon DEQ developed innovative projects with goals of building a community that purchases safer products and of directly supporting businesses in obtaining Safer Choice certification. In partnership with the Pollution Prevention Resource Center, Oregon DEQ’s team developed and implemented a Safer Chemical Alternatives Training Program that focused on increasing knowledge about Safer Choice-certified products.
   
• The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G), Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: P&G added 12 products to their Safer Choice-certified line and updated two formulations. P&G designed, formulated, and manufactured their first complete Safer Choice-certified brand portfolio that is a collection of fabric and home care products.
   
• PurposeBuilt Brands, Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: PurposeBuilt Brands added 12 products (with 27 SKUs) to their line of Safer Choice-certified products.
   
• Roger McFadden and Associates, LLC, Safer Choice Supporter: McFadden and Associates designed 21 products to meet Safer Choice criteria. Based on their pro bono technical recommendations, three health care facilities replaced eight cleaning products, amounting to 84,500 pounds, with Safer Choice-certified products.
   
• Rust-Oleum Corporation, Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: Rust-Oleum increased their offering of Safer Choice-certified products by 19 percent to 16 products (with 42 SKUs). They also began focusing on using concentrates and refillable bottles to reduce plastic use and emissions, contributing to EPA’s goal of addressing climate change.
   
• Sea Mar Community Health Centers, Safer Choice Supporter: Sea Mar continued to act on the top two concerns for the Hispanic/Latino community identified during an earlier stakeholder meeting: the overuse of disinfectants and the common and dangerous practice of mixing cleaning products. Sea Mar conducted 100 trainings with Spanish-speaking households on safer cleaning practices, reaching 369 people with their training.
   
• Sensitive Home, Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: All of Sensitive Home’s 14 dish, laundry, and surface cleaners became Safer Choice-certified in 2020. Sensitive Home designed their products for sensitive people, including those with skin sensitivities, compromised immune systems, and respiratory issues.
   
• Seventh Generation, Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer: Seventh Generation added 16 products, bringing their total to 66 Safer Choice-certified products. Seventh Generation also promoted their Safer Choice-certified products through digital and print marketing materials, including Safer Choice promotions through major e-commerce retail partners.
   
• University of Washington Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (UW DEOHS) Continuing Education Programs, Safer Choice Supporter: In response to a surge in calls to the Poison Control Center because of increased misuse of cleaning and disinfecting products in 2020, a team at the UW DEOHS collaborated with the Occupational Health and Safety Section of the American Public Health Association to publish a fact sheet on best practices for safer cleaning and disinfecting to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In both English and Spanish, the fact sheet highlights certified safer cleaning products, including those with the Safer Choice label and DfE-certified disinfectants and products with DfE-approved active ingredients.
   
• Wegmans Food Markets, Safer Choice Retailer: Wegmans added nine products (with 16 different SKUs) to their line of Safer Choice-certified products. Wegmans offers more than 70 SKUs of national brand Safer Choice-certified products.
   
• Wexford Labs, Inc., Formulator-Product Manufacturer: Wexford Labs has three DfE-certified products, after bringing on a new brand of disinfecting wipes in 2020. They also assisted their partners in obtaining DfE certifications for seven new private-label products.

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