Safer Choice Program Continues After EPA Reorganization

Despite recent restructuring within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Safer Choice program remains active. The voluntary program, which labels cleaning products meeting rigorous health, safety and environmental criteria, is used by businesses as a vital tool for communicating product safety and sustainability to consumers.

As CMM previously reported, plans to transition the Safer Choice program to the private sector as proposed by Project 2025, sparked concerns earlier this year among manufacturers, retailers, cleaning companies, and businesses that the program’s credibility and effectiveness could be undermined. 

The program will now operate within the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, specifically under the office’s New Chemicals division. Chemical & Engineering News reported the program now has a staff of less than a dozen who may have their time split between Safer Choice activities and new chemical approvals.

In May, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin redeployed over 500 EPA scientists away from research and efforts related to climate change and toward new chemical reviews. The Safer Choice group was part of that reorganization. However, Energy Star and WaterSense, EPA programs promoting energy and water efficiency in consumer appliances, did not survive the agency’s restructuring.

While Safer Choice survives, the program is not out of danger, but continues to meet user expectations for performance, environmental responsibility, and safety.

“Despite some changes, the EPA Safer Choice program continues to empower businesses to make informed, safer choices without compromising on performance,” said Dr. Gavin Macgregor-Skinner, Senior Director at ISSA–The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association. “When you see the Safer Choice logo on a product label, you know this product was manufactured to meet higher health, safety, and environmental standards, and when you use the product, you know it has safer chemical ingredients.”