Stephen Ashkin, president of The Ashkin Group and often referred to as "the father of green cleaning," is one of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 21 Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award winners for 2015.
 
The EPA Safer Choice Program is designed to help consumers and commercial buyers identify and select products that are manufactured with safer chemical ingredients and still meet high quality and performance standards.

"Our scientists employ a stringent set of human health and environmental safety standards when reviewing products for the Safer Choice program," says EPACathy Milbourn. "[This ensures that] a product with the [Safer Choice] label is backed by science."
 
Ashkin will be presented with the award on June 22, 2015 in Washington, DC. He is being honored for his leadership in the Safer Choice Program and in several market changing projects in which he was involved including:

 • Working with the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED V4 for Building Operations and Maintenance for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance Version 4. 
 • Helping establish an environmentally preferable product procurement program for the Green Sports Alliance's Playbook on Greener Cleaning in Sport Facilities.
 • Preparing the Quick & Easy Guide to Green Cleaning in Schools for the Healthy School Campaign
 
"The Safer Choice program has made a significant contribution in ensuring that our homes, schools, and the offices we work in and use are healthier for us and the environment," says Ashkin. "I am honored to be one of the 2015 award winners."