In December 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched its voluntary pilot programs for disinfectants and sanitizers that will allow products to display the Design for the Environment (DfE) logo and use certain agency-approved factual statements regarding environmental preferability.

To receive DfE recognition, registrants will be subject to a two-tier review process starting with review by the DfE program that will start accepting applications immediately, followed by a review by the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), which will start accepting applications on May 3, 2010. In addition, OPP will start accepting applications for the use of environmental preferable statements on product labels in January.

Distributors can expect to see approved products in six to nine months, says Steve Ashkin, president of the Ashkin Group, Bloomington, Ind., and also a member of the workgroup for the Pesticide Products Discussion Committee which helped develop the program's parameters.




POSTED ON: 1/15/2010