The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has enhanced its "Standard for Safer Cleaning Products," which comprises the requirements products must meet to earn the EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) label.

Among the enhancements is a first-of-its-kind requirement that labeled products list all non-trade secret ingredients (as defined in the Uniform Trade Secrets Act) on the product label or in an easily accessible place stated on the label, such as a website or toll-free number.

Ingredients at concentrations greater than 1 percent must be listed in descending order, with the ingredient with the highest percentage in formula listed first. Ingredients at or below 1 percent may be listed in any order.

The enhancements also include revisions to volatile organic compound (VOC) restrictions. VOC levels in products can be no greater than those set by the Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) and the California Air Resource Board (CARB).

Under the revisions, manufacturers must also meet sustainable packaging measures, based on Sustainable Packaging Coalition criteria, and efforts must improve over time.




POSTED ON: 6/3/2011