EPA Safer Choice

Every intentionally added ingredient in the product was reviewed against EPA's Safer Choice criteria and found to be among the safer available chemicals for its functional class; products are listed publicly by EPA and subject to periodic audit.

• A claim that the product is non-toxic, chemical-free, or free of all hazards — 'safer for its functional class' is a comparative judgement, not an absence claim.
• Exclusion of any specific named chemical (e.g. PFAS-free) unless separately documented.
• Carbon footprint, recycled content, or other lifecycle attributes.
• Relevance to most durable building materials — the label predominantly covers cleaning, maintenance, and similar formulated products.

• Has Chemical Hazard Assessment Certification →

  medium risk

Minimum authority

Third-party verified

Should state

Product Scope · Partner Company · Listing Status

Date sensitivity

Expiry matters — check the certificate is current.

Verify the product appears on EPA's current Safer Choice product list — the listing, not the logo on packaging, is the evidence.

Safer Choice evaluates ingredients per functional class; two certified products can still differ substantially in hazard profile.

Formerly branded Design for the Environment (DfE); the DfE label now applies to antimicrobial products specifically.