HCPA Joins Coalition Calling for the EPA to Restore the Safer Choice Program
February 11, 2021
The Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA) played a lead role in organizing a coalition of stakeholders from almost 60 diverse organizations, including cleaning product and chemical manufacturers, trade associations, and NGOs, that recently called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to restore the Safer Choice Program.
Safer Choice is the EPA’s certification and labeling program that identifies products with safer chemical ingredients without sacrificing quality or performance. Safer Choice products undergo careful evaluation against a stringent set of health and environmental criteria, and a product is only allowed to carry the Safer Choice label if each ingredient is among the safest in its class.
“Safer Choice has been, and continues to be, an invaluable resource by working with companies, including many HCPA members, to develop innovative products that meet the rising demand for products that possess an exemplary environmental, health, and safety profile,” said Steve Caldeira, President & CEO, HCPA. “As a strong and long-time advocate for Safer Choice, we were proud to sign our name to this letter.”
As part of a reorganization in the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), Safer Choice staff were reassigned to different divisions with new responsibilities. HCPA and other stakeholders are concerned that this reorganization could impact the Safer Choice Program and the EPA’s efforts to identify products that both perform and contain safe ingredients.
“This is a unique program with world-class staff that receives widespread support from a vast array of stakeholders,” said Caldeira. “HCPA has a long history of supporting Safer Choice, including advocating for the program and facilitating dialogue between the household and commercial products industry and the EPA. These efforts, among others, have earned us a Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award five times – as recently as 2020. We hope this show of support for Safer Choice will secure its long-term viability.”
The Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA) played a lead role in organizing a coalition of stakeholders from almost 60 diverse organizations, including cleaning product and chemical manufacturers, trade associations, and NGOs, that recently called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to restore the Safer Choice Program.
Safer Choice is the EPA’s certification and labeling program that identifies products with safer chemical ingredients without sacrificing quality or performance. Safer Choice products undergo careful evaluation against a stringent set of health and environmental criteria, and a product is only allowed to carry the Safer Choice label if each ingredient is among the safest in its class.
“Safer Choice has been, and continues to be, an invaluable resource by working with companies, including many HCPA members, to develop innovative products that meet the rising demand for products that possess an exemplary environmental, health, and safety profile,” said Steve Caldeira, President & CEO, HCPA. “As a strong and long-time advocate for Safer Choice, we were proud to sign our name to this letter.”
As part of a reorganization in the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP), Safer Choice staff were reassigned to different divisions with new responsibilities. HCPA and other stakeholders are concerned that this reorganization could impact the Safer Choice Program and the EPA’s efforts to identify products that both perform and contain safe ingredients.
“This is a unique program with world-class staff that receives widespread support from a vast array of stakeholders,” said Caldeira. “HCPA has a long history of supporting Safer Choice, including advocating for the program and facilitating dialogue between the household and commercial products industry and the EPA. These efforts, among others, have earned us a Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award five times – as recently as 2020. We hope this show of support for Safer Choice will secure its long-term viability.”