SAFER CHOICE Schools ,-e-, SAFER CHOICE epa.gov/saferchoice About the Safer Choice Program Finding products that are safer for children, school staff, and the environment should be easythat's why EPA created the Safer Choice label. When you see a product with the Safer Choice label, it means that every ingredient in the product has been evaluated by EPA scientists. EPA's Safer Choice program helps school purchasers and consumers identify cleaning and other products that contain ingredients that are safer for people and the environment. Safer Choice Products The Safer Choice Label Our product review process is grounded in more than 40 years of EPA experience evaluating the human health and environmental characteristics of chemicals. Safer Choice-labeled products must: Contain safer ingredients; Pass product performance standards; Disclose all ingredients; and Meet environmentally sustainable packaging requirements. Why is Safer Choice important for schools? Cleaning with Safer Choice-labeled products can help schools maintain a healthy and safer learning environment which is important to attendance and academic performance. Indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air: indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times - and occasionally more than 100 times - higher than outdoor levels. Staff and students spend a lot of time in school and children are often more susceptible to pollutants than adults. Fumes from cleaning products can linger long after they have been applied, which can exacerbate asthma and expose students and staff to potentially harmful substances. Safer Choice labels a wide range of products, including: All-purpose cleaners Bathroom cleaners Carpet cleaners Degreasers Dish detergents Floor care products Glass cleaners Hand soaps Laundry products Whiteboard cleaners Wood cleaners Vehicle cleaners And more... epa.gov/saferchoice/products Questions? saferchoice@epa.gov >>EPA SAFERCHOICE EPA 950-F-1 6-001 www.epa.gov/saferchoice October 2016 ------- |