SAFER
CHOICE
epa.gov/saferchoice
SAFER CHOICE
Communities & Municipalities
What is the Safer Choice label?
Helping residents, businesses, and our communities find products with safer ingredients is the reason 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.
Safer Choice for Municipalities
Municipalities use chemical products for many activities (such as road, vehicle, and building maintenance) that
can impact our waterways and water quality. The use of Safer Choice-labeled products can reduce the volume
and toxicity of chemicals that are discharged into sewer systems and local waterways, helping to protect your
community. Municipalities can also make a difference and serve as role models and partners to residents,
schools, businesses and other organizations by using products with safer chemicals.
Safer Choice-labeled
Products
Safer Choice labels a wide range
of products, including:
•	All-purpose cleaners
•	Athletic field paints
•	Bathroom cleaners
•	Car care products
•	Degreasers
•	Deicers
•	Graffiti removers
•	Glass cleaners
•	Granite/stone cleaners
•	Tire additives
•	Wood cleaners
For the full list of products, visit
epa.gov/saferchoice/products
Questions?
saferchoice@epa.gov
THE SAFER CHOICE DIFFERENCE
Our product review process is grounded in more than 40 years of EPA
experience evaluating human health and environmental characteristics of
chemicals. Products that carry the Safer Choice label must meet
requirements for: safer chemical ingredients, performance, packaging,
ingredient disclosure, pH and volatile organic compounds. The Safer
Choice Standard is available at: www.epa.gov/saferchoice/standard
The Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL) is a list of chemical ingredients,
arranged by functional-use class, that the Safer Choice program has
evaluated and determined to be safer than traditional chemical ingredients.
This list is designed to help manufacturers and others find safer chemical
alternatives that meet the criteria of the Safer Choice program. More
information on the SCIL is available at: www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-
ingredients
PRODUCT PROCUREMENT
Choosing products with safer chemicals whenever possible, or during
contract renewals, is one way municipalities can help protect the
environment. Green procurement opportunities exist in every part of your
organization, including transportation, energy and waste management,
office supplies, water use, and packaging. Safer Choice-labeled products
can be an important element of your environmentally preferable
procurement strategy and integral to a community's pollution prevention
and good housekeeping program.
For more information on Safer Choice-labeled products for your community:
www.epa.gov/saferchoice/find-safer-choices-use-vour-communitv. For
information on Greener Products and EPA Purchasing Tools and Tips visit:
www.epa.gov/greenerproducts/
£EPA SAFERCHOICE
EPA 950-F-1 6-002
www.epa.gov/saferchoice
October 2016

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