SAFER CHOICE
Resources for Manufacturers
Q
SAFER
CHOICE
epa.gov/saferchoice
EPA's Safer Choice program offers these resources for manufacturers formulating products with safer
chemical ingredients: the Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL), access to Safer Choice expertise,
and the Safer Choice label for qualifying products.
Why partner with
Safer Choice?
Safer Choice-labeled products
are allowed to carry the label
and are listed on EPA's
website.
Safer Choice is a respected
verification of safer chemistry
that you can use to
communicate your leadership
in innovation and product
stewardship to purchasers and
consumers.
Safer Choice offers expertise
in safer chemicals to
complement your expertise in
product formulation.
QUESTIONS?
SaferChoice@epa.gov
epa.gov/saferchoice
SAFER
CHOICE
£V
SAFER
CHOICE
SAFER CHOICE LABEL
Only products that meet the Safer Choice Standard, which includes
stringent human health and environmental criteria, are allowed to carry the
Safer Choice label. For a product to qualify for the label, the EPA Safer
Choice program evaluates:
•	Each chemical in the formula for human health and environmental
impacts; and
•	Performance, packaging, and ingredient disclosure.
More information on the review: http://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/resources-
safer-choice-product-manufacturers
epa.gov/saferchoice
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epa.gov/dfesaferchoice
HOW TO FIND SAFER INGREDIENTS
EPA's Safer Chemical Ingredients List is the primary list of
chemical ingredients that can be used in Safer Choice-labeled products.
The SCIL is publicly available and contains chemicals that meet the
standards and safer chemical ingredient criteria of the Safer Choice
program. The list is arranged by functional-use class to help product
manufacturers identify safer chemical alternatives and is updated
periodically to reflect new data and innovations in safer chemistry.1 More
information on the SCIL: http://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-ingredients
GreenBILie's CleanGredientS® is a list of market-ready chemicals
that can be used to make Safer Choice-labeled products. In
CleanGredientS®, product manufacturers will find trade-name products,
functional properties, and supplier contacts. Listed ingredients are pre-
approved for use in Safer Choice-labeled products." For more information
visit: www.cleangredients.org
4>EPA SAFERCHOICE
EPA 950-F-1 6-003
www.epa.gov/saferchoice
October 2016

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How to Apply for the Safer Choice Label
STEP 1. Become Familiar with the Program
If you're a product manufacturer, you can read the S	rd, the C
ts, and the S	a to get a sense of the program's goals, framework,
criteria, and to determine if your product may qualify to bear the Safer Choice label.
Consult EPA's Safer Chemical redients List (SCIL) and G	redients® or other sources to
find safer chemical alternatives for your formulation.
STEP 2. Profiling of All Formulation Ingredients
Applicants for the Safer Choice label must fully disclose all ingredients in
their product to Safer Choice and to a Safer Choice-qualified third-party
profiler. For proprietary or trade-name ingredients, the third-party profiler will
contact suppliers to get necessary information.
The third-party profiler compiles information for each chemical, including
structure, physical-chemical properties, and human health and
environmental toxicology from the literature, and models. This compilation of
data is known as a profile.
STEP 3. Assessing Ingredients and Identifying Safer Alternatives
Following third-party profiling, Safer Choice:
•	Assesses each ingredient in your formulation.
o Criteria for Safer Chemical Ingredients for functional-class
criteria (e.g., chelating agents, solvents, and fragrances)
o Master Criteria for chemicals where specific functional-class
criteria have not yet been defined
•	Identifies areas for improvement, safer alternatives, or additional
information needs.
STEP 4. Discussing the Safer Choice Assessment
After the product assessment, Safer Choice and the third-party profilers
communicate to the applicant any formulation changes necessary to qualify for the label. For qualifying products,
Safer Choice and the applicant discuss the elements of a partnership agreement.
STEP 5. Entering into Partnership
When the Safer Choice Standard has been met, Safer Choice and the applicant sign a partnership agreement. The
agreement sets forth the basis, terms, and goals of the Safer Choice voluntary partnership between the applicant
and EPA. The partnership agreement has a three year term and includes provisions on:
•	Use of the Safer Choice label, environmental and human health benefits, and customer education;
•	How the partner formulates the qualifying products; and
•	Audits and ingredient communication.
' EPA knows that SCIL is only a partial listing of safer chemistry and encourages chemical manufacturers to submit additional
chemicals for evaluation and public listing on SCIL
" CleanGredients is just one source of market-ready safer chemicals. Chemical manufacturers and others can point formulators to
other sources of market ready safer chemicals.
v»EPA SAFERCHOICE
Third-Party Profilers
NSF International:
Vanessa Gaggo
vgaggo@nsf.org
734-769-5192
www.nsf.org
ToxServices, LLC:
Erica Harriman
eharriman@toxservices.com
202-429-8789
www.toxservices.com
Resources
•	Safer Choice Standard
•	Criteria for Safer Chemical
Ingredients
•	Master Criteria
•	EPA's Safer Chemical
Ingredients List
•	GreenBlue's CleanGredients®
EPA 950-F-1 6-003	www.epa.gov/saferchoice
October 2016

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