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SAFER
CHOICE

SAFER CHOICE

The Safer Choice
for Municipalities

A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Voluntary Program

Factsheet prepared by: EPA Region 2

What is the Safer Choice label?

Finding products that are safer for residents, the workplace and the environment without sacrificing quality
or performance 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 pose a threat to water quality. Practices and procedures should include use of Safer Choice
products to reduce pollutants from entering the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System. Safer Choice
products can reduce the volume and toxicity of chemicals that can be discharged into local waterways,
helping to protect your community. Municipalities can also make a difference as role models and partners
to the residents, schools, businesses and other organizations to achieve broader benefits.

Safer Choice
Products

Safer Choice labels a wide range
of products, including:

All-purpose cleaners
Athletic field paints
Brick and masonry cleaners
Car care products
Degreasers
Deicers

Graffiti removers
Granite stone cleaners
Marine cleaners
Tire additives
Window glass cleaners
Wood cleaners

For the full list of products, visit

http://www2.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 (http://www2.epa.qov/saferchoice/standard'). 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 Chemical Ingredients List is a list of chemical ingredients,
(http://www2.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-inqredients'). arranged by functional-
use, which EPA evaluated and determined to be safer than traditional
chemical ingredients.

PROCUREMENT OF SAFER CHOICE PRODUCTS

Buying environmentally friendly products whenever possible, or during
contract renewals, is one of the easiest strategies to implement at the
municipal level. Green procurement opportunities exist in every part of
your organization, including transportation, energy & waste management,
office supplies, water use, and packaging. Safer Choice products can be
an important element of your environmentally preferable procurement
strategy and integral to a community's pollution prevention and good
housekeeping program (http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/npdes/swbmp/).

For information on Safer Choice products for your community use this link:
http://www2.epa.gov/saferchoice/find-safer-choices-use-vour-community.

Use this link http://www.epa.gov/greenerproducts/ for information on EPA
Greener Products and several useful EPA Purchasing Tools and Tips.

>>EPA SAFERCHOICE

Reqion2 PollutionPrevention@epa.gov

www.epa.gov/saferchoice

November 2015; EPA Region 2

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