Businesses Rally to Support EPA’s Safer Choice Program
200+ businesses and major industry groups representing thousands of American businesses back EPA’s Safer Choice label as Trump administration plans EPA cuts
Washington, D.C. – A coalition of businesses and organizations representing a broad swath of the economy, including the American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN), the Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA), Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association (ISSA), Change Chemistry, the American Cleaning Institute, the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), and the Alternative Fuels & Chemicals Coalition (AFCC), have come together to express their united support for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safer Choice program. This voluntary program, which labels cleaning products meeting stringent safety and environmental standards, is seen by businesses as a vital tool for communicating product safety to consumers.
“The Safer Choice label is a beacon of trust for consumers and has been for the last decade,” said David Levine, Co-founder and President of the American Sustainable Business Network. “It signifies that a product has undergone rigorous scrutiny by the EPA and meets high standards for human and environmental health. Privatizing this program would jeopardize its integrity and open the door for greenwashing. We have been defending EPA’s Design For the Environment (DFE) and subsequent Safer Choice programs since 2014, and will continue to lead this effort.”
Plans to transition the Safer Choice program to the private sector proposed by Project 2025, have sparked concerns among businesses that the program’s credibility and effectiveness could be undermined. The business community’s strong support for the program is evident in a coalition letter signed by over 200 businesses, investors and organizations, including ASBN members Ecos, Seventh Generation and Naturepedic.
“We are proud to stand by the EPA’s historic foresight in building up this incredibly impactful program that sets American products apart from competitors, and we are ready to defend the Safer Choice program,” said Barry Cik, Founder and Technical Director of Naturepedic. “This program is a non-partisan win-win for businesses and consumers, and we urge the EPA to maintain its commitment to protecting human and environmental health through this vital initiative.”
The coalition letter highlights the Safer Choice program’s numerous benefits, including its role in incentivizing product innovation, promoting safer chemistry, complementing federal, state, and retailer efforts to enhance product safety, and providing businesses with an efficient and effective way to communicate with consumers. The coalition is calling on the EPA to maintain the program’s integrity and ensure its continued success.
“EPA’s Safer Choice program has been incredibly beneficial for both American consumers and businesses,” said Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, President & CEO of ECOS. “This non-partisan program is critical for reducing toxins in homes and workplaces across the U.S., and it gives American manufacturers like ECOS the opportunity to compete globally with this powerful certification program.”
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American Sustainable Business Network’s (ASBN) mission is to inform, connect, and mobilize sustainable business leaders to transform the public and private sectors toward a just and regenerative economy. The American Sustainable Business Network (ASBN) serves as an umbrella organization encompassing two affiliates: the 501(c)(4) American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) and the 501(c)(3) American Sustainable Business Institute (ASBI). These entities work in close harmony to advance ASBN’s mission; their focus areas and functions are distinct yet complementary. Together, these organizations form a powerful platform to drive systemic change by aligning advocacy with education and collaboration.