Protect the EPA’s Safer Choice from Trump cuts

These days it s hard to find much that Democrats and Republicans agree upon The U S Environmental Protection Agency s Safer Choice Project is one of those exceptions You may wonder why a profitable scheme certifying the safety and efficacy of common household cleaning products is under attack by the Trump administration and on the chopping block You too may wonder why a bipartisan initiative loved by business and consumers alike is being threatened In nowadays s crowded marketplace full of products claiming to be green natural or eco-friendly it can be demanding for consumers to know which labels to trust These labels often unregulated and poorly defined give consumers the illusion of safety and sustainability However more often than not these labels serve as nothing more than a marketing tool to make products more appealing Amid all the noise one label quietly stands out for its scientific transparency and integrity the EPA s Safer Choice label Related EPA s move to greenlight controversial dicamba herbicide sparks outrage The Safer Choice activity a voluntary initiative is a science-backed certification by the EPA which ensures every ingredient in a product has been methodically evaluated for safety to human and environmental soundness Unlike bulk self-declared green labels this isn t about vague promises it s about verified standards earned through detailed testing processes In a Safer Choice-certified product every single ingredient including fragrances preservatives and dyes is tested not just the progressing ingredients When you see the Safer Choice label on a cleaning product care item or laundry detergent you can be confident that it has passed strict fitness and environmental criteria without sacrificing its ability to perform its intended purpose The EPA s testing ensures that the products work just as well if not better than their environmentally harmful counterparts After companies get their products Safer Choice certified they must continue to undergo annual inspections to maintain their certification helping to ensure continued compliance with the initiative s evolving standards The ongoing oversight holds manufacturers accountable for how their products are made not just how they are marketed Additionally the Safer Choice plan goes beyond the product itself It takes sustainable packaging into account by requiring low levels of volatile organic compounds VOCs which can contribute to poor air quality and worsen markers of diseases such as asthma Products must also be shipped using sustainably minded methods such as hybrid trucks Other Safer Choice packaging criteria include probable end-of-life scenarios use of recycled materials optimization of materials and force and reused when viable All of these requirements contribute to the credibility and transparency of a Safer Choice certified product Despite the EPA Safer Choice scheme s clear focus on improving environmental and human robustness it is at this time facing extreme challenges under the Trump administration s deregulatory agenda Proposals have been brought forward to transition the plan along with other FDA functions to the private sector This has naturally raised concerns among businesses and environmental advocates regarding the prospective compromises to the scheme s integrity and effectiveness Related Environmentalists worst fears met and surpassed in Trump s first days In response hundreds of businesses and organizations large and small have expressed strong promotion for maintaining the Safer Choice venture under EPA jurisdiction They argue that keeping the scheme within the EPA is critical for promoting the plan while maintaining its commitment to environmental and inhabitants robustness and for preventing any diluted standards conflicts of interest or greenwashing As we face an ever-growing environmental predicament and increased constituents awareness of exposure risks the need for trusted science-based programs like EPA s Safer Choice is more urgent than ever Consumers have a right to know exactly what products they bring into their homes and should never have to compromise their soundness or be forced to pollute the habitat Manufacturers who are accountable and committed to safer chemistry and production deserve to be rewarded To protect our robustness and the robustness of the conditions we depend on we must fight to preserve programs like Safer Choice Katie Block Wellesley College and Luke Guyer Pitzer College are former interns with Alliance for Sustainability The post Protect the EPA s Safer Choice from Trump cuts appeared first on MinnPost