On July 27, 2023 (88 FR 48463), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Notice in the Federal Register (FR) requesting public input on the Safer Choice and Design for the Environment (DfE) programs’ potential expansion of their certification to new product categories. Safer Choice helps consumers, businesses, and purchasers find products that perform and contain ingredients that are safer for human health and the environment. DfE is a similar program currently used by EPA for the purpose of helping consumers and commercial buyers identify antimicrobial products that meet the health and safety standards of the normal pesticide registration process required by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) as well as other rigorous criteria required by the EPA. The Agency will hold a listening session webinar and request stakeholder comment on which new product categories Safer Choice and DfE could expand into and how the potential expansion could offer significant benefits to human health and the environment. Safer Choice and DfE certifications would likely not expand to certify materials. The availability of EPA certified products would help give consumers a choice of products that meet EPA’s high standard for human and environmental health and, as part of meeting these criteria, would not contain intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Please submit written comments on or before September 11, 2023. There will be a Virtual Listening Session on August 29, 2023 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. EST.

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EPA 07-27-2023 notice Safer Choice program