Safer Choice: Why it Matters
4 minute read
Parents, we want what is best for our families. What we eat, what we wear, and how we select and care for those items all directly or indirectly affect our health. So, how do you make those right decisions?
There’s a wealth of information (and then some) circulating the web about which products are eco-conscious and sustainable. Unfortunately, a lot of misinformation might be flooding your feed, too.
Thankfully, when it comes to cleaning products, there’s a way to wade through the jumble of data, and you’ve probably already seen it on shelves.
The Safer Choice label
Good news! If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve seen this little blue and green logo on one of our ECOS household cleaning products or you’re interested in learning more before making the switch. What does that little logo, also known as the Safer Choice certification label, on the packaging mean?
We can boil it down to three key factors: Safety, Performance, and Innovation.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Safer Choice program is the gold standard certification for cleaning products that are safer for people and the environment. It certifies that every ingredient is the safest in its class and that the product works well. Safer Choice reviews more than just the ingredients but also pH, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and packaging to ensure that product is safer for you and your family1.
Why does the Safer Choice label matter?
It’s not on you to have a Biochem PhD to understand the ingredient lists on the back of your cleaning products. Your job is simply to care for your family. Period.
More and more studies show that chemicals found in some household cleaners contain toxic chemicals that can harm our health. These products can be especially harmful to children and their developing bodies.
We mentioned before that there’s plenty of misinformation out there. Some brands, unfortunately, capitalize on consumer’s lack of understanding by throwing around sustainability terms and buzzwords in their marketing and advertising. Greenwashing is a marketing tactic that tries to convince consumers a product is safer for people or the planet without any substantiation2.
When you purchase an ECOS product with the Safer Choice label, you are also purchasing some peace of mind.
The U.S. EPA reviews every ingredient in a Safer Choice-certified product for risks to both human health and the environment, including carcinogenicity, reproductive/developmental toxicity, toxicity to aquatic life, and persistence in the environment1.
Additionally, EPA ensures that partners continually innovate more sustainable packaging, that pH levels in products minimize the risk of skin and eye irritation or injuries, and that any VOC levels are small enough to not raise indoor air quality and respiratory health concerns.
How can you make the switch to Safer Choice?
Whether you prefer in-person shopping for cleaning products or love to browse online, look for the Safer Choice label! ECOS offers over 120 Safer Choice-certified cleaning products for homes and businesses!
From laundry, dishwashing, household cleaning, handwashing, and pet care, ECOS can help you take the first steps to a cleaner, safer home for you and your family.
Incorporating eco-conscious and more sustainable cleaning products doesn’t have to be a major overhaul or have a huge learning curve either. Simple steps like switching out your current household cleaner for ECOS All-Purpose Cleaner and washing your produce and fruits in our Fruit and Veggie Wash are two powerful steps!
And if you’re just starting on your learning journey about eco-conscious and sustainable choices, take a moment to browse through our Clean Living Blog! You can find useful tips to incorporate into your daily routine, facts about eco-conscious living, helpful how-to guides using our Safer Choice cleaning products, and much more!
Sources:
- United States Environmental Protection Agency. Learn About the Safer Choice Label.
http://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/learn-about-safer-choice-label - NSF: The Public Health and Safety Organization. White Paper: Importance of the Safer Choice Mark for Cleaning Products.
http://www.nsf.org/knowledge-library/importance-safer-choice-mark-cleaning-products
