How EPA’s Recommended Standards and Ecolabels Address Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

The chart on this page characterizes how standards/ecolabels included in EPA’s Recommendations of Specifications, Standards and Ecolabels for Federal Purchasing address Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). The Recommendations help purchasers identify and use private sector and federal environmental performance standards and ecolabels within federal procurement to help them meet various sustainability goals and requirements.

Use the below search bar to filter the table for a specific standard/ecolabel or product category, like “furniture”.

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**These are high-level summaries of often complex and varied approaches to criteria. If you’re a federal employee, you may email the EPP Program (epp@epa.gov) to gain access to any of the below standards/ecolabels to review the full criteria language.**

Standard/Ecolabel	Product Category Where EPA Recommends the Standard/Ecolabel	Does the Standard/Ecolabel Cover Additional Product Categories?	Summary of Criterion Language	Required or Optional
BIFMA e3 2019 – Furniture Sustainability Standard	Furniture	No Find Products	Applicants can receive one product point if the product does not contain per- and poly-fluorinated compounds at or above 100 ppm.	Optional
Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI)	Food Service Ware: Containers, Cutlery, Dishware Trash Bags	Yes Find Products	As of January 1, 2020 1) The product formula must not have fluorinated chemicals — as evidenced by a technical review of safety data sheets for all ingredients. 2) Test results from a BPI-approved lab showing a maximum of 100ppm total fluorine. 3) A statement of no intentionally added fluorinated chemicals, signed by the manufacturer. Read More	Required
Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard	Adhesives Carpet Ceiling Tiles - Acoustical Fiberboard, Gypsum Panels, Wallboard Flooring Furniture Insulation Interior Latex Paint Other Miscellaneous Building Finishes	Yes Find Products	Under Version 4.0 of the Standard, PFAS are prohibited in certified products at all certification levels. If present as an impurity or minor additive, the level must be <1000ppm or <100 ppm in any homogeneous material by weight for products certified at Bronze and Gold levels, respectively. Some exemptions apply for specific materials or parts. Additional restrictions for PFOS C-8 (10 ppm or less) and PFOA (25 ppm or less).	Required
Declare 2.0	Carpet Flooring Furniture Interior Latex Paint Other Miscellaneous Building Finishes	Yes Find Products	Certified products and product packaging must not contain Perfluorinated and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) or Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs).	Required
ECOLOGO/UL 2777 - Hard Floor Care Products	Floor Care	No Find Products	Product shall not be formulated or manufactured with perfluorooctane sulfonates (PFOS) and must not contain more than 150 ppm of fluorinated surfactants.	Required
ECOLOGO/UL 2795 Standard for Sustainability for Carpet and Upholstery Care Products	CLEANERS: Carpet, Glass, and Multipurpose	No Find Products	Certified products shall not be formulated or manufactured with Fluorinated surfactants.	Required
Green Seal (GS-1, GS-11, GS-34, GS-40)	Bathroom Tissue Paper Towels Interior Latex Paint Parts Wash Solution Floor Care	Yes Find Products	PFOA and PFOS are prohibited at or above 100 ppm in certified products.	Required
Green Seal (GS-37, GS-41, GS-53)	Cleaners: Carpet, Glass, Multi-purpose Hand Soap Commercial Dishwasher Detergent	Yes Find Products	Under the most recent standard editions, PFAS are prohibited in certified products. If present as a contaminant, the level must be below 100 ppm.	Required
Living Product Challenge 2.0	Carpet Flooring Furniture Interior Latex Paint Other Miscellaneous Building Finishes	Yes Find Products	Certified products and product packaging must not contain Perfluorinated and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) or Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs).	Required
NSF/ANSI 336 (2018) -Sustainability Assessment for Commercial Furnishings Fabric	Furniture (single attribute standard for textiles)	No Find Products	Intentionally added PFOS is prohibited in certified products.	Required
Safer Choice	Cleaners (Carpet, Class, Multi-purpose) Commercial Dishwasher Detergent Floor Care Hand Soap Deicer Parts Wash Solution	Yes Find Products	EPA’s Safer Choice program requires every ingredient used in a product to meet the stringent hazard criteria of the Safer Choice Standard for the product to be eligible for Safer Choice certification. While the Safer Choice program does not specifically prohibit PFAS chemicals, with the growing understanding of the effects of PFAS, EPA has determined that these chemicals no longer meet the Safer Choice Standard. In March 2023, EPA will remove the PFAS chemicals currently included on Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL) and they will not be eligible for use in certified products.	Required
Sustainable Materials Rating Technology (SMaRT)	Carpet Flooring Furniture Interior Latex Paint	Yes Find Products	Intentionally added PFOS prohibited at or above the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.	Required
TUV Rheinland – Green Product Mark	Furniture	Yes Find Products	Certified products must not contain PFOS at 0.1% (articles) or 1 µg/m² (coated material).	Required

If your organization’s standard/ecolabel restricts the use of PFAS in the formulation or manufacture of products, please inform us by reaching out to the EPP Program (epp@epa.gov).