Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Cancer
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Safer Choice

Learn About the Safer Choice Label

On this page:
  • About Safer Choice
  • Safer Choice Information

About Safer Choice

Finding cleaning and other products that are safer for you, your family, and the environment should be easy — that's why EPA developed the Safer Choice label. Everyone plays a role in protecting our families’ health and the environment. Products with the Safer Choice label help consumers and commercial buyers identify products with safer chemical ingredients, without sacrificing quality or performance.

Nearly 2,000 products currently qualify to carry the Safer Choice label. Safer Choice-certified products are available for use in homes and in facilities like schools, hotels, offices, and sports venues.

Safer Choice label

Safer Choice label

What does the Safer Choice label mean?

Participation in the Safer Choice program is voluntary. Companies who make products carrying the Safer Choice label have invested heavily in research and reformulation to ensure that their products meet the Safer Choice Standard. These companies are leaders in safer products and sustainability.

Products have to pass our stringent criteria in order to earn the Safer Choice label. The Safer Choice program reviews more than just product ingredients. We also look at product performance, pH, packaging and more to ensure that products with the label are safer for you and your family. Once a product meets the Safer Choice Standard, EPA conducts annual audits to ensure our standards continue to be met.

Every ingredient is reviewed: Before a product can carry the Safer Choice label, EPA reviews all chemical ingredients, regardless of their percentage in the product. Every ingredient must meet strict safety criteria for both human health and the environment, including carcinogenicity, reproductive/developmental toxicity, toxicity to aquatic life, and persistence in the environment. This means that Safer Choice-labeled products are safer for:

  • You, your family, and pets; 
  • Workers' health; and
  • Fish and the environment.

Product performance: Products that qualify to carry the Safer Choice label must pass category-specific performance standards as defined in the Safer Choice Standard. All products must perform comparably to conventional products. 

Packaging: Safer Choice reviews all product packaging against criteria defined in the Safer Choice Standard. Partners are required to implement sustainable packaging measures and to improve the packaging profile for their recognized products during the partnership.

pH: Labeled products must meet pH standards that minimize the potential for skin and eye irritation or injury.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): Safer Choice restricts VOC content to minimize indoor air pollution and associated respiratory concerns.

Alternate Labels

In addition to the Safer Choice label above, EPA offers an optional label that product manufacturers may use on products designated for businesses, office buildings, sports venues, and schools.

Safer Choice label for business or industrial/institutional purposes

Safer Choice label for  business or industrial/institutional purposes

EPA also has a label that indicates that a product is fragrance-free to help consumers who prefer products without fragrance. Learn more about the fragrance-free label.

Safer Choice fragrance-free label

Fragrance-Free Safer Choice label purposes

EPA also has a label that indicates that a product meets additional environmental criteria to help protect the environment when the product is used outdoors. Learn more about the outdoor use label.

Safer Choice Certified for Outdoor Use label

Outdoor Use Safer Choice label purposes

Safer Choice

  • Learn About Safer Choice
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Resources for Manufacturers
    • Partner of the Year Awards
  • Search Safer Choice Products
    • For Use in Your Community
    • Steps to Get the Safer Choice Label on Your Product
  • Safer Chemical Ingredients List
    • How to List on SCIL
  • Safer Choice Standard and Criteria
  • Related Programs
    • DfE Alternatives Assessments
  • Program History
  • Connect with Safer Choice
Contact the Safer Choice Program
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on October 2, 2024
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.