U.S. EPA Laundry Formulations for the Environment

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Created on Sunday, 02 September 2001 14:04

Written by Staff

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment ("DfE") Program is offering an opportunity to do something that's good for the environment–and may be the right thing for your business too. Through its Formulator Initiative, DfE will partner with companies who are eager to improve the environmental and human health profile of their products.

What's Involved?
A serious look at your formulation's ingredients and how those ingredients may impact the environment, human health, and resource conservation. A formulator must be willing to improve its product by substituting environmentally preferable ingredients for more hazardous ones, and to consider additional improvements as even friendlier ingredients become available over time.

How Much Does It Cost?
Consultation and partnership with DfE are free.

How Do I Get Started?
It's easy. Just send us the list of ingredients from a current or planned product. DfE will keep all information you send strictly confidential and will sign a non-disclosure statement, if you wish. On the DfE laundry website: www.epa.gov/dfe/laundry/laundry.html , you will find an Ingredient Worksheet, which indicates the basic information we need to profile your product. The Steps to Partnership, also on the site, provides a helpful guide to the process. Or simply call a project manager (listed below.)

What are the benefits of partnering with EPA's Design for the Environment?
Important Information About Your Product. In a chemical profile, DfE provides detailed information on the environmental and health characteristics of formulation ingredients. Of note, the assessment includes an estimate of an ingredient's potential toxicity to aquatic life. Agency expertise and experience may it possible to estimate toxicity from a chemical's structure and its similarity to known toxic chemicals.

Free Technical/Environmental Consultation. After DfE has profiled a formulation's ingredients and offered suggestions on more environmentally friendly substitutes, you may consult with Agency health and environmental
experts as you consider formulation changes or simply to learn more about the assessment. You may contact the DfE team at any time for information and advice on formulation and partnership matters.  Public Recognition/Marketing Tool. Once your formulation has achieved a positive environmental profile--and you agree to maintain that profile by signing a voluntary memo of understanding -- DfE will publicly recognize your accomplishment through a press release and formal letter of recognition. In addition, you may use the DfE logo on your product and on product literature and advertising.

Peace of Mind. Each year, laundry operators use and release into the environment billions of pounds of detergent chemicals, many with hazardous health and environmental characteristics. Improving the environmental profile of your laundry detergent will help ensure a safer workplace and a cleaner environment.

. . . Isn't it time you joined the trend setters in the industry who have partnered with EPA's DfE to design laundry detergents for the environment and make a lasting contribution to the health and well being of the planet?

Current DfE Laundry Detergent Formulator Partners and their Products:
Anderson Chemical Co. – Total Impact Program
EnviroSmart Products – Ultra Liquid Laundry Detergent
Gemtek Products – Safe Care Laundry
Noramtech Corp. – Wash 'N Bleach Extra 2
Norchem, Inc. – Maximize and NupHase
Project Contacts:
David Di Fiore at 202-260-3374 ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )
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Mary Cushmac at 202-260-4443( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ). Fax: 202-260-0981.