News Releases from Region 09
U.S. EPA Announces 2020 Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award Winners in California
SAN FRANCISCO — Today, as we celebrate 2020 Pollution Prevention (P2) week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing five California companies as Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners. Nationally, they are among 18 winners across 10 states and the District of Columbia for achievement in the design, manufacture, selection, and use of products with safer chemicals. The winners’ efforts demonstrate and advance outstanding or innovative source reduction. The Safer Choice program helps consumers and purchasers find products for facilities such as schools and office buildings that perform and are safer for human health and the environment.
“We are pleased today to be recognizing the leadership and accomplishments of a diverse array of organizations over the past year,” said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. “This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Pollution Prevent Act and the awardees have all contributed to source reduction, also known as pollution prevention, through the design, manufacture, selection, and use of products with safer chemicals.”
“Today we honor these California companies for promoting products that are safer for families, pets, communities and the environment,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator John Busterud. “Our Safer Choice Partners of the Year are demonstrating that safer chemicals are also good for business and the economy.”
The 2020 Partner of the Year award winners represent: businesses, including woman-owned and small- and medium-sized companies; federal and local government; and associations. The following California companies are being recognized as follows:
- Apple (Cupertino): Apple is being recognized for its efforts to advance the use of chemicals that meet Safer Choice criteria. Apple developed an internal Apple Safer Cleaner Criteria based on Safer Choice criteria, among other assessment tools, to determine the safer chemical status of chemicals used in its manufacturing processes. In 2019, Apple assessed 33 new cleaners, bringing the total to more than 50 safer cleaner and degreaser alternatives approved for use in its supply chain.
- The Clorox Company (Oakland): Clorox has been a Safer Choice partner since 2007 and is being recognized as an outstanding Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer. In 2019, Clorox had two new products certified, bringing the total number of Safer Choice-certified products to 21.
- DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences (N&B) (Palo Alto): DuPont N&B is being recognized as an outstanding Safer Choice Innovator. DuPont N&B is a manufacturer of enzyme technology used by product manufacturers in Safer Choice-certified cleaning products. In 2019, DuPont N&B added eight new ingredients to a database of ingredients that are pre-approved for use in Safer Choice-certified products.
- ECOS (Cypress): ECOS has been a Safer Choice partner since 2008 and is being recognized as an outstanding Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer. In 2019, ECOS submitted 61% of their recognized formulas for renewal with the program, illustrating their continued commitment to and belief in Safer Choice. ECOS also increased their offering of Safer Choice-certified products in 2019, reaching a total of more than 140 products.
- Grove Collaborative (San Francisco): Grove Collaborative is being recognized as an outstanding Safer Choice Formulator-Product Manufacturer. In 2019, Grove Collaborative became a partner and certified all six soaps in their hand soap collection.
The additional organizations across the country are also winning awards this year:
- BASF Home Care and I & I Cleaning Solutions – Florham Park, N.J.
- Berkley Green – Uniontown, Pa.
- Defunkify – Eugene, Ore.
- Hazardous Waste Management Program – King County, Wash.
- Household & Commercial Products Association – Washington, D.C.
- Jelmar, LLC – Skokie, Ill.
- Lemi Shine – Austin, Texas
- Naval Supply Systems Command Weapons System Support – Mechanicsburg, Pa.
- PROSOCO – Lawrence, Kan.
- PurposeBuilt Brands – Gurnee, Ill.
- Sea Mar Community Health Centers – Seattle, Wash.
- Seventh Generation – Burlington, Vt.
- Wegmans Food Markets – Rochester, N.Y.
More information on the 2020 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners and summaries of the their accomplishments are available at: http://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-choice-partner-year-awards.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.