DfE carefully looks at each product ingredient - there are no exceptions.
DfE starts with information that scientists already know about each ingredient such as how it works in a detergent, and how it affects living things. Where that information doesn't tell the full story, EPA looks at an ingredient's chemical structure - its components and shape - to understand how it could impact the environment and people. A chemical's structure can tell a lot about how the chemical will behave and what types of effects it may have when it comes in contact with people or the environment. DfE uses the special skills of the scientists at EPA who have studied chemicals for 30 years or even longer.
DfE only allows use of the logo when a product is best in its class.
DfE compares an ingredient's characteristics to other chemicals in the same class. That is, solvents are compared to other solvents, and wetting agents (surfactants) are compared with other surfactants. Before DfE allows the logo on a product, DfE makes sure that only the safest ingredients from each class are used.
Safer cleaning products can help protect the environment and your family.
When you use a cleaning product, it is released into the environment-inside your home and down the drain to the outdoors. Adults come in contact with cleaning products on a regular basis, as do children who are often the most exposed when they crawl on the floor. Some consumers may prefer cleaning products that, for example, are inherently safer or do not irritate sensitive skin. Others may prefer products that break down quickly and do not harm fish or are safer for use around family pets. The DfE logo is an easy way to know you are choosing a product that is as safe as possible for people and the environment.
EPA/DfE recognition does not constitute endorsement of these products. The Design for the Environment logo signifies that the formula for these products, as Enzymes, Inc. has represented it to the EPA, contains ingredients with more positive health and environmental characteristics than conventional cleaners. EPA/DfE relies solely on Enzymes, Inc., its integrity and good faith, for information on the composition, ingredients, and attributes of these products. EPA/DfE has not independently identified i.e., via chemical analysis, the ingredients in the product formulas, nor evaluated any of Enzymes, Inc.’s non-ingredient claims. EPA/DfE expresses its judgment and professional opinion only as to the environmental and human health characteristics of these products, based on currently available information and scientific understanding.
