If you’re shopping for energy efficient appliances, you know to look for the ENERGY STAR label. If you’re looking for bath fixtures, toilets, or shower heads, Water Sense gives you insight into the most water-efficient products. And the new EPEAT label provides a standard for multiple environmental attributes of home electronics.
These government-created or supported certifications help with bigger-ticket purchases… but what about day-to-day items that can impact you home environment (as well as the natural environment), and possibly your family’s health? Turns out there’s a certification program for those kinds of products, too. The Environmental Protection Agencies Design for the Environment program has largely flown under the radar since its founding in 1992, and the launch of its certification label in 1997; in those eighteen years, though, DfE has certified more than 2000 industrial and consumer products for high health, safety, and environmental standards, including cleaning products, inks, car care, and odor removal products.
Read more about the EPA’s Design for the Environment program at SUNfiltered. And if you’re peeved about chemicals in cleaning products, check out David Quilty’s commentary (ok, rant) on the contradiction of cleaning with toxins…
Green cleaning products? Yeah, we’ve got ’em… from brands like Seventh Generation, Ecover, and Bi-O-Kleen.