News Releases from Region 03
EPA Recognizes Solutex Inc. as a Safer Choice Partner of the Year
PHILADELPHIA (June 2, 2016) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that Solutex, Inc. of Sterling, Va. has been selected as a Safer Choice Partner of the Year for its distribution of janitorial and building maintenance supplies that carry the Safer Choice label.
“EPA has developed its new Safer Choice label to make it easier for consumers and businesses to find cleaning and home care products that are safer for families, pets, communities and the environment,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “Companies like Solutex play an important role in educating the public and making these environmentally-friendly products available.”
Solutex, a distributor of janitorial and building maintenance supplies, is committed to sell only products that contain safer cleaning ingredients that are readily biodegradable. EPA recognizes Solutex’s achievements in selling safer products that perform well and Solutex’s decision to discontinue selling products that are less sustainable. The company also provides educational materials for consumers about Safer Choice products.
The Safer Choice label can be found on hundreds of cleaning and home care products -- for almost every indoor and outdoor cleaning task -- all-purpose cleaners, kitchen and bath cleansers, carpet and fabric shampoos, laundry detergents, car and boat care products, and deck and siding washes to name a few.
The Safer Choice standards were developed through a multi-stakeholder process, with a range of businesses and public interest groups, including environmental and health advocacy organizations. EPA assesses ingredients for the Safer Choice program based on a full chemical identification. Where necessary, EPA requires studies to prove safety of the chemicals used, and applies the expertise of chemists and toxicologists who have assessed thousands of chemicals.
These stringent human and environmental health safety standards mean that consumers can know with certainty that a product’s safety claims are backed by science. Safer Choice currently has around 500 formulator-manufacturer partners who make more than 2,000 products for retail and institutional customers.
The 2016 Partner of the Year award winners represent a wide variety of leadership organizations. Participants include Fortune 500 companies, small- and medium-sized businesses, and non-governmental organizations. For more information on Safer Choice and a list of our 2016 Partners of the Year, visit: /saferchoice/learn-about-safer-choice-label .