Earth Friendly Products Awarded 2017 Safer Choice U.S. Partner of the Year

Earth Friendly Products has been named a 2017 Safer Choice Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The manufacturer of the ECOS line of plant-powered laundry detergents, dish soaps, and other environmentally friendly cleaning products earned the distinction by advancing product safety and continually innovating its formulations to make its cleaning products safer.

The Safer Choice program labels more than 2,000 consumer products that meet the stringent Safer Products standard for safer chemical ingredients. Every ingredient in a Safer Choice-labeled product is evaluated through the EPA's rigorous scientific process, and only the safest ingredients for human health and the environment are allowed. Earth Friendly Products currently has over 100 ECOS products certified Safer Choice.

The Safer Choice logo is designed to let consumers know quickly and easily which products are made with safer ingredients. Safer Choice certification requires ingredient disclosure so consumers can make informed choices at the point of purchase. In addition, the Safer Choice logo lets consumers know that the product has met high standards for performance.

"Safer Choice commends Earth Friendly Products for its outstanding achievement in focusing on gentle surfactants and reformulating fragrances," the EPA noted in its announcement of the award, commending the company's "focus on maintaining high standards while incorporating environmentally sustainable raw materials, features, and manufacturing processes." The EPA also noted Earth Friendly Products' leadership in establishing new Safer Choice-certified products, including products in the new category of pet care products.

This award marks the second time that Earth Friendly Products has earned the prestigious Safer Choice Partner of the Year designation. Earth Friendly Products also received the award in 2015, the first year of the Safer Choice program, and was the first manufacturer to feature the Safer Choice logo on its packaging. Prior to 2015, the Safer Choice program was known as the Design for the Environment (DfE) Safer Product Labeling Program, and Earth Friendly Products has been an active participant since 2008.

"Since we began making cleaning products 50 years ago, we've been committed to protecting people, pets, and the planet," says Earth Friendly Products' president and CEO Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks. "As a family-owned and –operated company, we understand how important safer ingredients are for keeping families healthy." 

"Many consumers don't realize that there are no requirements for cleaning products to disclose their ingredients, like there are for food products. That's why the Safer Choice logo is so valuable for consumers," adds Jenna Arkin, Product Development Director for Earth Friendly Products. "Ingredient transparency is so important to help people to make smart choices when they buy cleaning products for their home."

The 2017 Safer Choice Partner of the Year Awards will be officially handed out on May 15, 2017, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, MD.