Greener Products
Manufacturer
- Making a Difference
- A Life-Cycle Approach
- Eco Labels and Standards
- Environmental Claims
- Other EPA Initiatives
- Non–EPA Resources
Making a Difference for Your Business, Public Health, and the Environment
By designing and making greener products, your business will be joining the ranks of American companies who are not only helping improve public health and the environment, but also gaining a crucial competitive edge as "greener consumption" increases worldwide.
A Life-Cycle Approach
Manufacturers should consider the full array of public health and environmental impacts associated with their products and their supply chain. These include toxic exposures, air pollution, water pollution, climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, natural resource use (e.g., energy, water, materials), waste disposal, and ecosystem damages. To do this, manufacturers must consider the public health and environmental impacts over the entire life cycle of a product: from sourcing of raw materials, to manufacturing, packaging, transportation, distribution, retailing, product use, and end of life management (through reuse, repair, recycling, or safe disposal). Different product categories have different public health or environmental "hotspots" of concern. For example, formulated products, such as those used in cleaning and personal care, have a high potential for direct human and environmental exposures, hence the toxicity of the formulated product is of paramount importance. Alternatively, water usage may be the primary concern for lavatory fittings. In these cases, standards that focus on the hotspots of concern may be most appropriate.
Where possible, manufacturers should assess when their choices might result in burden shifting (resolving one environmental problem only to create others elsewhere). For example, selecting bio-based products reduces fossil fuel inputs, and the emission of greenhouse gases, but the growing and harvesting of biofeedstocks can pollute water sources and degrade soil quality. Applying a life-cycle approach and going beyond single issue concerns will provide insight into the upstream and downstream trade-offs associated with environmental pressures, human health and the use of resources.
Eco Labels and Standards
Introduction to Eco-Labels and Standards
Scroll through these EPA programs and several standards that EPA helped develop and manage. Click on the logos for more information, and links to greener products and product comparisons.
Environmental Claims
Making credible environmental claims about products is also essential. Visit the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) website for its current "Green Guides". Note that the "Green Guides" are currently being revised and updated.
Other EPA Initiatives
Please also see the following EPA websites for additional information about more environmentally sustainable products.
- Institutional purchasers can visit the website for EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Program.
- Manufacturers of building or landscaping products might be interested in EPA's Green Homes website or EPA's Greenscapes program.
- Electronic equipment manufacturers might be interested in Plug in to eCycling, an EPA program that promotes opportunities for individuals to donate or recycle electronics through a partnership with leading consumer electronics manufacturers, retailers, and mobile service providers.
- Manufacturers interested in learning more about reducing the impact associated with transporting their products, please visit the SmartWay Transport Partnership.
Non–EPA Resources
The Related Links section of this website includes a wide range of other greener product resources including many not developed by EPA.