The EPA is actively piloting a program for granting some type of registration for more environmentally friendly products that claim disinfecting or sanitizing benefits.

The program is being conducted through the EPA’s Design for the Environment and is called the “Antimicrobial Pesticide Pilot Project: Moving Toward the Green End of the Pesticide Spectrum.”

Originally planned for conclusion last year, it has been extended until May, 2015.

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the ingredients that is approved for use in products eligible for the DfE Pesticide Pilot program, along with
citric acid, l-lactic acid, ethanol and isopropanol.

Products composed of one or more of these active ingredients may be considered for the DfE logo if they meet the other requirements and apply for DfE authorization:

is in the least-hazardous classes (i.e. III and IV) of EPA’s acute toxicity category hierarchy (PDF) (18 pp, 933k, About PDF);

– is unlikely to have carcinogenic or endocrine disruptor properties;
– is unlikely to cause developmental, reproductive, mutagenic, or neurotoxicity issues;
– has no outstanding “conditional registration” data issues;
– EPA has reviewed and accepted mixtures, including inert ingredients;
– does not require the use of Agency-mandated personal protective equipment;
– has no unresolved or unreasonable adverse effects reported;
– has no unresolved efficacy failures;
– has no unresolved compliance or enforcement actions associated with it; and
– has the identical formulation as the one identified in the DfE application reviewed by EPA.

We are particularly excited about the prospect of hydrogen peroxide products being considered for DfE “Green” disinfectant classification due to the number of other cleaning advantages including:

– Fewer cleaning products needed in a facility
– Less training because there are fewer products
– Little to no residue left behind on surfaces means less re-soiling
– Little to no VOCs
– HMIS ratings are typically “zero” for use dilutions

> Read more about the EPA DfE “Green” Disinfectant program
> View our list of hydrogen peroxide-based cleaners
> View our list of sanitizers and disinfectants