Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2010-0874-0004
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2010-11-22T05:00Z

ATTACHMENT B

Safer Detergents 

Stewardship Initiative

Instructions for Application Form

EPA developed the Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI) to
recognize environmental leaders who voluntarily commit to the use of
safer surfactants.  Leading product manufacturers have made great
progress in developing safer, highly effective cleaners.  These
manufacturers believe that producing the safest products possible is
important to their role as stewards of the environment and public
health.  A number of U.S. corporations have acted in advance of SDSI to
use safer surfactants in their entire product lines.

Safer surfactants are surfactants that break down quickly to
non-polluting compounds. CleanGredients( is a resource for information
on safer surfactants (www.cleangredients.org).

To be eligible for recognition under SDSI, candidates should do the
following:

Complete this application and have it signed by a company authority
(e.g., CEO or vice president for health and environment).

Post a statement on their website describing the actions that qualify
them for recognition under SDSI.

EPA reserves the right to request at any time, on a confidential basis,
appropriate documentation (including but not limited to bills of lading,
invoices, material safety data sheets, and list of ingredients) to
confirm that candidates have achieved the appropriate criteria for
recognition.  If documentation is requested but not received within a
reasonable time, EPA may deny or withdraw recognition from that
candidate.

There are two categories for recognition under SDSI: Champion and
Partner. 

Champion is the highest level of recognition offered under SDSI.  At
this level, the participant is invited to the SDSI Awards ceremony,
listed on the EPA SDSI website as a champion, and may use a special logo
in their literature to help explain their participation in the program.

The Partner category provides recognition of significant accomplishment
towards the use of safer surfactants.  Partners will be listed on the
EPA SDSI website and may be granted recognition as a Champion in the
future, if appropriate. Partner recognition will sunset on the
commitment date provided in Section 3 of the Application.

Guidelines for achieving Champion or Partner Status are provided in
Table 1. Both Champions and Partners will receive a certificate of
recognition from DfE.  

Application Process: The application is available online and may be
filled out and submitted in hard copy by mail or scanned and emailed to
SDSI@epa.gov. Unless you claim information as confidential, all
applications received will be considered public information and no
materials submitted will be returned. For security purposes,
confidential information should not be submitted electronically.  If you
choose to send the application electronically, the application and
signed signature page must be scanned and sent to SDSI@epa.gov.

If you choose to submit a hard copy application, send your completed
application via regular / certified mail or overnight mail to the
following address:

Safer Detergent Stewardship Initiative 

Attn: Emily Connor

4550 Montgomery Avenue, Suite 800 North

Bethesda, MD 20814-5341

301-347-5197

Confirmation of Receipt: EPA will confirm receipt of applications,
usually by email. If you have not received an acknowledgment within two
weeks of sending your applications, please contact David Difiore at
SDSI@epa.gov or 202-564-8786

Notification:  Winners will be notified prior to the official public
announcement.  Awards will be presented to the primary sponsor of the
application.   

Questions: Questions about eligibility, nomination procedures, or the
Safer Detergent Stewardship Initiative should be directed to David
Difiore of EPA’s Design for the Environment Program at SDSI@epa.gov or
202-564-8796

Paperwork Burden Estimate 

The public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 10 hours per response, including the
time for reviewing instructions, gathering information, posting
information to the internet, and reviewing and completing the
application.  An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this
collection is 2070-0171. Approval expires on 03/31/2011.

Send comments on the Agency’s need for this information, the accuracy
of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods for
minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of automated
collection techniques to the Director, Collection Strategies Division,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2822T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave.,
NW, Washington, D.C. 20460.  Include the OMB control number in any
correspondence.  Do not send the completed application to this address.

Participant Type	Table 1:  Guidelines for Achieving:

	Champion Status	Partner Status

Chemical Manufacturers	Demonstrate that you only manufacture safer
surfactants

Document a strategy for ensuring that you manufacture only safer
surfactants	Commit to manufacturing only safer surfactants by a date
that is reasonable for your circumstances

Document a strategy for ensuring that you will manufacture only safer
surfactants

Formulators	Demonstrate that you only use safer surfactants in products

Document a strategy for ensuring that only safer surfactants are used in
products	Commit to using only safer surfactants in your products by a
date that is reasonable for your circumstances

Document a strategy for ensuring that only safer surfactants will be
used in products

Retailers / Distributors	Demonstrate that only safer surfactants are
included in products intended for sale

Document a strategy for ensuring that only safer surfactants are
included in products intended for sale	Commit to sell only products
containing safer surfactants by a date that is reasonable for your
circumstances 

Document your active encouragement of the use of safer surfactants

Institutional Purchasers	Demonstrate that you only purchase products
containing safer surfactants

Document a strategy for ensuring that purchased products only contain
safer surfactants	Commit to only use products that only contain safer
surfactants by a date that is reasonable for your circumstances

Document your active encouragement of the use of safer surfactants

Others (e.g., non-profits, unions, academia)	Demonstrate outstanding
efforts to encourage the use of safer surfactants	Document your active
encouragement of the use of safer surfactants

Additional notes about Table 1 guidelines:

CleanGredients™ is a resource for information on safer surfactants.

The SDSI participation deadline for using only safer surfactants in
third-party finished goods and Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)-registered products is May 30, 2009.

Products include those whose use routinely results in their discharge to
the environment (e.g., all-purpose cleaners, laundry detergents,
pesticides, airplane de-icers, fire-fighting foams and gels).

An example of a strategy is a letter that is sent to suppliers requiring
them to provide products with only safer surfactants. The
retailer/distributor or institutional purchaser will not be eligible for
Champion recognition until only safer surfactants are sold or purchased.

Examples of efforts that would qualify include developing means for
surfactant users to identify safer surfactants, taking action to educate
industry or the public about safer surfactants, and encouraging business
to move toward safer surfactants. 

SECTION 1a:

Enter requested information for the authorized representative

	Organization Name

	Contact Name

	Address

	Address

	Phone	Fax

	Email

	Website

	SECTION 1b:

Indicate your type of organization

Chemical Manufacturer – Manufactures surfactants

Formulator – Purchases and blends chemicals (including surfactants) to
create an end-use product for retailers and/or distributors

Retailer / Distributor – Sells products containing surfactants

Institutional Purchaser – Purchases or specifies cleaning products for
use in multiple facilities (e.g., janitorial service provider)

Other – Influences use of surfactants (e.g., non-profit, trade
association, academia)

SECTION 1c:  

Indicate the level of recognition for which you are applying (refer to
the instructions for a description of Champion and Partner status for
each organization type)

Champion (go to Section 2)

Partner (go to Section 3)

                                             Safer Detergents
Stewardship Initiative       	                  Page 2 of 5

SECTION 2:

Fill out this section if you are applying for recognition as a Champion

	If you are a…	Demonstrate in SECTION 2a that…	And then go to…

	Chemical Manufacturer	You only manufacture safer surfactants	Section 2b

	Formulator	You only use safer surfactants in products	Section 2b

	Retailer / Distributor	Only safer surfactants are included in products
intended for sale	Section 2c

	Institutional Purchasers	All the products you purchase contain only
safer surfactants	Section 2c

	Other	You have made outstanding efforts to encourage the use of safer
surfactants	Go to Section 4

	SECTION 2a:

Use this space to explain how you meet the above requirements.

Please include supporting documents when appropriate and note these
documents in your statement. You may attach extra sheets as needed.

To be eligible for recognition, candidates should post a statement on
their website stating that they manufacture, use, or purchase products
containing only safer surfactants.  Use this space to provide the URL
for that section of your website describing the actions that qualify you
for recognition:	

Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative       	                  Page 3
of 5

SECTION 2b (Chemical Manufacturers and Formulators only): Indicate or
describe your product stewardship strategy for ensuring the manufacture
or use of safer surfactants

	( Use CleanGredients to choose surfactants

	( Other, please describe:

                                        

SECTION 2c (Retailers/ Distributors and Institutional Purchasers only):

Document your strategy for ensuring that all of your purchased products
contain only safer surfactants. You may attach extra sheets as needed.*
If you are a…	Document a strategy for ensuring that…

	Retailer / Distributor	Only safer surfactants are included in products
intended for sale

	Institutional Purchaser	Purchased products contain only safer
surfactants

* An example of a strategy would be the establishment of a policy that
requires suppliers to provide products that contain only safer
surfactants. This strategy may be evidenced by a letter that is sent to
suppliers requiring them to provide products with only safer
surfactants, or a comparable statement posted on a company’s website. 
The retailer / distributor will not be eligible for Champion recognition
until it sells products with only safer surfactants.

                                             Safer Detergents
Stewardship Initiative       	                  Page 4 of 5

SECTION 3:

Fill out this section if you are applying for recognition as a Partner

	If you are a…	Document in SECTION 3a your commitment to…

	Chemical Manufacturer	Produce only safer surfactants

	Formulator	Use only safer surfactants in your products

	Retailer / Distributor	Only sell products that only contain safer
surfactants

	Institutional Purchasers	Only purchase products that only contain safer
surfactants

	Other

(e.g., trade association, NGO, etc.)	encouragement of safer surfactants

SECTION 3a:

Use this space to describe how you meet the above requirements.*

To be eligible for recognition, candidates should post a statement on
their website stating their commitment to completely transitioning to
safer surfactants.  Use this space to provide the URL for that section
of your website describing the actions that qualify you for recognition:

* You should describe your commitment to a complete transition to safer
surfactants by a date that is reasonable for your circumstances. Please
state this date explicitly and explain briefly why it is a reasonable
date for your circumstances. Include supporting materials when
appropriate and note these materials in your statement. You may attach
extra sheets as needed.

                                        Safer Detergents Stewardship
Initiative       	                 Page 5 of 5

SECTION 4:

Certification of Application	Please have the appropriate company
authority (e.g., CEO, vice president for health and environment,
division head, or other authorized signatory) sign here to verify the
accuracy of the application’s content.

Signature of Authorizing Entity	Date

Printed Name and Title	Date

I hereby affirm that the contents of this application are true and
accurate to the best of my knowledge, and that I am an authorized
representative of the company or organization named above and am duly
authorized to sign this application.

 An example of a class of safer surfactants is linear alcohol
ethoxylates (LAE). LAEs are toxic to aquatic life, but break down
quickly to non-polluting compounds.  Nonylphenol ethoxylates, commonly
referred to as NPEs, are a surfactant class that does not meet the
definition of a safer surfactant.  Both NPEs and their breakdown
products, such as nonylphenol, are toxic to aquatic life.

 For SDSI recognition, your strategy description should include an
explanation of your due diligence in selecting safer surfactants.  Along
with the non-use of NPE surfactants, examples of due diligence include: 
Only using surfactants from CleanGredients (www.cleangredients.org);
only using surfactants that meet the DfE or CleanGredients surfactant
screens (see DfE screen at
http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/projects/gfcp/index.htm); or only using
surfactants that meet criteria similar to the DfE or CleanGredients
screens (e.g., the EU Detergents Directive).  In addition, a description
of in-house criteria that ensures the use of safer surfactants may also
qualify as due diligence.

 Please note that Partner recognition will sunset on the commitment
date. After this date, companies will need to apply for Champion
recognition. 

EPA Form 6300-2