New Generation of Products Meet Strict Criteria
for Childrens Health and Safety
by Demetria Mudar

(Port Washington, NY) Grassroots Environmental Education, a New York-based non-profit, has announced the on-line publication of a comprehensive list of cleaning products which meet the highest standards for health and safety, and the deployment of a new "ChildSafe" logo to identify these products in commerce. The list and logo are available at www.grassrootsinfo.org/cslist.

The product list, which includes products from 29 manufacturers, was assembled based on manufacturer's affidavits that their products met or exceeded the recommendations of ChildSafe Guidelines, a set of criteria which grew out of purchasing recommendations originally published by the U. S. EPA and the Department of the Interior. The Guidelines are the first in the nation to acknowledge the unique vulnerability of children to environmental toxins, and to set threshold limits for certain chemicals commonly found in commercial cleaning products which have been associated with an increased incidence of environmentally mediated illnesses, including asthma, allergies, certain types of cancer, learning and behavioral disorders, endocrine disruption, chemical sensitivity, and kidney or liver damage.

"The current standards for green cleaning products may be fine for adults working in factories or office buildings, but they're not working for children," says Doug Wood, Associate Director of Grassroots. "Kids are unique in their vulnerability to chemicals in the environment, and the ChildSafe List and Logo make it easier for purchasers to locate and identify products which are truly safe for use in schools and other institutions where kids spend time."

A number of products from the ChildSafe List were included in a "Clean, Green Schools" pilot program conducted this spring in selected New York City Public Schools in cooperation with the unions representing custodians, teachers and principals and the New York City Department of Education. All of the products received high marks for efficacy, and all will be included in the 2007-2008 purchasing guide for New York City Schools, along with the logo identifying the products.

"This is definitely an idea whose time has come," says Frank Byrne, President of Custodial Engineers Local 891 in Manhattan and chief custodian at the JHS Corlears School. "When we were asked to participate in the pilot program, my staff was ready to get on board right away, and the training didn't take as long as I thought it would. The green products seem to be working just as well as the traditional products we've been using, and we've had no complaints from the staff."

"The slogan of our union is 'We Put Children First,'" says Charlie Carr, Custodian Engineer at P.S. 9 in upper Manhattan. "If we do indeed put children first, it's important that we start using the cleaning products that will provide the safest environment for them. In this pilot program, we have been given an opportunity to ensure the safety and integrity of our public school buildings. We have a responsibility to meet evolving standards for children's health and I'm thrilled to be a part of this pilot program."

There is no fee for having products listed on the ChildSafe List or for using the logo in commerce. Companies interested in having their products listed should contact Grassroots at (516) 883-0887.

About Grassroots:

Grassroots Environmental Education is a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to educating the public about environmental toxins and their impact on human health. Grassroots is the recipient of a 2006 Environmental Quality Award from the EPA and the Distinguished Public Service Award from the Westchester County (NY) Board of Health. Founded in 2000, Grassroots currently serves local governments, school systems, community groups, other environmental organizations and individuals across the nation. The organization's website is www.grassrootsinfo.org.