On September 25, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized Berkley Green, a household and baby cleaning products company based out of Uniontown, Fayette County, and the Navy Supply Systems Command Weapons System Support in Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County as two of 18 of EPA’s Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners.

The announcement comes as part of Pollution Prevention (P2) week. The honor recognizes businesses that use safer chemicals in the manufacture of products for human health and the environment.

“We are pleased today to be recognizing the leadership and accomplishments of a diverse array of organizations over the past year,” said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. “This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Pollution Prevention Act and the awardees have all contributed to source reduction, also known as pollution prevention, through the design, manufacture, selection and use of products with safer chemicals.”

Berkley Green

Since becoming a Safer Choice partner in 2007, Berkley Green has continually added new products with ingredients that meet the Safer Choice program’s rigorous human health and environmental criteria. In 2019, Berkley Green certified 21 products as safer choice. The company also consistently showcases their support for Safer Choice by displaying the label on the front of all certified products.

“As a repeat award winner, Berkley Green understands the importance of source reduction in the making of its products, said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. “Recognizing organizations like this provides an example of demonstrated steadfast commitment to reducing pollution and providing products made of safer chemicals to all our Safer Choice program partners.”

Navy Depot

Naval Supply Systems Command Weapons Systems Support (NAVSUP WSS) is recognized for its efforts to advance the use of chemicals that meet Safer Choice criteria.

The Hazardous Material Control and Management (HMC&M) and Pollution Prevention (P2) Department of NAVSUP WSS maintains regulatory compliance for hazardous material (HAZMAT) located at more than 70 Navy installations worldwide and promotes P2 supply initiatives through the reuse, reduction, and substitution of HAZMAT across the Navy.

In a pilot project in 2019, NAVSUP WSS increased the number of Safer Choice-certified products available for purchase by three and a half times which resulted in the pilot sites increasing the number of Safer Choice-certified products they purchased by fifteen times.

They conducted on-site communication programs educating users about the meaning of Safer Choice certification.

Safer Choice commends NAVSUP WSS for the success of the pilot program which introduced Safer Choice to up to 34,000 military, DoD civilians, contractors, and family members.

“We are proud of the commitment NAVSUP WSS is making to protect our environment, military and civilians,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. “Recognizing organizations like this provides an example of demonstrated steadfast commitment to reducing pollution and providing products made of safer chemicals to all our Safer Choice program partners.”

P2 Week celebrates diverse ways organizations can prevent pollution, furthering EPA’s mission to protect public health and the environment.

More information on the 2020 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners and summaries of their accomplishments is available online.

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[Posted: Sept. 25, 2020]

9/28/2020