In the 1970s the US banned the use of pollutants known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Yet a recent study suggests that Americans may still be suffering the negative effects of PCBs from wood floor finishes in older homes and public buildings. The news can’t help but make me wonder what hazardous chemicals we’re being exposed to now that haven’t been outlawed yet.

The reason for environmental standards programs is that science is ahead of the law. The criteria for EcoLogo standards are far more stringent than legal requirements. Sometimes laws are weaker because of economic interests, sometimes it’s because lawmakers aren’t as quickly informed about hazardous chemicals as leading scientists, and sometimes it’s simply because the lawmaking process can be slow and bureaucratic. (Remember the famous civics-class film, “How a Bill Becomes a Law”)

Here’s an example. The Sierra Club (unsuccessfully) lobbied the EPA last year to ban industrial and household detergents containing nonylphenol ethoxylates. Many detergent manufacturers have already come up with alternatives, but there is no federal law. On the other hand, EcoLogo’s standard for laundry detergent mandates that products must not be formulated or manufactured with alkylphenol ethoxylates, which includes nonylphenol ethoxylates. The standard was first published in 1997.

Eleven years and counting for federal law to match an EcoLogo standard.

Posted by Mari in Environmental standards, Green home