The Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL), a cornerstone of EPA’s Safer Choice Program, identifies and promotes ingredients that are safer for human health and the environment. All listed chemicals have passed EPA’s stringent review and serve as authoritative sourcing guidance for manufacturers of cleaning products, personal-care items, industrial formulations and other consumer goods.
SCIL conveys each ingredient’s hazard profile through an intuitive four-tier icon system:
- Green circle – verified low hazard on the basis of robust experimental and modeled data.
- Green half-circle – expected low hazard; additional data would further strengthen confidence.
- Yellow triangle – functionally necessary but has some hazard-profile gaps. These best-in-class ingredients (e.g., certain preservatives or solvents) are the safest currently available for their specific use, yet their function remains a priority for safer-chemistry innovation.
- Grey square – under review for potential removal. Manufacturers have 12 months to submit justification; otherwise the chemical is delisted.
By flagging yellow-triangle and grey-square substances, the system not only helps formulators quickly select safer inputs and avoid high-concern chemicals, but also steers the supply chain toward continuous innovation and higher safety standards.
