Later this month, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials are expected to make recommendations that would allow some companies to market disinfectants and sanitizers as "environmentally preferable."

Current EPA policy prohibits companies from making that claim for pesticide products, a category that includes disinfectants.

If the policy changes, suppliers would be able to make factual claims of environmental preferability for disinfectants and sanitizers, as well as use certain eco-labels when marketing hard surface antimicrobial products.

The EPA and its Design for the Environment program have been running an internal pilot regarding loosening the restrictions on green claims by identifying how the Design for the Environment label could be applied to certain disinfectants and sanitizers. An external pilot involving manufacturers and distributors is expected to follow.

^{Spray - CC license by Editor B}