Safer Products for Washington recommends new restrictions to reduce harmful chemicals

What if making a product safer didn't mean reinventing the recipe?

From frying pans and colorful nail polish to the caulk that seals the windows of your home, safer chemicals may already available. In some cases, manufacturers are already using them.

For the past seven years, scientists with Ecology's Safer Products for Washington program have studied harmful toxic chemicals in the products we use, searching for safer alternatives. When they find safer alternatives to toxics in products, they can restrict the toxic chemicals used in these products, making them safer before they even get to consumers.

By evaluating safer chemicals, materials, and processes that perform the same function as toxic chemicals, they've found many safer alternatives that paved the way for restrictions on the use of harmful chemicals in 13 product types and reporting requirements in 13 others.

But simply identifying harmful chemicals and finding safer alternatives doesn't automatically make the products we buy, use, and eventually dispose of safer. Moving companies toward safer chemicals in products that prevent pollution and protect human health takes another step.

Our draft recommendations for new regulations on toxics in products

In our current cycle, the Safer Products team evaluated 15 product categories and identified safer alternatives to harmful chemicals in 14 of those products. Their findings, outlined in our Legislative Report, include possible restrictions and reporting requirements for toxic chemicals for the following products:

• Architectural paints containing alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
• Artificial turf containing PFAS and N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N'-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD)
• Cookware and kitchen supplies, firefighting personal protective equipment, floor waxes and polishes, and hard surface sealers containing PFAS
• Cosmetics containing cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes (cVMS)
• Insulation containing organohalogen flame retardants (OFRs)
• Jewelry and accessories containing lead, cadmium, and their compounds
• Motor vehicle tires containing 6PPD
• Nail products containing benzene, ethyl benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTEX) substances
• Plastic packaging containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) (organochlorine substances)
• Printing inks containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
• Sealants, caulks, and adhesives containing ortho-phthalates
• Solid deodorizers containing 1,4-dichlorobenzene (1,4 DCB) (organochlorine substance)

We provide detailed information about the safer alternatives for each of these products in our technical report.

For the 14 products where we identified safer alternatives, we are recommending restrictions on the harmful chemicals used in each. We are also proposing reporting requirements on some products so we can learn more about the use of harmful chemicals to support our work in future cycles.

Recommended restrictions

When we recommend a restriction, it usually means a safer alternative is available and already used in similar products. For example, our team found that different metals and materials can add weight or make less expensive jewelry shiny, just as lead and cadmium do. These restrictions also reduce harmful exposures to lead and cadmium that harm brain development and may affect children who may come into contact with these toxics.

How reporting requirements help

Sometimes our scientists need more information about how a chemical is used in a product to help find safer alternatives. For example, there's a lot of emerging information about possible chemical alternatives to 6PPD in tires. But these alternatives are so new that they're still being researched and tested to see if they can replace 6PPD and perform similarly in tires.

When our team needs more data, as is the case with 6PPD, we can require manufacturers to submit annual reports on their uses of the toxic chemical in the product category under review. These reports help our scientists understand the extent of a chemical's use and the different functions it serves in a product. They also create opportunities for conversations with manufacturers about how chemicals are used in their products and manufacturing processes.

Analysis continues for chemicals and products

Finally, in some cases, there isn't enough evidence, a clear regulatory pathway, or enough resources available to determine which alternatives may be safer. In these instances, our scientists recommend that we take no action at this time.

When we don't recommend action on a chemical, the law allows us to revisit the chemical in a future cycle of the program. The Safer Products team also continues to research alternatives that could lead to action in a future cycle if safer alternatives are found.

For example, the Safer Products team recommends no action for PCBs in printing inks in this new report. PCBs are produced when inks are made with chlorine, which indirectly contaminates the pigments used for colors in inks. These harmful chemicals can enter the environment when these inks are made and when products containing these inks are disposed of.

However, our scientists need additional information to determine if safer pigments without PCBs are feasible and available for use in different types of printing inks. As our Safer Products team learns more about possible safer alternatives, we could take action in a future cycle.

What's next?

Because these recommendations are drafts, we want to hear from you.

Public comment is now open, and we're accepting feedback on our draft reports through Dec. 18, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. You can also email feedback to us at [email protected].

Your feedback helps us understand how these alternatives may work in different situations, and informs the regulations we'll begin to develop in 2027.

We're also hosting a webinar on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. where you can learn more about our findings and ask questions about the report.

To get email updates on our product work and how you can contribute, subscribe to our Safer Products for Washington email list.