Consumer products are a major source of both indoor and outdoor air pollution. Products such as household paints, pesticides, solvents, cleansers, degreasers, polishes, car-care products and personal-care items emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can compromise air quality.  

Convincing the manufacturers of such products to switch to less-toxic formulations could substantially improve both indoor and outdoor air quality. For example, the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 called for the development of new paint products that produced fewer airborne toxins. State and federal agencies can exercise their authority by requiring reductions in product toxicity and in pollutants. Local governments, in turn, can ban the sale of consumer products of concern in their communities.

Companies, households, and individuals can all help to reduce air pollution, as well as water pollution and solid waste problems, by implementing environmentally preferable purchasing programs. Deliberately selecting consumer products based on their environmental merits can help reduce the impacts of product consumption. Selecting least-toxic and low-emission products can help promote better air quality. Also, choosing consumer products that are energy efficient can reduce air pollution associated with energy production. 

The Center for Neighborhood Technology's Airhead website offers information on how people can reduce the emissions associated with their everyday activities. The website includes a product search that provides information on the relative air pollution of over 70,000 consumer products.

Through the Energy Star Program, the US EPA and DOE work with manufacturers to develop products that conserve electricity. Products for homes and businesses that have received Energy Star certification include appliances, office equipment, fans, lighting, windows, water coolers, and more. 

The Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center offers an online report on Environmental Purchasing which includes extensive listings of further sources of federal, state, international and nonprofit information on environmentally preferable purchasing. The report also includes lists of references pertaining to products used by specific industries.

EPA has an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing program that offers guidance, reports on federal pilot programs, and tools online for implementing environmentally preferable purchasing in everything from conference planning to office purchasing. EPA's Global Warming site offers Climate Change Outreach Material, including fact sheets on reducing climate change through purchasing decisions, such as "Buying Cool Stuff" and "Earth Smart Shopping."

The U.S. General Services Administration offers an Environmental Products & Services Guide online, with listings for products that offer reduced pollutants, provide energy and water savings, or are recycled. Products include paints, cleaners, and other chemical items.

The Greenguard Registry, maintained by Air Quality Sciences, Inc., lists products that have been found to meet indoor air quality guidelines from EPA, the State of Washington, and Germany's Blue Angel program. Products listed include insulation, office furniture, office machines, wallcovering and flooring.

An Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guide from the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board of Minnesota provides information for school and government purchasers on environmentally preferable product alternatives in over 30 product areas.

Green Seal is a nonprofit organization that certifies consumer products as environmentally responsible. It sets environmental standards and awards a "Green Seal of Approval" to products that cause less harm to the environment than other similar products. 

The Pew Center on Global Climate Change offers an online executive summary and complete PDF version of its report Appliances and Global Climate Change: Increasing Consumer Participation in Reducing Greenhouse Gases.

The Pesticide Reporting and Reduction Project provides a listing of links pertaining to reduction of pesticide use in schools, including model school management plans, IPM success stories, sources of pesticide data, and environmental and children's groups. 

The Sustainable Products Purchasers Coalition acts as a catalyst for the transformation of industry and the marketplace to develop, produce, and consume sustainable products—utilizing the Coalition's aggregate purchasing power to accelerate industry's adoption of the use of LCA tools to address the current need for clear and concise product environmental performance data.

The Environmental Working Group offers a searchable product guide on potential health risks from personal care products, called Skin Deep.

Last updated: August 16, 2004

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