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Hand Sanitizers Need Biobased Testing to Get an EcoLogo

Canada’s EcoLogo Program requires makers of hand sanitizers applying for its eco-label to comply with CCD-170, the program’s environmental standard for instant hand antiseptic products. Under the standard, instant hand antiseptic products must be at least 73% biobased excluding the packaging.

The 73% value is based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s BioPreferred Program, which requires ASTM D6866 product certification. Hand sanitizer makers applying for an EcoLogo need ASTM D6866 testing to verify the biobased content of their products.

The EcoLogo Program intends to post in its Web site the biobased content of certified products based on the manufacturer’s submitted data. The Program wants the information to be readily available to purchasers and consumers.

The CCD-170’s scope is limited to waterless hand sanitizers, waterless hand antiseptics, professional hygienic hand rubs, or rinse-free antiseptics for frequent application with the desired effect of reducing the number of microorganisms on intact skin. CCD-170 is not applicable to disinfectant soaps, hand sanitizing products that require rinsing, patient preoperative skin preparations, or surgical hand scrubs. Moreover, the standard applies only to hand sanitizers for the “away from home market.”

Hand sanitizers, which are mostly alcohol-based, must not have quaternary ammonium compounds, chlorhexidine gluconate, chloroxylenol, flurosalan, hexachlorophene, phenol, tribromosalan, triclocarban, or triclosan as active ingredients to be eligible for the eco-label.

Full text of the CCD-170 is found here.

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