Demystifying Antimicrobials
In response to the deluge of questions about antimicrobials at the beginning of the pandemic, CEH hosted a webinar with close to 260 attendees from corporations, schools, universities, government agencies, and more. Antimicrobials, which are agents that are designed to kill or stop the growth of certain microorganisms, were popping up everywhere in 2020 from couch fabrics to gloves, even face masks. Unfortunately, while antimicrobials may sound like a smart idea, we have seen little evidence that adding antimicrobials to these products results in reduced infections or disease. Additionally, many antimicrobials can actually harm human health and the environment. Our goal for the webinar was to educate people about the lack of evidence supporting the use of antimicrobials in furniture. The webinar was a success, with more than 83% of the manufacturers and 88% of the purchasers surveyed saying that they were unlikely to produce or request products with antimicrobials.
Influencing the Massive Purchasing Behavior of U.S. Cities
In 2020, CEH was approached by CityHealth to develop a system by which they could evaluate Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) policies for 40 of the largest cities in the U.S. participating in its national city recognition program. By November, CEH designed best practices for procuring three product categories that are commonly purchased in large volumes by cities—and which pose serious health threats, including furnishings (carpet, flooring, and furniture), foodware, and cleaning products. These best practices will not only decrease the extraction, manufacturing, and disposal of dangerous materials, but will also open the door for new markets to develop products that improve the health of millions of city residents as well as our environment. Cities who participate in the project can earn medals for their city by adopting healthier purchasing policies and practices. We are excited to expand this work in 2021 to protect residents in an additional 35 of the largest cities in the nation.
“Given the vast number of products we must procure, we don’t always have time to do the needed, detailed research about a product category. CEH has done that work and we trust their science and deep market expertise. The practical resources they have developed are the missing links that might otherwise be a key obstacle for our efforts.”
- Chris Geiger, Ph.D.
Manager of Green Purchasing & Integrated Pest Management Programs, San Francisco Department of the Environment