Hand Sanitizers

Green purchasing guidance for hand sanitizers, including:

Required specifications

Purchasers must include these specifications, unless not possible:

  • Must contain at least 60% ethyl alcohol, which is consistent with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendation for use against the COVID-19 virus.
  • The vendor must offer at least one product that currently has one of the following third-party multi-attribute certifications:
    • UL ECOLOGO, Green Seal, USDA Certified Biobased, Cradle to Cradle (Silver or higher), or Design for the Environment

Preferred specifications

Purchasers should include these specifications, unless not possible:

  • USDA Biobased Certified

Things to avoid

Purchasers should avoid these specifications whenever possible:

  • May not contain active ingredients other than ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol.
  • May not be on the US Food and Drug Administration’s Hand Sanitizer Do-Not-Use list. This list includes products that are dangerous because they are found or likely to be contaminated with methanol or 1-propanol or that are packaged in food or drink containers.
  • No fragrances or dyes

Laws, rules, and executive orders

These laws, rules, and executive orders must be included in the contract language:

Find these products on statewide contracts

Find products that meet Washington’s green purchasing specifications:

End of life

Surplus goods that still can be used

  • Use surplus disposal to get rid of items you no longer need. Keep materials out of landfills and make funds for your agency.

Recycling and disposal

Hazardous waste disposal guidelines and options:

Contact us

Leatta Dahlhoff

Environmental Technical Analyst