Traditional cleaning chemicals can pose a threat to workers' health; reproductive disorders, major organ harm, and permanent eye damage are just a few examples. Compounds in cleaning products also end up in lakes, streams, water bodies, and landfills. By using non-toxic, environmentally preferable, "green" cleaning products, facilities can avoid these problems.
Both Green Seal, an independent nonprofit dedicated to safeguarding the environment, and EcoLogo, a Canadian organization that helps people identify environmentally preferable goods and services, certify green cleaning products. Cleaning supplies carrying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Design for the Environment logo have been proven to be safe for workers and the environment.
To ensure that environmentally-sound cleaning procedures are practiced, facility managers should devise plans that set cleaning goals and standards, adopt policies, test products, and train staff.
Minnesota Statute 115A.02 requires government agencies to reduce the toxicity of waste. This requirement can be achieved by purchasing cleaning products certified by Green Seal, EcoLogo, and Design for the Environment.
Fact: Current Minnesota state rules limit the amount of phosphorous to 0.5% in laundry detergents and household cleaners, 11% in household automatic dishwashers, and 20% in water conditioners. Controlling phosphorus, the primary pollutant in eutrophication, is crucial to protecting our streams and lakes.
U.S. Executive Order 13423 requires federal agencies to use sustainable environmental practices when acquiring goods and services, including acquisition of biobased, environmentally preferable, energy-efficient, water-efficient, and recycled-content products. State and local governments are encouraged to follow these recommendations.
Federal Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines offer standards for recycled content of cleaning supply products:
|
Product |
Post-Consumer Content (%) |
Recovered Fiber (%) |
| Plastic Trash Bags | 10 - 100 | N/A |
| Paper Towels | N/A | 40 -100 |
|
General Purpose Industrial Wipers |
N/A | 40 -100 |
Source: Environmental Protection Agency Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines
In addition, the EPA maintains a webpage called "Greening Your Purchase of Cleaning Products: A Guide For Federal Purchasers". State and local government purchasers can use this guide as a resource when making cleaning product purchases.
"Green" cleaners certified by Green Seal or EcoLogo are non-toxic and perform similarly or better than conventional cleaning products. Using green cleaners does not add extra time or effort to cleaning.
It's a myth that traditional cleaners that contain chlorine and other toxic chemicals perform better. Conversely, they pose significant risks including:
- Serious skin and eye burns
- Respiratory tract irritations and asthma related conditions
- Damage to clothing, carpeting, and other fabrics through accidental contact
In addition, mixing chlorine-based cleaners with other commonly used cleaning agents, such as those containing ammonia, can produce a poisonous gas.
Cleaning Plans Ensure High Performance
The improved quality and availability of green cleaning products has prompted a growing movement by public agencies in Minnesota and across the United States to implement cleaning plans that require the use of low-toxicity janitorial and office cleaners. Facilities managers should implement a program to monitor progress of green cleaning efforts. Consider taking the following steps:
|
Best Practices |
|
| Form a Team | Assemble a dedicated team of procurement, managerial, and custodial staff. The team implements decisions regarding use and procurement of cleaning products. |
| Establish Baseline | Determine current use of cleaning products. What hazardous chemicals are being used? Can a general purpose product do multiple cleaning jobs? |
| Set Goals | Set targets for reductions in costs, number and volume of cleaners used, and environmental improvements. Monitor these to ensure they are being achieved. |
| Adopt Policy | Consider adopting and publicizing a policy to formalize the institution's commitment to purchasing cleaning products that minimize effects on human health and the environment. |
| Evaluate Standards & Specifications | Draft bid specifications that guarantee use of environmentally-sound cleaning products. See Specifications section for exact specification language. |
| Improve Practices | Modify cleaning protocols and train custodial staff for maximum effectiveness of the program. |
The state of Minnesota maintains a contract for cleaning supplies that includes "green" cleaning products. For general office cleaners, Minnesota's Office Supply Connection offers Restore Spray & Clean, a general office cleaner that is water-based, pH-neutral, and plant-derived.
Green Seal and EcoLogo maintain complete lists of environmentally-sound cleaning products that are available on the market and are easy to order. Both websites list hundreds of bathroom, glass, and all-purpose cleaners.
Green cleaning products are available through vendors, distributors, catalogues, or through on-line orders. Contracted cleaning companies increasingly offer green cleaning services to public agencies. See Specifications for ways to incorporate green cleaning requirements into your bid.
Institutional users of "green" cleaning products report that they are cost competitive with more traditional, hazardous cleaning products. In many instances, using green cleaning products can save money in disposal costs and avoidance of regulatory fees associated with handling hazardous materials. Opting for concentrated cleaning products also provides significant cost savings.
Green cleaning products can dramatically improve indoor air quality, leading to improved worker health and productivity. According to an article in the 2006 edition of Managing Green, a publication for facilities managers, improving indoor air environments can increase worker productivity for a savings of three- to 34-minutes per day per worker.
When making purchasing decisions, choose products certified by either Green Seal or EcoLogo.
Consider using the following specifications for requests for bids from contractors and vendors:
|
Cleaning Product Attribute |
Specification |
| Non-toxic | "The undiluted cleaning product must not be toxic to humans." |
| Carcinogens/ Reproductive Toxins |
"The undiluted cleaning product must not contain any ingredients that are carcinogens or that are known to cause reproductive toxicity as defined by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the National Toxicology Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or the Occupational Health and Safety Administration." |
| Skin and Eye Irritation |
"The undiluted product must not be corrosive to the skin or eyes. The undiluted cleaning product must not be corrosive to the skin as tested using the Human Skin Construct systems (Liebsch et al. 2000; Fentum et al. 1998). The undiluted cleaning product must also not be corrosive to the eye as tested using the bovine opacity and permeability test (BCOP) (Sina et al. 1995) after a 10-minute exposure." |
| Skin Sensitization | "It is mandatory that the undiluted product not be a skin sensitizer as tested by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Testing of Chemicals, Section 406." |
| Combustibility | "It is required that the undiluted product not be combustible. The product or 99% of it by volume of the product ingredients must have a flashpoint above 150 degrees F." |
| Photochemical Smog, Tropospheric Ozone Production, and Indoor Air Quality |
"The product as used must not contain substances that contribute significantly to the production of photochemical smog, tropospheric ozone and poor indoor air quality. The Volatile Organic Compound, or VOC) of the product must not exceed:
|
| Aquatic Toxicity | "The product as used must not be toxic to aquatic life." |
| Eutrophication (Nutrient Loading) |
"It is mandatory that the product as used not contain more than 0.5% by weight of total phosphorous." |
|
Aquatic |
"It is mandatory that each of the organic ingredients exhibit ready biodegradability in accordance with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Testing of Chemicals." |
| Concentrates | "It is mandatory that the product be a concentrate, except for bathroom cleaners and absorbent compound carpet cleaners registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)." |
| Fragrances | "It is mandatory that manufacturers identify any fragrances on their MSDS. Any ingredient added to a product as a fragrance will preferably follow the Code of Practice of the International Fragrance Association." |
| Prohibited Ingredients |
"The cleaning product must not contain the following ingredients:
|
Source: State of Minnesota Cleaning Supplies and Floor Care Products Contract, C-252.
State contract for cleaning supplies:
C-252: Cleaning Supplies
State of Minnesota Office Supply Connection
Saint Paul, MN
651/201-2578
www.officesupplyconnection.org/statemn/catalog.srv
Sells Restore Spray & Clean - a water-based general office cleaner that is pH-neutral and plant-derived.
Minncor Industries
St. Paul MN
651/361-7500
www.minncor.com
Holds existing cleaning supplies contract C-252 with the state of Minnesota. Distributor of many Green Seal-certified products.
Restore
Minneapolis, MN
612/331-5979
www.restoreproducts.com
Produces their entire line of cleaning products, including commercial products, with natural ingredients - never harsh chemicals.
Ecolab
St. Paul MN
651/293-2233
www.ecolab.com
Core Products
Canton TX
903/567-1341
http://coreproductsco.com/index.php/
Retails Green Seal-certified janitorial cleaners and other commercial cleaning products.
Method
877/405-6646
www.methodhome.com
A national cleaning products retailer that will not sell chemicals with known toxicities. Targets the residential market, but many of its products are suitable for commercial jobs. Products are available in major retail outlet stores, or they can be ordered online.
Seventh Generation
Burlington VT
800.456.1191
www.seventhgeneration.com
A cleaning products company that excludes toxic chemicals from its cleaning products. Products range from glass cleaners to laundry detergents.
Responsible Purchasing Network
Takoma Park MD
877-683-7326
www.responsiblepurchasing.org
An international network of procurement specialists dedicated to socially responsible purchasing. They produce the Responsible Purchasing Guide for Cleaners.
Green Seal
Washington DC
202/872-6400
www.greenseal.org/contact.cfm
A nationally recognized nonprofit that certifies environmental products that pass stringent testing standards. Maintains a complete product list of certified cleaning products.
EcoLogo
Ottawa, Ontario
800/478-0399
www.ecologo.org
This site compiles a widely respected certification list of environmentally-sound cleaning products.
Janitorial Products: Pollution Prevention Project
www.epa.gov/dfe
This EPA website contains fact sheets, purchasing specifications, and other outreach materials to advise users on health, safety, and environmental consequences of janitorial products.
"Responsible Purchasing Guide: Cleaners" www.responsiblepurchasing.org/purchasing_guides/cleaners/
Responsible Purchasing Network
"Managing Green: Making Green Practical for Facilities Managers" www.managinggreen.com/Newsletters_2006/MG0406/
AprilArticle3.html
By Steve Ashkin
2006
"The Truth About ‘Green' Cleaning Products" www.livescience.com/environment/070806_green_
cleaners.html
By Andrea Thompson
2007
"Green Cleaning Certification: Gone Green? Got Evidence?"
www.cleanlink.com/cp/article.asp?id=2599&keywords=green%20cleaning,%20certification
Contracting Profits
By Stacie H. Whitacre
Choose non-toxic cleaning products to minimize potentially harmful health effects on cleaning staff. "Green" cleaning products result in less water pollution.
Buy non-toxic cleaners to reduce hazardous wasteAny refuse, sludge, or other waste materials or combinations or refuse, sludge, or other waste materials in solid, semisolid, liquid, or contained gaseous form which because of its quantity, concentration, or chemical, physical, or infectious characteristics may: (a) cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible illness; or (b) pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of, or otherwise managed. Categories of hazardous waste materials include, but are not limited to: explosives, flammables, oxidizers, poisons, irritants, and corrosives. Hazardous waste does not include source, special nuclear, or by-product material as defined by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended. Minnesota Statutes § 116.06, Subd. 11. and disposal costs.
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guide published by the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board, 4/00. The SWMCB includes members from the Minnesota metropolitan counties of Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington, with ex-officio members from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Last Revised July 7, 2008 - 11:44am