Cleaners: Overview

Welcome to the Responsible Purchasing Guide for Cleaners. This Guide provides information and recommendations on responsible use and purchasing of office cleaning products.

Below we provide an overview of each section of the Guide: Social & Environmental Issues; Best Practices; Cost, Quality & Supply; Policies; Specifications; Standards; Products; Handy Facts; Definitions; and Credits & Endnotes.

Social & Environmental Issues

The social & environmental issues section discusses environmental and human health problems associated with conventional cleaning chemicals. Ingredients found in one out of three commercial cleaning products are potentially harmful to human health and the environment (JPPP, 1999). Custodial staff and people who spend a lot of time indoors, such as office workers and students, are particularly susceptible to the health risks posed by these products. Health problems associated with cleaning chemicals include reproductive disorders, major organ damage, permanent eye damage, asthma and other respiratory ailments, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue (Culver, 2002; EPA, 1993). These chemicals can also find their way into lakes, streams, and other water bodies (some of which may serve as drinking water sources), presenting further health and other environmental concerns.

Best Practices

The best practices section discusses how to structure and implement green cleaning programs. Effective green cleaning programs designate a dedicated team of stakeholders to address the issues and execute a plan. The team should measure baseline data, set goals, adopt a policy, review and adopt standards and specifications, test products, train staff, measure progress at pre-determined intervals, and revise plans as needed.

Cost, Quality & Supply

The cost, quality & supply section discusses price, performance, and availability of responsible cleaning products. In the past, environmentally preferable cleaners were sometimes perceived as less effective or more expensive than conventional cleaners, but this is undeniably no longer the case. Institutional users now report that green cleaners are cost competitive, perform just as well as more toxic alternatives, and are widely available through conventional suppliers. Hundreds of cleaners certified by Green Seal and/or Environmental Choice are readily available in the marketplace.

Policies

The policies section contains a listing of green cleaning policies passed by leading institutions. Green cleaning policies are gaining momentum. Ever since Massachusetts issued an approved products list for environmentally responsible cleaners in 2003, cities, states, schools and universities, hospitals, corporations and other institutions have begun adopting formal policies establishing responsible purchasing programs for cleaners. These policies typically cite the role green cleaners play in protecting human health and the environment, and they increasingly reference Green Seal and/or EcoLogo as required product qualifications.

Specifications

The specifications section provides sample contract language for responsible cleaning product procurement. This collection of contracts includes specifications for many of the best social and environmental criteria available.

Standards

The standards section describes and compares leading standards for responsible cleaning products. Green Seal and EcoLogo (formerly known as Environmental Choice) each manage environmental certification programs that define green cleaners, and include evaluation and verification procedures to identify products meeting the standard. These standards were developed through extensive, public, consensus-based processes consistent with the ISO 14020 and 14024 environmental label guidelines. Both programs conduct on-site audits as part of their certification process. Additionally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment (DfE) Formulator Initiative and NSF International provide programs designed to help manufacturers improve the environmental performance of their cleaning products and/or define protocols to help manufacturers evaluate and improve their products.

Products

The products section contains a listing of hundreds of cleaning products certified by Green Seal and/or EcoLogo, including products for general purpose, floor care, carpet, degreasers, drains, hands, hard surfaces, and other industrial and institutional cleaning applications.

Handy Facts

The handy facts section provides a referenced set of facts and findings pertaining to industrial and institutional cleaning products.

Definitions

The definitions section provides a glossary of terms used throughout the Guide.

Credits & Endnotes

The credits & endnotes section lists the people responsible for writing, reviewing, and editing this Guide along with a listing of sources referenced.