GreenYour.com

The cleaning of commercial buildings (a robust $150 billion industry[1]) requires 6 billion pounds of chemicals and 4.5 billion pounds of paper products (representing about 25-50 million trees) every year.[2] The concentrated nature of commercial cleaning products makes them more toxic, resulting in a higher incidence of worker injury[3] and contributing to poor indoor air quality.[4]

The Western Regional Pollution Prevention Network estimates that the average janitorial laborer uses 23 gallons (194 pounds) of chemicals every year, 25 percent of which is considered hazardous.[5] Of the 3.5 million cleaning employees in the US, 6 percent experience an injury related to chemical exposure annually.[6] Beyond acute injury, traditional cleaning products have also been linked to cancer, major organ damage, reproductive disorders, asthma, headaches, dizziness, and fatigue.[7]

Conventional cleaners often contain chemical agents which pollute our fresh water supplies, causing health problems for animals and humans alike. A common commercial cleaner ingredient is alkylphenol ethoxylate (APE), which does not easily break down during sewage treatment.[8] APEs are among the most widely used groups of surfactants, with about half a million tons produced annually worldwide.[9] The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified APEs as endocrine disrupters which can affect the reproductive systems of birds and mammals and disrupt the ability of some fish to reproduce.[10] Measurable levels of APEs have been found in some lakes and streams.[11]

The EPA lists drain cleaners, toilet cleaners, bleach, and shower cleaners on its list of common items containing potentially hazardous ingredients.[12] If these products are improperly disposed of—including pouring them down the drain or toilet or putting them out with the trash—they are considered to be hazardous waste.[12]

More environmentally-safe cleaners do not cost any more than conventional options and in some cases, could be considered more economical. Peripheral savings include increased worker productivity and a reduction of the $75 million spent each year by US companies for janitorial medical expenses and lost time wages.[7] Opting for greener commercial cleaners has been shown to increase employee productivity by 0.5 to 5 percent, saving an estimated $30 billion to $150 billion annually.[5]

Questions to get you started...

1. Do you have direct control over your janitorial services?
2. Does your janitorial contractor use green cleaning products?
3. Do you give preference to janitorial companies that practice environmentally-sensitive cleaning?

External links

• Commercial Cleaning Orlando's website includes some ideas on how custodians can make their own cleaning supplies.
• Green Seal Certified Products/Services - Cleaners
• US Department of the Interior - Greening the DOI: Green Cleaning
• EcoLogo Certified Green Products - Cleaning & Janitorial Products
• US General Services Administration - Product Guides, Articles, and Presentations
• Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance - Procuring Green Cleaners: Minnesota’s Experience
• US Environmental Protection Agency - Database of Environmental Information for Products and Services: Cleaning Supplies and Equipment
• US Environmental Protection Agency - Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program: Cleaning Products Pilot Project
• The Carbohydrate Economy Clearinghouse A project focusing on plant-matter-based products derived from renewable resources as alternatives to fossil fuel based products.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards Find information on the names, synonyms and trade names of various chemicals and search their pocket guide for detailed information about various chemicals.
• McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry - Cradle to Cradle Certification: Cleaning Products (Find cleaners by Choosing “View by product type” from the “Certified Products” options)
• PlanetArk's Fact Sheet on Cleaning Products.
• Scorecard The Pollution Information Site - Chemical ProfilesFind detailed information on more than 11,200 chemicals commonly found in commercial cleaners.
• US Environmental Protection Agency - Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines: Commercial/ Industrial Sanitary Tissue
• US Environmental Protection Agency's Cleaning Products Pilot Project Case Study.
• Western Region Pollution Prevention Network - Fact Sheets Information on toilet, hard floor, carpet, restroom, glass, and metal cleaners and disinfectants.