GREEN BUSINESS VIEWS

Posts Tagged ‘green cleaning’

What Are the Health and Safety Effects of Traditional Cleaning Products?

The professional cleaning industry strives to make the indoor environment clean, safe, and hygienic. Unfortunately, harmful side effects on human health and safety are associated with certain cleaning products and practices. For these reasons, environmental considerations should be a large part of janitorial management.

Health impacts from traditional cleaning practices and products affect both product users and building occupants. Janitorial staffs often have direct contact with high concentrations of cleaning chemicals and therefore may suffer serious and direct injury. Occupants might be exposed to lower levels but over longer periods of time (longer hours each day and more days per year).

Both cleaning staff and building occupants can receive either “acute” or “chronic” exposure. Acute exposure means a single large exposure to a toxic substance, which may result in severe health problems or death. Acute exposures usually last no longer than a day, as compared to chronic exposures, which refer to many exposures over an extended period of time or over a significant fraction of a human’s lifetime (7 years or more). Chronic exposure can cause long-term serious health effects.

What Are the Environmental Impacts of Traditional Cleaning Products?

Not only do many traditional cleaning products affect human health and safety, but many also contain ingredients that are harmful to the environment. A number of environmental impacts – including effects on fish, birds, other wildlife, and ecosystems can result from these products, depending upon the specific chemical ingredients, manufacturing methods, use, and disposal practices.

Cleaning products can contaminate the environment in many ways, from pouring chemicals and wastewater down the drain and into the local water supply, gas emissions into the air via circulation through the indoor ventilation system, and during the treatment and disposal of chemical wastes. These are known as “downstream” effects, as they happen during or after the use of the products. Many of the same environmental effects are also created “upstream,” during the initial development and manufacture of the products in laboratories and factories. Thus, as janitors reduce their use of hazardous products, they can reduce the environmental effects at a number of different stages of the products’ life cycle.

Cleaning Products

Because so many different cleaning chemicals exist and because different janitorial crews can use different practices and quantities, it is important to note that hazards are best evaluated on a product-by-product or chemical-by-chemical basis. This type of evaluation provides users with complete information about the product, including the risks of individual ingredients and their combined effect in one product.

Several standard-setting organizations develop guidance to assist in evaluating cleaning products. Environment Canada’s Environmental ChoiceTM Program (ECP) provides consumers with a level of assurance that the product bearing the EcoLogoTM, ECP’s symbol of environmental excellence, meets stringent environmental criteria. The mark also tells the consumer that the manufacturer of the product has been audited by a credible third party.

Janitorial mangers and purchasers should carefully review the ECP’s standards and adapt or expand them to meet local needs and concerns. Green cleaning is still a relatively new concept, and managers who follow the ECP standards will be on the cutting edge of green cleaning and have a head start on standards that will more than likely be mandatory in the future. A product may receive the EcoLogoTM if it is made or offered in a way that:

• Improves energy efficiency
• Reduces hazardous by-products
• Uses recycled materials
• Is re-usable
• Provides some other environmental benefit

Environmentally Preferable Attributes of Cleaning Products

Attributes differ for every green cleaning program depending upon a variety of factors, such as local and regional environmental issues; health, safety, or environmental priorities; provincial and local regulations; building characteristics; and availability of alternative products. The following environmental attributes are some examples of those that appear in Green Seal standards and other green janitorial specifications. Must not be corrosive to skin or inanimate surfaces

• Must not be a severe skin or eye irritant
• Must be free of any know human carcinogens, mutagens or teratogens
• Must not contain any ozone-depleting compounds, greenhouse gases, or substances that contribute to photochemical smog and poor indoor air quality
• Must not be delivered in single use aerosol cans or cans using ozone depleting propellants
• Must not contain petroleum-derived or petrochemical blended fragrances
• Must not contain heavy metals that are toxic to humans, animal/aquatic life or the environment
• Must not contain petroleum distillates unless no natural alternative is available, and then only if the distillate meets the human safety and environmental profile outlined by the governing regulatory body
• Must have a pH between 4 and 9 wherever possible
• Must have a flash point higher that 200°F
• Should not be combustible below 105°F
• Must not contain dyes
• Must not contain chlorine, chlorinated or brominated solvents
• Must not contain endocrine modifiers, alkyl phenyl ethoxylates, dibutyl phthalate, or heavy metals (e.g. arsenic, lead, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, mercury, nickel, selenium)
• Must not contain more than 0.5% by weight of phosphorous
• Must not contain compounds that persist or bio-accumulate in human or animal tissue or in the environment
• Should be readily biodegradable at greater than 90% in thirty days without the need of being run through a municipal effluent treatment process. If not biodegradable due to inorganic content, the ingredient must be chemically inert
• Must be bio-based (i.e., utilize biological products or renewable, domestic agricultural [plant, animal, or marine] or forestry materials) wherever possible
• Should be as concentrated as possible to green the supply chain
• Products should be capable of being dispensed through automatic systems in order to reduce user and environmental contact

Many businesses find it difficult to manage this much information.   It is also impossible to believe any cleaning company claiming to be Green.  That is why the certification process exists for Green janitorial services.  Insist that your cleaning contractor or service provide evidence of Green training from the certification program from the Green Clean Institute.  In Canada, the website is Green Clean Institute (.ca).  In the United States, the website is Green Clean Institute (.com)

Article provided by Cassandra Dass-Pearce, Director of Green Clean Institute – Canada

Are you anxiously waiting for one of those elusive Green jobs to appear?  Isn’t everybody?  The promised Green jobs seem to be yet another on of those “word games” of congress and this administration.   We are just gullible enough to believe that all those “jobs bills” are actually jobs bills instead of a tax or pork barrel bills.  The spend-crazed congress is an embarrassment to our country and certain need an overhaul this November.  However, it is my goal to bring the right attitude to anyone who is looking for a job, or a green job.

I was impressed when I read a recent article from the Chicago Tribune that spoke of two veterans who took out a VA loan to start their Green business.

“Two Army veterans are taking to the streets of Muncie with a new business venture they hope will appeal to environmentally conscious travelers.  Cory Brown and Tyler Wright have launched Doing It Green Pedicab to ferry people home from downtown Muncie and bars near Ball State University in a pedicab, which resembles a rickshaw pulled by bicycles.”  This is an industry picking up in others areas as well, like Green Gears in Pittsburgh,

I was extremely impressed about several things in this article.  First of all, they didn’t wait for someone to “give them a job,” but had the heart and courage to make one that filled a community need.  Secondly, they wanted it to be a Green job, which I think is extraordinarily Green.  Third, I loved the inventiveness of their business.  I really hope it catches on like wildfire, and becomes a business model for others.  Wouldn’t this be great in many congested areas, other than vacation sites?

I recall writing about Illinois Governor Quinn signing a law that declassified organic waste as trash.  This allowed organic waste to go to composting areas instead of the land fills.  What a moment of lucid thought for Quinn and the Illinois lawmakers!  The second thought was, “Here is a great chance for some Green entrepreneurs to step up and create a new Green industry.  Collecting the organic waste is a profit center for those doing the work.  I believe that there is some grants or loans for this kind of business.  There may even be some tax credits that make this a even more profitable business.

Once composted, the organically rich soil is then sold to farmers as something better than chemical fertilizers.  The farmers will eventually sell their produce to the restaurants that made that organic trash.  This is that idea “full circle” that we must love as an environmentally-minded people.  Where are the bureaucrats in something like this?  Why not allocate some money for people with Green ideas instead of the money moguls that can’t run a business without bankrupting it?

Why not Green landscaping, Green handymen, Green painters, and Green cleaning services?  The Green Clean Institute offers training and certification for Green janitorial and cleaning services.  The cleaning industry provides one million jobs to the U.S. economy.

Other Green careers are the ability to become a Certified Green Consultant or a Certified Sustainability Officer.  A Certified Green Consultant is an independent consultant working to assist many companies to install Green practices and eventually earn Green business certification.  A Certified Sustainability Officer is someone who works within a company to develop and implement a Green program.  These are programs of the Green Business League, Inc that acts as the national standard for Green business certification.  Both represent an upper level job opportunity, and those going into this area of business need to make themselves invaluable to business.

So, you can wait for a Green job to magically appear one day, or you can go out there and make one.  No one said that it would be easy, but you should make it a career that you will enjoy.  I read once that there were a great many millionaires made in the Great Recession, and I frankly wonder if our present economic situation isn’t a kind or reset where some are knocked out and others step up.  Why not be one of those who steps up and wins the day?

Believe it or not, many janitorial services pay only a mild lip-service to the Green program.  Obviously, some are better than the rest of the Green services; and others are worse.  Unfortunately, there is just no good way to discover the quality of the janitorial service until they have been engaged.  This is due to the age-old practices of the RFP and bid process.  Area janitorial services are generally invited to bid on a project.  An RFP is supposed to keep the bids focused on the same demands; but ultimately, the real decision comes down to the bid opening program where the winner (usually the low bidder) gets the job.

This arcane process has been the way things have been done for decades.  Of course, if the firm is large enough to have good sales people, then the cleaning jobs are influenced by gifts, golf junkets, and paid-for perks.  These two methods of securing a janitorial service need a third option, and the rise of Green cleaning concerns should allow for there to be something more than the lowest-bidder or the best-concealed bribe.

The Green Business League maintains a field force of more than 300 Certified Green Consultants, and each one is taught that the Indoor Air Quality is the starting point of a Green (healthy) office.  Other issues like energy, water and waste management are also included in this very comprehensive Green business certification process.  While some may overlook the important of the janitorial service (in-house or outsourced), janitorial services contribute strongly to a healthy or unhealthy office.

As mentioned, finding a Green certified janitorial service is not as simple as looking at a braggadocios website.  Whether a service is Green or not cannot be proven by self-promotion.  The Green Business League is developing a referral list of Green janitorial services in every metropolitan area.  To be considered for this referral list, a company must request inclusion in this list by emailing the review division.  (review@greenbusinessleague.com)

In the Green Business League system, every company seeking Green business certification must acquire 100 points through “Green Practices.”  15 points are allocated when there is a Green certified janitorial service involved.  For a company at 85 points, there is a strong motivation to consider using a Green janitorial service.   The next plateau is 200 points to reach the gold level certification, and this points-driven system is all about making continued improvement as a Green business.

There is no promise of business made in this system, but the advance of Green business expectations and pending regulations means that more companies are aware of the need for Greening their business, and frankly, the janitorial service costs equals a transition of money already being spent.  Therefore, it seems like a basic and straight-forward solution that should cost the company next to nothing to implement.  Make note, however, that not all self-appointed Green janitorial services are as Green as they claim.  Some even post Green logos on their website that were designed in-house or bought off the Internet.  When you see this kind of misrepresentation and greenwashing, move away from these less-than-honest services.

There are several Green janitorial certifying programs that can be respected.  Companies who see the future and care about their community are reputable firms that have obtained their certification properly.  This are the kind of services that the Green Business League hopes to recommend to each of the hundreds of GBL Green certified businesses.   The size of the company is not as important as the ability to serve the client well.

As a final note, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a major piece of the Green and sustainable workplace.  OSHA and EPA suggest that poor indoor air quality causes a $60 billion loss to American businesses in employee productivity.  Poor air quality exacerbates health-related issues and contributes to headache, lethargy, and minor ailments.   Though a hidden factor in the cost of operating a business, this is still a very serious cost to every business.  Like it or not, your employees are one of the biggest business investments that any company makes.  Even a 5-10% increase or decrease in overall company performance has an impact on the bottom line.

Companies wishing to obtain a Green Assessment by a Certified Green Consultant are encouraged to call the office or email a request to office@greenbusinessleague.com.  Janitorial services wishing to become one of the firms on the Green janitorial services list should email: review@greenbusinessleague.com

There are times when it is worth the change of pace from my usual parade of Green business ideas to make a personal comment.  My wife has written book that I feel deserves comment and promotion.  Naturally Green Clean is written as an eBook which seems to be a very eco-friendly way to publish a book.  It doesn’t get the fanfare of Sarah Palin’s “Going Rouge,” but it has enough merit to encourage everyday people to give it a try.

I have trained hundreds and hundreds of people and firms on Green cleaning through the Green Clean Institute.  I have seen more cleaning products than a twenty year old floor, so the collaboration with my wife in this project was a process that came from the heart.   Naturally Green Clean is a great book discussing how to literally make your own cleaning products from the natural ingredients that can be found on shelves or the Internet.  The modest amount of work that it requires to make your own cleaning product is greatly offset by the money savings and the health benefits.

You may remember with me the phrase heard not so long ago, “Better Living through Chemistry” popularized as a slogan by DuPont.   They dropped this slogan in 1999.  However, we heavily bought into the better life from science, chemistry, and secret ingredients.  During this period of scientific mesmerization, no one asked the question if any of these new ingredient could harm us.  We now know about carcinogens that could cause cancer, mutagens that could alter our DNA, teratogens that could cause birth defect, and hormone disruptors that could interfere with our endocrine system.

We have come to learn about something never considered.  There are VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that are fumes put in the air from the various chemical-laden household and cleaning products.   We are now discovering that there are acute (immediate) and chronic (long-term) impact from these nasty cleaning products.  Sure, they cleaned the surface and killed germs.  So does battery acid or drain cleaner.  Many old time professional cleaners did not trust a product that didn’t burn your skin and make your eyes water.  The more powerful the chemical product, the better it would clean.  Right?

Even ammonia in window clean adds VOCs into the air, and the fumes can be moved through the building through the air handling system.  Bleach is another dangerous ingredient, and you never want to mix these two product in a common bucket.  These fumes are deadly.  Neither one should be ingested or splashed into the eyes.  Doesn’t these warning tell you something?   Yet, they are common cleaning ingredients.

If you like your cleaning product to fizz and foam, you are asking for some kind of chemical reaction that produces a gas that forms those bubbles.   Yet, cleaning product manufacturers want you to believe that they reactive, gas-forming products are good products.  It may make the work easier, but it may make your future life much harder.

I strongly recommend Naturally Green Clean to everyone who is thinking about how to Green up their lives.  Janitorial and maintenance companies can cut costs and deliver a Greener service.  Homes will be healthier, and maybe we’ll have a better quality of life later on.  I also wonder if we won’t see asthma, allergies, ADD, and ADHD occurrence drop if we stop the chemical intensification of our homes, schools, and businesses.  The Green Clean Institute has been promoting this type of cleaning to thousands of followers, and the Green Business League encourages all businesses to only hire Green Clean Certified janitorial services who use Green cleaning products.

When making the transition to a Green operation, do not neglect the cleaning aspect.  In fact, the cleaning process is a big part of any Green building.  To do this right, I’d like to explain the three components to insuring that you have a Green cleaning process in place.  They are: 1) Green Products, 2) Green tools, and 3) Green training.  So often, I hear of janitorial firms boasting of being Green just because they carry a few Green products.  This is what we call “Proxy Green” where the janitorial service merely purchases a Green product as the only qualifier.  This is a easy mistake to make, but this is not the way to Go Green.

Going Green is also about the tools that are used and the training that it takes to clean properly with Green practices.  For example, the idea of “Dwell Time” for Green product is part of the new strategy rather than the “spray and wipe” routine.  The idea of “Top Down” cleaning also needs revision.  In all honesty, I find that the vast majority of janitorial firms skimp when it comes to Green while boasting that they have the expertise to to the job in an environmentally-safe manner.

Green products are essential because former cleaning products were harsh and emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that could cause immediate and long-term health problems to the workers and to the employees who came to work each day.   Cleaning programs are a big part of indoor air quality issues that may create an indoor air quality that is 5 to 6 times worse than outdoor air.  The EPA also reports that we spend 90% of our time indoors, so whatever gets into the air is something that we breathe in constantly.  Indoor air quality is a Green issue because is does impact our health in a powerful manner.

Green equipment includes microfiber cleaning tools, HEPA vacuums, and even the use of fragrances as a common practice that is improperly applied inside the workplace.  Finally, having a trained staff requires more than a five minute review as products are handed out.  Some distributors are handing our Green certifications based upon attendance at the product presentation.  This is all a sad testimony about the janitorial attitude toward cutting corners in a highly competitive market.

It is suggested that any RFP (Request for Proposal) or contract with a janitorial service insert a requirement for Green certification of the cleaning firm.  Do not accept the self-appointed brag that a company is Green, or that a logo has been created for private use.  There is simply a lot of deception and Greenwashing in the janitorial/maintenance business as many try to short-cut the certification requirements.  Green Clean Institute maintains a list of Green Certified firms across America.

If your business is going through a certification program with the Green Business League, a Green certified janitorial services is worth 10 points in their 100 point system.  The use of Green cleaning products and Green tools is worth another 5 points.  Your local Certified Green Consultant can assist you with finding a Green certified janitorial firm as well as helping your company earn the necessary points for Green business certification with the Green Business League.

The issue of environmental lawsuits is a growing concern in America.  We are seeing a substantial volume of lawsuit coming from poor indoor air quality, and it promises to get get much worse.  This is the exact wrong time to cut corners on the cleaning service, cleaning products, or the Greening of the office.  Health is a premium to all of us, and something that every employer must safeguard.