Green Seal Ready To Certify Cleaning Service Providers

Building service contractors and in-house cleaning professionals can now be certified under GS-42, Green Seal’s Environmental Standard for Cleaning Services for reduced toxicity, waste and exposure. By achieving certification, companies can easily verify that their cleaning programs are indeed green.

For the purposes of this standard, green cleaning encompasses all indoor activities required to clean commercial, public and industrial facilities. To comply, BSCs must implement building specific green cleaning programs that protect human health and the environment.

The standard specifies green chemicals, supplies and equipment as well as cleaning procedures. For example, all cleaners, hand soaps and paper products must be environmentally preferable. Floor machines need to meet specific filter and decibel requirements. Chemical use needs to be monitored and reviewed on a quarterly basis.

The standard also mandates initial and annual employee training as well as communication with building owners and occupants.

To verify compliance, Green Seal will conduct on-site audits that may include the cleaning service providers’ own facilities. Periodic evaluations will be done after certification to guarantee that BSCs are maintaining compliance.

On Oct. 23, 1,700 janitors went on strike after talks broke down between the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and five major cleaning companies in Houston. The SEIU called the strike on behalf of 5,300 janitors who work for ABM Janitorial Services, GCA Services, OneSource, Sanitors Services of Texas and Pritchard Industries Southwest.

The janitors earn an average of $5.30 an hour, which is less than half of what janitors in other major cities earn. They want a raise to $8.50 an hour, along with more work hours and health insurance benefits, says the SEIU.

Some supporters protested in the streets, handcuffed to trash cans. Nearly a dozen protesters were arrested after blocking part of a mall intersection.

Unionized workers in other cities have taken the strike nationwide. Picket lines showing solidarity with the Houston janitors were set up in Chicago, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Washington, D.C.

As of press time the strike was still continuing. Check CLEANLINK's News of Interest for updates.

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Minneapolis joins a long list of U.S. cities requiring green cleaning. All city-owned facilities must be cleaned with green-certified products as of January 1, 2007.

JohnsonDiversey Inc., Sturtevant, Wis., has announced that its Healthy High Performance Cleaning System is the first cleaning system to achieve Greenguard™ certification for cleaners and cleaning systems. Greenguard is an industry-independent, third-party organization that certifies products that improve indoor air quality.

Stephen Ashkin and David Holly of the Ashkin Group, Bloomington, Ind., have been contracted to write “Green Cleaning for Dummies.” The book will be published in late 2007.